Nolan leads his partners to victory

Four men who'd never met each other until an introduction on the 10th tee a little after seven o'clock yesterday morning - a time when the dawn chorus had been replaced with the gentle hum of the mower - emerged as winners of the Irish Open pro-am at Druids Glen yesterday.

Although two of the tournament favourites, Jose-Maria Olazabal and Ian Woosnam, shared the individual prize with three-underpar 68s, the team event (which, really, is what the pro-am is all about) went to two English visitors, a returned emigrant and another who is seeking his fame and fortune in America, blended together to take the top prize.

Keith Nolan, a rookie on the US Tour, led home the team that consisted of Manhattan publican Eugene Rooney, and Englishmen Jason Kerrison, who won a competition to play in the pro-am, and Stuart Cadman, who works with Marsden Breweries. Their total of 13-under-par 129 gave them a one-shot margin over the quartet fronted by Germany's Sven Struver.

"I played in the pro-am tournament last year but finished well down the field," remarked Cadman, a 14-handicapper from Burton-on-Trent, who included a contribution of a nett eagle at the 14th where he hit a three-wood and wedge to four feet. "None of us had met each other until this morning, but we dovetailed superbly," he added.

For a while, it looked as if the team fronted by Colin Montgomerie and featuring Kilkenny hurling star DJ Carey (who included an eagle and three birdies in his round), Boyzone singer Ronan Keating and former world snooker champion Ken Doherty would triumph, as they reached 13-under-par after 12 holes. But they finished poorly and eventually had to settle for a share of 16th place.

Meanwhile, in an indication that the actual championship is likely to produce a real quality winner, the individual honours were shared by Olazabal and Woosnam whose three-under-par efforts left them a shot clear of Darren Clarke and Montgomerie. Olazabal had five birdies and two bogeys in his round, while Woosnam, with the individual prize within his grasp, bogeyed the last two holes to drop back to join the Spaniard.