Nothing will faze Bjorn

Thomas Bjorn is accustomed to adversity on the golf course, a well-chronicled catalogue of misfortune enough to break the resolve of lesser men.

The Dane therefore won't be cowed by the projected weather conditions this week nor the severity of the challenge posed by the Robert Trent Jones-designed Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort course.

The defending champion, who won the Irish Open at Carton House last year, proved then that he had the steel to cope despite shooting an opening round 78. He went on to win by a single shot from Paul Casey and Darren Clarke.

In 2003 he suffered an Irish Open play-off defeat at Portmarnock, the following year he finished runner-up to Ernie Els in the World Golf Championship event at Mount Juliet and in 2005 a final round 86 denied him what had appeared a likely Smurfit European Open title at The K Club. That's without touching on his British Open travails at Royal St George.

He's one of the most engaging golfers on tour and possesses a keen sense of humour, a trait he demonstrated when responding to whether the Adare course's set-up was too tough for a regular tournament. He'd already pointed out that the rough in Limerick aped that of a US Open venue.

"A few years back the players on this tour complained that we didn't play enough tough golf courses and that didn't prepare us to win major championships. Now I think we play a lot of difficult golf courses and we're not winning major championships." When the laughter subsided Bjorn continued: "I think it's a balancing act. I think we have to be very careful. We are in the entertainment business and we are in a business where people want to see birdies and eagles and we don't want to take that away from the game of golf.

"But it has to be balanced, that some weeks we play tough golf courses and some weeks we play easier ones. I don't think this course is too tough but I think if you play it every week the golf loses a bit of charm."

The Dane also managed to put a bit of subtle pressure on tournament director David Probyn to look kindly on the course set-up when play begins in earnest this morning. "I'm sure he will deal with the conditions and know what the weather is going to be like.

"Fortunately on new golf courses like this we have plenty of tee boxes to play around with and I'm sure that David Probyn will take that into consideration."

There is a suspicion Bjorn won't care what the elements or the course toss in his direction. Of his Carton success the Dane admitted: "It was one of those weeks, probably the hardest week we have ever had on tour weather-wise and conditions-wise. It was a question of ducking your head down and being the last man standing."

He could find himself in glorious isolation again this week.