Former American President Bill Clinton has expressed his sadness at the death of golf legend Christy O’Connor Snr.
O’Connor Snr, who played in ten consecutive Ryder Cups and was a mainstay of the sport for four decades, sadly passed away on Saturday, May 14, 2016.
Leading figures in golf and from outside the sport have paid tribute to O’Connor, including Clinton who called the Irishman a ‘master with every club’.
He said: “Like everyone who has followed golf in the last 60-plus years, I was saddened by Christy O’Connor Snr’s passing and join all those gathered at the Irish Open in celebrating his remarkable life.
“Christy was a joy to watch on the course – a master with every club who seemed to get better as the conditions got worse.
“Few could match his ability to improvise his way out of a tough spot, or to accept the inevitable unlucky bounces with such humour.”
President Clinton famously played a round with the Ryder Cup great in 1998 at Ballybunion Golf Club during a visit to the Emerald Isle, and he fondly remembers his time on the course with O’Connor.
“I will always be grateful for the chance I had to play with him on my first visit to Ballybunion,” President Clinton continued. “It was a cloudy, windy day. As I stepped up to the first tee, the gusts were strong from left to right, water to road, with the famous cemetery stretching long down the right side.
“Aim well left, Christy said. I did, but the Irish wind blew it back over the cemetery anyway. I was so undone, I carded a seven. I sorely needed more of Christy’s famous “bad weather touch” that day.
“Thankfully, his good cheer, great stories, and helpful tips settled me down for the rest of the way. Playing with Christy is one of the great golf gifts of my life.
“He will be remembered as one of Ireland’s greatest golfers. Not just for winning so often against tough competition and tough conditions, but also for showing us how to have fun doing it.”
