HEARTBREAKER. When the 13th hole at Druids Glen was devilishly conceived out of a mix of swamp land and bedrock, there was always the likelihood that it would be more inclined to offer condolences, rather than joyous tidings, to its would be conquerors.
Such proved to be the case yesterday, producing a tale of woe for seasoned campaigner and rookie alike. No distinctions. And no sympathy. Competitors in the Murphy's Irish Open are certainly unlikely to forget their first brush with this 471 yard, par four stretch of terrain.
Even Europe's number one, Colin Montgomerie, was forced to bow the knee, etching a rare triple bogey seven on to his card. But there was worse. Anders Forsbrand, for instance, scribbled an eight.
The hole acted as a magnet to spectators, luring them with the prospect of superstars being reduced to mere mortals. And the roar of helicopters, using the adjacent public car park as a landing site, and the infernal buzz of mobile telephones' added to the mischief.
Montgomerie will remember the hole, if not for all the right reasons. He had a fresh air shot "I can't remember the last time that happened, probably never in my professional career," he observed and he also incurred a penalty drop in the 15 minutes of madness.
The big Scot had opted to use a three wood off the tee and, when the ball finished on the right bank of the water hazard, three feet above the water, Montgomerie attempted to play the ball back across the hazard onto the fairway.
But his foot slipped and he suffered the ignominy of an "air shot". Then, when he attempted to retrieve the situation, he put his next shot into the water. All in all, he did well to make seven.
Would he change the hole? "It's a very difficult hole and will play the hardest on the course. But I think there are 18 very good holes. It is a very good course." No changes.
Monty, for once, had the sympathy of hardened scribes for what it is worth. When the Golf Writers' Home Internationals took place here last week, two distinguished men of the pen, Michael McDonnell, correspondent of the Daily Mail, and David Hamilton, formerly of Golf Weekly, decided surrender was the better part of valour and gave up after 12 strokes in their foursomes match. They could empathise with his plight.
But some clever souls did manage to make profit of the paper kind, for the moment with Montgomerie's shenanigans. Montgomerie, as he started his round on the 10th tee, was 8 to 1 favourite. But after that triple bogey, the man in Sean P Graham's on course bookmakers (conveniently situated beside the 14th fairway), moved swifter than Linford Christie to extend his odds to 14 to 1. A few curious Monty supporters, peering into the bookmakers' shop on their way to the 14th green, couldn't believe their luck and promptly backed their man at the new odds.
By the end of the day, when Montgomerie had displayed nerves of steel and resolute character to garner a round of two under par 69 out of such adversity, his odds had been slashed to fours.
Hole 13, not surprisingly, ranked the toughest at 4.62, with, surprisingly, the 15th, playing an average of 4.60, as the second hardest. The 13th produced six birdies, 79 pars, 45 bogeys, 20 double bogeys, five triple bogeys and Forsbrand's quadruple bogey.
