The soft, Alabama drawl captured the mood to perfection. "This is a mean old momma here," said Hubert Green of the Royal Co Down links, after a three-under-par 68 had given him a share of second place behind leader, Noel Ratcliffe, in the £400,000 Senior British Open yesterday.

As it happened, Green, John Bland and Christy O'Connor Jnr combined in the most productive three-ball of the day. But it took three closing birdies to keep the defending champion in contact with the leader, on 69.

Ratcliffe was experiencing the course for the first time, but on observing his four-under-par homeward nine of 32, it came as no surprise to discover that the Australian was reared to links golf at the New South Wales GC in La Perouse.

Continued dry weather meant that competitors were faced with the ultimate in firm, fast-running links conditions in a fresh, southerly breeze - the most difficult on this layout. Quite a number from the field of 132 were overwhelmed by baffling bounces on fiery fairways.

American Joe Carr had a 13 at the last, where he took six to escape from a greenside bunker. And Brian Barnes had to retire after only five holes because of rheumatoid arthritis. "When I arrived here on Tuesday and saw the hard ground, I knew I was in trouble," said the champion of 1995 and 1996. "It became impossible for me to hit down on the ball".

O'Connor, who had considered Barnes a strong challenger for his title, could appreciate his rival's plight. "I would rate it three, possibly four strokes more difficult than St Andrews last week," he said afterwards.

Indicative of the extraordinary run on the ball was that Bernard Gallacher considered it unnecessary to have anything longer than a five wood in his bag, along with 12 irons and a putter. And O'Connor was satisfied to hit a two-iron off the tee at most of the driving holes, given that it was travelling between 290 and 300 yards.

It made the 502-yard first hole a comfortable eagle chance. In fact Gordon Macdonald, a former Scottish amateur international, gained the distinction of an albatross there, by holing a four-iron second shot of 208 yards. But it was perhaps typical of the overall difficulty that he had given the strokes back to the course by the eighth tee.

Both Green and O'Connor eagled the first. The American reduced it to a drive, seven iron and eight-foot putt while the champion needed a 25-footer after a fivewood second shot. Still, Green felt moved to remark: "There were times when you thought you had an easy shot, only to have some funny things happen to the ball."

All of which gave the home players a definite edge, particularly those such as Denis O'Sullivan and Kenny Stevenson, both of whom carded 70. Indeed, this venue is thought of as something of a home from home for Warrenpoint's Stevenson, who captured the Irish Close title here in 1972.

"Local knowledge is a real bonus, particularly knowing the angle of approach to the greens," he said after a 70, which ended with a bogey. O'Sullivan was also in line to break 70 after an eagle at the long 12th, but he covered the remaining holes in one over.

O'Connor dropped four strokes after his opening eagle to reach the turn in 37 - two over par. But he covered the back nine in four under, starting with a two-putt birdie at the 479-yard 12th which he reached with a two iron and seven iron.

Another two-putt birdie came at the 276-yard 16th where he was on the green with a five-wood tee-shot. And he went on to sink a 10-footer on the next, before completing the round with two putts on the long 18th.

"I played with two very good shotmakers and it was wonderful to see the high premium that the course placed on all the irons," said O'Connor. Which would explain why he seemed to enjoy it so much.