THERE may be some of the top names in golf in action at the sell-out Irish Open this weekend but it already has a huge significance for fans of the game in Galway as local golfer Mark O’Sullivan posted an impressive four under par total yesterday morning.

In fact, when the 31 year old Salthill native finished his round of golf, he looked up at the scoreboard to discover that he was only three shots off the pace.

O’Sullivan had a glittering amateur career playing with Galway Golf Club and, coincidentally, he won a Barton Shield title in Royal Portrush back in 1999 on an occasion when Galway had three teams in the All-Ireland Cups and Shields finals.

Indeed, he has a great love of Portrush as he reached the semi-finals of the North of Ireland Amateur Championship on no fewer than three occasions so he knows the course inside out.

The accomplished golfer went on to win the Irish Close Championship in 2003 and subsequently decided that he wanted a taste of the professional ranks while still pursuing his studies to enter the teaching profession.

Amazingly, two professions came his way and he is currently a teacher in Drogheda with the Vocational Education Committee there and teaches economics and computer science, while he also held a position of assistant professional at Ashbourne Golf Club in County Meath.

He is a former Irish PGA Assistants Champion and recently he obtained his full PGA rights which allows him to teach golf as well as play in the top tournaments on the Irish circuit.

O’Sullivan qualified for the Irish Open through the Irish region PGA qualifiers late last year and it was a dream come true for him when it was announced that it was going to be staged in Royal Portrush.