Chasing Ladybirds [Paperback]

In tracing Irelands remarkable contribution to the Open Championship, Dermot Gilleece takes us back to 1913 when Royal Dublins Michael Moran became the first player from this island to claim prize money in the worlds oldest Major. In the event, Moran was awarded ?12 10s for a share of third place with the great Harry Vardon behind the winner, JH Taylor. Sadly, Moran was only 31 when he died five years later as a soldier in the British Army in the First World War.From Moran, Gilleece then takes the reader through the amateur exploits of Jimmy Bruen before Portrush native Fred Daly made the breakthrough with an Irish triumph in 1947, ironically at Hoylake, the same venue where Moran had made his mark. Though Daly failed to have the same impact as P?draig Harrington would have on colleagues 60 years later, he sparked some spirited Irish performances from contemporaries such as Harry Bradshaw and Christy OConnor Snr.The ultimate breakthrough in the modern era, however, was achieved by Harrington at Carnoustie in 2007. And the American psychologist Bob Rotella, who was by his side during that memorable week, has written the foreword to this book. It was Rotella who spoke of the contagion created by Harrington among his colleagues, which has carried through to Rory McIlroys career-slam triumph in the Masters at Augusta National earlier this year.All of the Irish triumphs in the Open, along with some notable near misses, are recounted in this latest offering from Gilleece, who details the stories behind the various challenges. In the process, we are brought up close and personal to some of the games leading figures encountered by the author during a career in golf-writing. Right up to this years staging at Royal Portrush, which happened to be the 41st Open Gilleece has attended, since his debut at Muirfield in 1980.In tracing Irelands remarkable contribution to the Open Championship, Dermot Gilleece takes us back to 1913 when Royal Dublins Michael Moran became thelÓ!