LOCKED AND LOADED
Neil O’Briain’s big break as he seals Rookie of the Year title
TEAM Ireland’s Neil O’Briain is keeping his fingers crossed he’ll be fit for the start of the new Sunshine Tour season next month.
Winner of the Bobby Locke Trophy awarded to the Rookie of the Year last weekend, he’s battling a hip and back issue that forced him to withdraw injured after just two rounds of the season-ending Tour Championship and endure a nervous wait.
In the end, American Zack Byrd failed to achieve the top 12 finish he needed to leapfrog O’Briain (31) in the Sunshine Tour money list and the Dubliner claimed the Rookie of the Year gong by just ZAR 5,222 – approximately €355.
As a Royal Dublin golfer, he was doubly pleased to win the Bobby Locke Trophy as he was well aware of a black and white photo displayed in the clubhouse in Dollymount.
It shows an 18-year old Locke receiving the low amateur prize at the Irish Open in Royal Dublin in 1936.
“It’s very cool to win the Bobby Locke Trophy because in my time at Royal Dublin, I’d see that photo in the club of Bobby Locke winning the low amateur prize at the Irish Open in 1936,” O’Briain said. “I’m just delighted because there are very few awards you can play for on these main world tours so to win one is extremely satisfying considering the injuries.”
The son of a Belfast man, Arthur D’Arcy “Bobby” Locke was presented at Royal Dublin with a silver salver that is on display in one of the club’s trophy cabinets today. Some 15 years ago, the club was informed by the then GUI General Secretary, Seamus Smith, that the memento was up for auction at Sotheby’s of London and successfully bid for the trophy.
It was the last amateur event in which Locke played – he partnered Willie Gill that week – before embarking on a highly successful professional career which brought him four Open Championship wins in nine years.
The first of them came in 1949 at Royal St George’s in Sandwich, when Harry Bradshaw famously failed to seek relief from a broken bottle in the second round and went on to lose to Locke in a playoff.
O’Briain is hoping to go on to great feats as a professional and he will have more chances on the Sunshine Tour when the new season begins in April.
After finishing 43rd in the order of merit despite getting just 12 starts to Byrd’s 17, he’s looking forward to playing more events next season, including four tournaments co-sanctioned by the European Tour
“By the looks of it, I’ll be into the Tshwane Open, the SA Open, the Joburg Open and the Alfred Dunhill Championship, which is coming back this year,” said O’Briain, who was third the Dimension Data Pro-Am.
“You never know when full fitness will be there, but I am really hoping to be okay for the Zimbabwe and Zambian events as they’re not on bomber’s courses and would really suit me if I was fit.
“I’m going to work hard for the next three weeks and hope it’ll be ok.”