Irish sport received a significant shock on Saturday with news that Christy O'Connor Snr had passed away at the age of 91.
Dermot Gilleece joined Off The Ball to recall the man they referred to as 'Wristy Christy' for the way he was able to almost make the clubs speak along with Ger and Nathan.
Gilleece recalled how he maintained a deep affinity to the sport deep into his life and never had a bad word to say about any other golfer, preferring to say nothing at all if he had nothing good to say. Gillecce says he had visited Christy before his death back in January and how he had a designated chair he would sit in at his home and watch golf all day.
He also recalls the time John Jacobs, who was known as Doctor Golf, and was one of the "great teachers of his day" saying that Christy's was the "best golf swing he had ever seen."
Christy developed his swing on the strand of Bundoran and Gillecce also recalls how Christy didn't like anyone thinking he was naturally talented. The sense was that he knew how much work he had put into developing his technique and to suggest it was genetic was unfair.
He also tells a story of Seve Ballesteros arriving home from a tournament to Spain and informing his brother that he had seen "the man with the greatest golf hands I have ever seen in my life," to which his brother, Manuel responded "who was that?"
Seve gave his answer and the answer was, "Christy O'Connor and he's Irish."
High praise indeed from a true golfing icon.
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