Having fielded the question many times before, Mark O'Meara could see it coming. No matter that his status as US Masters champion made for a crucial difference on this occasion. "Will I be coming back to Ireland?," he anticipated. "Sure, I expect to be arriving there during the week before the British Open."

Some of his critics tend to look rather dismissively on the 41-yearold Californian as a bland, somewhat anonymous craftsman who happens to be a multi-millionaire. America is big enough to accommodate such seeming contradictions.

Those who have taken the trouble to get to know him, however, will talk of O'Meara as a devoted family man, a loyal friend and a general good egg. The sort of man who possesses the humility to take cases of mistaken identity in his stride.

Like during Masters week at Augusta National, when an eager fan approached him at dinner shouting: "Mark McCumber! Mark McCumber! You're Mark McCumber." Gently, he was corrected: "Sorry, I'm Mark O'Meara."

When we met recently at Harbour Town, I suggested that his Augusta triumph may have had its roots in the shotmaking skills he had acquired while battling Pacific winds on courses like Pebble Beach early in the golfing year. Five National Pro-Am wins tell their own tale.

"The reason why I was fortunate enough to win the Masters this year was because the rain came through on Wednesday night and softened the golf course a little bit," he said. "It meant that the course played a little longer but my speed was tremendous around the greens.

"In the process, I managed to avoid any major mistakes. That's why I won." He went on: "But Augusta is certainly the type of course where you've got to play smart golf and have tremendous touch."

Over the four days, O'Meara had a total of 105 putts, which was sufficiently smart to be three fewer than any other competitor. And despite reaching only 42 of the 72 greens in regulation, he carded only one bogey on the last 45 holes. And critically, he birdied three of the closing four in a final round of 67.

O'Meara went on: "Playing on some of Europe's more difficult golf courses, where the wind blows, you must have a good short game. And obviously to play well at Augusta, those sort of skills are important. That's why European golfers and the other strong international players have done well there."

It also explains how a victory in the 1994 Argentine Open gave O'Meara the rare distinction of having won on five continents. Two of those victories were in Europe, in the 1987 Lawrence Batley International and in last September's Lancome Tournament.

The year of his Batley success also marked O'Meara's only challenge in the Irish Open. In the final round at Portmarnock, a two-under-par 70 gave him an aggregate of 289 for a share of ninth place behind Bernhard Langer.

"I had a tremendous time on that occasion," he recalled. "In a way, it was a bit like going home, what with my great-grandfather coming from Ireland. My father was with me and we were given a wonderful reception by all the Irish people. So yes, I would very much like to come back to the Irish Open if it can be fitted into my schedule."

His affection for this country has deepened in recent years, largely through a friendship with financiers Dermot Desmond and J P McManus, who are familiar figures at the Isleworth resort in Florida, where O'Meara has a $3 million home. "I will be coming to Ireland this year on July 6th or 7th," he said.

"The idea is to get in some practice rounds before the British Open, but I will also be seeing some friends, such as Dermot Desmond and J P McManus. I have no definite plans yet as to where I'm going to play, but it will probably be at The K Club.

"I played Ballybunion during a visit last year and it was really great, but I don't know if I'll be going back there. Everything is a bit up in the air at this stage."

He will take a two-week break after the Greensboro Open this weekend: "I feel the need to take time at home with my family and sit down and digest what winning the Masters has really meant.

"In the meantime, I have simply allowed myself to be swept along by the fans, who have been super. They have been very appreciative about what I did at Augusta and I'm very thankful for that. And it has been really nice the way all the pros have been so happy for me and saying `well-deserved' and stuff like that.

"I've been out here on the tour for 18 years and it's wonderful to have their support. It's like one big fraternity out here. Sure, we try to beat each other's brains out every week but when a guy wins, the natural thing, certainly for me, is to go and congratulate him.

"I like my life the way it is. I don't have any desire to change places with Tiger (Woods). I have seen the sacrifices he has had to make and . . ." Among the things O'Meara would have had in mind was the presence of guard-dogs around Woods's accommodation in Augusta during Masters week. Somehow, that sort of attention doesn't seem to sit right with the new champion.

Separated by 19 years, these neighbours at Isleworth are an unlikely pair, but Woods was genuinely thrilled by O'Meara's success. Indeed their closeness was captured in a charming exchange in the Butler Cabin, where the 1997 champion was about to put the green jacket on his successor.

At first, O'Meara couldn't get his right hand into the proffered sleeve. "I'm 41 years old," he gently admonished his young friend. "I can't get my arm way up there."

Among other things, his closeness to Woods stems from their deep affection for the game of golf. In O'Meara's case, it started at a very early age in Mission Viejo, California. "I washed clubs at the country club as a kid," he recalled on the eve of the final round at Augusta. "Not because I was poor - I wasn't poor."

He explained: "I was just hoping to one day play on the PGA Tour and one day win a tournament." A major tournament? "That would fulfil a dream," he replied with a wistful smile. "No doubt about it."

While driving from Augusta to Hilton Head Island on the Monday after his marvellous breakthrough, he stopped at a convenience store along the way. And he stayed long enough to sign all the Masters Journals that had been sitting in the rack when he walked in.

He could also enjoy a hearty laugh a day later when the perennial, post-Masters question was asked about the possibility of his going on to complete the Grand Slam of the other three major titles - the US Open, British Open and USPGA Championship - this year. "I don't consider myself a candidate," he said, dismissively.

In those moments, he seemed almost timid, a stranger to celebrity. If so, it remained an honest picture of O'Meara, just the way he is.

Prior to his Augusta triumph, he was content to be one of the nicest men on the American tour; a proud man without being pompous; competitive without being cut-throat. Indeed it was easy to overlook the fact that he had demolished Jesper Parnevik by 5 and 4 in the final day's singles of the Ryder Cup at Valderrama last September.

One suspects that the acquisition of a long-awaited major title will change little about him. But our perceptions will be different. We will see a competitive toughness in him that we hitherto overlooked, despite his victories in 20 important tournaments worldwide.

The essence of this remarkable man was captured during a precious moment, behind the scenes at Augusta, shortly after he had reached the pinnacle of golfing achievement. Quietly, he said: "I think I'm a good player. I wouldn't classify myself as a great player. I'm a nice player."

It fitted beautifully - just like his newly-acquired green jacket.