Mention the name Christy O’Connor Jr and the three words ‘that 2-iron’ from 1989 are never far away. Without a win from three Ryder Cup appearances spanning 14 years, the genial Irishman was faced with a carry of almost 200 yards, over water, to a three-tier green, with Fred Couples 100 yards further up the fairway, and the 28th Ryder Cup in the balance at 12-10 in the hosts’ favour.
What followed was one of the most memorable, and courageous shots, in Ryder Cup history.
“My caddie, Matthew Byrne, and I squabbled for a while over whether to hit a 5-wood or the 2-iron. The five had a higher carry but the iron was more penetrating and I had just hit a fabulous 2-iron through the 17th from 266 yards.
“Matthew was great. He said ’no way, you have just hit the best 2-iron of your life’. But all I could see was the pond and all these ducks. It was a long hole in those days.
“My caddie said to make sure I made a full turn, the same advice my uncle (the legendary Christy O’Connor Sr) had given me earlier in the day. I had the perfect lie on the fairway, really hard and tight which I love, and it just worked out perfect. The trajectory was quite low but I caught it full on. I was so concentrated, there was a sea of people but I didn’t see them until I hit the shot. Fred Couples was the No. 1 player in the world and I had to finish the job, if he beat me or not I had to play the hole as best as I could. And I did.”
When did he realise it would be quite so precise?
“When there were no ducks skimming up off the water! The pin was 229 yards, the carry was 195 alone, so you don’t want a mishit but I never thought about that.
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“I knew in the air it was a good connection and to see it roll up to three-and-a-half feet was unbelievable.”
Couples only needed a 9-iron but carved it right of the green, chipped up and missed from five feet.
“Couples kept looking back to me. People say he shanked his approach, he didn’t, he cut it five yards and left himself a horrible chip. I think my second to the last really got to him, he wasn’t expecting me to do that from so far back. He took it very badly I’m told.”
Had O’Connor, who sadly died whilst on holiday in Tenerife in January 2016, knocked in his putt, he would have been round in 66.
“There was never more than one hole in it. He was probably the longest hitter in the world so I knew off the tee he was going to beat me to hell, and I expected that, but my iron play was very sharp and I could hit first into every green.
“There was half of Ireland at that Ryder Cup. I will never forget that day for the rest of my life. It was great for my family, my country and the tour of course and I was so happy not to let them down.”
Jose Maria Canizares’ point in the next match out retained the cup and, despite the last four games going the Americans’ way, the trophy stayed on this side of the Atlantic after just the second tie in the competition’s history.
O’Connor had made his debut 14 years earlier at Laurel Valley in 1975 with Eamonn Darcy.
“We were out in 31 against Tom Weiskopf and Lou Graham and two down at the turn.”
He was then handed a wild card after finishing in 11th spot in the 1987 standings.
“You are always hopeful and I was playing extremely well. I shot a 67 in the final round of the German Open and I knew Tony Jacklin was on the course watching me so I was fairly confident. When I got in the locker room I got a little wink from Bernhard Langer.”
American skipper Ray Floyd announced his side as ‘the 12 best golfers in the world’. The Europeans, though, had Jacklin and Seve Ballesteros in their ranks.
“You take that with a pinch of salt. Ours was probably one of the greatest teams ever, not that I was a huge part of it, but it was a hell of a team. If you have a captain like Jacklin you don’t get a chance to think anything other than you are the favourites, then there were guys like Ballesteros walking round saying you are one of the best players in the world. It is a fantastic feeling, the motivation was unbelievable.”
O’Connor played successful practice rounds with Canizares but was then sent out with Ronan Rafferty in the Saturday fourballs and lost.
“We should have won, my uncle (the legendary Christy O’Connor Sr) was over and said that he had never seen me play as well. Bob Torrance also said it was a fantastic display of golf and things like that really spur you on.”
O’Connor Jr and Couples would meet again three years later at the Dunhill Cup in St Andrews. And the result was the same..
“I beat him 69-73. I hit a high fading 4-iron over the bunker to four feet at the 17th and Couples walked up the fairway, with a hanky attached to his putter, and he said ’that was a better shot than you hit at The Belfry.’”
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