When I won the title in Portmarnock in 1982 I opened up with a 74 in very bad weather.

The following morning I went out early, shot a 68 and took the lead at the halfway point.

Sound familiar?

For me it was a huge honour of course because it was the sporting event of the Irish summer. Carrolls were the sponsors and they always put a huge effort into getting crowds and attracting attention and everyone was drawn to the Irish Open. At that time all the top Americans came over too: the likes of Ben Crenshaw, Tom Watson, Tom Kite, Lanny Wadkins, Hubert Green. The glitz and glamour were all there and to beat them on your home soil in such a big tournament was a great feeling.

But despite the company I wouldn't say I surprised myself. I thought I had the thing won in 1978. I had been leading the whole way through the last round. I was a shot up going into the last two holes when Ken Brown sunk a substantial putt on 17. On the last he did the same thing and I end up missing out. So to finally win it was a huge relief because had it not happened, that last round in '78 might have stuck with me.

But after I finally won the Irish Open I had a few steady years on tour. I came second in the European Open of 1986 and had some solid results each season. Unfortunately I was involved in a car crash in 1990. I was the passenger in the front seat of a courtesy car and we were going around a bend when a kid came around at the same time and drove straight into us. I ended up having two operations to try and put things right in my back. An injury to that part of your body is bad enough in every-day life but as a golfer you've little chance. Neither of the operations were successful but I refused to give up. I went through four years of rehabilitation to get it right. It was hard work and there was a lot of pain but in my mind I thought I could overcome it.

But in the end there was no way.

It was hard to come to terms with initially. I haven't played at all since then but having said that, I was very fortunate to have played out there for 20 years. I travelled the world and not many people get that opportunity. To have it taken away is, of course, disappointing but at least I was there and did it for all those years. Now I've got another life altogether on the Board of Directors of the European Tour so it's very interesting and varied and I'm enjoying this thoroughly.

It's because of this role as well as my personal interest I have seen so many Irish Opens without an Irish winner and it's a complete anomaly. You look at the whole success of Irish golf now and the names we have produced. I played in a Ryder Cup, the first one actually, and there was myself Christy O'Connor jnr and Eamonn Darcy as the three Irish representatives. That's what it meant to be a good Irish player on tour, to get in the Ryder Cup. But now to be a good Irish player on tour means winning Ryder Cups.

That's where the bar is at and it's amazing the Irish Open hasn't been kept at home in all that time.

It would be great for the tournament if it was. Golf has been diluted and it's difficult for a tournament like this to keep the same stature. When I was playing there was just the European summer when tournaments were played but now all over the world all year round there are tournaments.

Golf is flourishing so much. I suppose the US Tour has been very successful but we have worked together with the Asian Tour and that relationship has evolved and will continue to do so. I can see things between the two groups becoming even more formal in the coming years. But it's hard to think ahead this weekend, off all weekends. Padraig is Europe's number one and to have him win in Adare would be superb. He deserves to be the next Irish player to win the Irish Open.

John O'Leary is the last Irishman to win the Irish Open and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the European Tour In conversation with Ewan MacKenna