RIP John O'Leary

is_that_so

Very sad to hear this. RIP

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/golf/former-irish-open-winner-john-o-leary-has-died-1.4213043

paulos53

Video here of the conclusion of his Irish Open win


https://www.rte.ie/archives/2017/0705/887967-golf-irish-open-has-irish-winner/

FixdePitchmark

paulos53 wrote: »

Video here of the conclusion of his Irish Open win


https://www.rte.ie/archives/2017/0705/887967-golf-irish-open-has-irish-winner/

Fantastic footage.

The Tetrarch

RIP
I think his childhood home was on Temple Road, Blackrock, Co Dublin, near the Temple Hill junction.
When I was in Zambia for two years in the late 1970s the locals remembered him well for his hair and colourful clothes.
O'Leary must have played there (all the Irish pros did) but I do not see it on his Wiki page.

downthemiddle

paulos53 wrote: »

Video here of the conclusion of his Irish Open win


https://www.rte.ie/archives/2017/0705/887967-golf-irish-open-has-irish-winner/

I was there up the tree behind the 18th. Great character. RIP.

RoadRunner

paulos53 wrote: »

Video here of the conclusion of his Irish Open win


https://www.rte.ie/archives/2017/0705/887967-golf-irish-open-has-irish-winner/

That's cool. Would love to watch some of those old irish opens right through!

Mad, last hole at portmarnock 412yards? Oleary Drive and a 2iron the other guy drive and 4iron :eek:

The Tetrarch

A big drive from a pro back in the day was 250 yards.
Very few club golfers could hit it 200 yards although they all said they did.

Dtoffee

Very sad news, I knew John about 50 years ago when he was at his colourful best . He loved the game and was a great ambassador for Irish Golf at a time when we had very little input into the European Tour. I'm sure the members of Foxrock GC and Delgany GC will mark his passing.



May he rest in peace

BoldReason

Great character of Irish Golf in the early days of the European tour.

RIP

patob

Nice to hear the memories of John here. I remember him from the Irish Opens in Portmarnock, notably as a snappy dresser and the big curly hair. Did he spend some years in South Africa. I have the RTE VHS from his 1982 Irish Open win. RIP John.

patob

Interesting bio of John in the Examiner.

O’Leary took up golf aged 12 when on a family holiday to Butlin’s, at Mosney, Co Meath, and by 15 was down to scratch.

Anyone remember golf lessons at Mosney?

PARlance

patob wrote: »

Interesting bio of John in the Examiner.

O’Leary took up golf aged 12 when on a family holiday to Butlin’s, at Mosney, Co Meath, and by 15 was down to scratch.

Anyone remember golf lessons at Mosney?

Crazy golf and pitch and putt iirc. When they say took it up, I imagine they mean got a taste for it rather than a lesson.

coylemj

He was a director of the European Tour for more than 30 years, they have a nice tribute to him on their website ...

He had joined his former mentor John Jacobs – regarded as the founding father of the European Tour – on the Board of Directors in 1985, having previously chaired the Tournament Players Committee during his playing career. He sat in his last Board meeting in March 2019

https://www.europeantour.com/european-tour/news/articles/detail/john-o-leary-1949-2020/

patob

PARlance wrote: »

Crazy golf and pitch and putt iirc. When they say took it up, I imagine they mean got a taste for it rather than a lesson.

Probably right, think there may have been a pitch and putt course there.