Open success for Eddie Maguire

GOLF Top prize secured at Galgorm

Former Mayo and Meath footballer Eddie Maguire achieved a long held ambition when he won the Handa British Open for blind and visually impaired golfers at Galform Golf Club, in Ballymena, Co Antrim recently.

Originally from Blacksod, Co Mayo, Maguire these days lives just outside Navan and he has been trying to win the British Open for the past nine years, so his success was the fulfillment of that cherished ambition.

The former school teacher finally hit the jackpot at Galgorm GC to take top prize. Maguire registered two nett level par rounds of 72, in each of the two days of competition, to win the Stapleford championship by three shots.

Blind and visually impaired golf is a two person sport. All the golfers play with the considerable assistance of guides who line up their shots based on distance and direction. Eddie's guide at Ballymena was former fellow footballer, Tommy Geraghty who played his part in ensuring Maguire claimed the championship.

Geraghty carried out his duties as a guide with characteristic dedication and expertise, as if he was caddying for a professional golfer. "There's a huge amount of trust involved in blind golf, because the guide is the golfer's eyes,so to speak," added Maguire.

An interesting footnote to the week was that the Maguire and Geraghty combination took a diversion on their way to Ballymena and headed for the town of Ardboe, Co Tyrone where there was a gathering of former Tyrone footballers in a local restaurant.

This weekend, of the All-Ireland SFC final takes places between Mayo and Tyrone. Since he is from Mayo and played in the green and red it would be understandable if Maguire was hoping and praying for a victory for the Connacht side and an end to their long, painful search for the Sam Maguire.

However he has a connection with Tyrone too as he wrote the unofficial Tyrone anthem 'The Green Fields Around Ardboe' for country n'western legend Philomena Begley many years ago.

The song features Tyrone football legend Frank McGuigan whose children and grandchildren were at the Ardboe event as well as well Tyrone GAA honorary president Patsy Forbes.