On this week’s edition of the podcast, the lads are on site in Monkstown Golf Club for the Brown and Brown 115th Irish PGA Championship. Monkstown will provide a stern test of golf as the players prepare for the flagship event of the season. We have preview chats with Niall Kearney, Cormac Sharvin and Head Professional at Monkstown, Cian McNamara before play gets underway on Tuesday. We also recap the AIG Women’s Open and Cam Young claiming his first PGA Tour victory.
[Music] Hey everybody and welcome along to this week’s edition of the Irish Golfer Podcast. Peter Finnen here and joined as always by Rona McNamera. How are we? All good. All good. Another road trip this week. I know. We’re everywhere. We’re everywhere. We’re down. We’re coming to you now from Keen McNamara’s Trackman studio here in Monstown Golf Club. Uh on the eve of the 115th Brown and Brown PGA Championship. It’s a nice spot this. It is a nice spot. It is a nice spot. Yeah. It’s been It’s been a number of years since I’ve been at Monstown, but my god have they made some proper changes to this place. Yeah. With the Trackman studio, the short game areas and the whole academy in general, they’ve pumped some money into the place and it’s great they’re getting to showcase it now this week. No, it is good. No, we’ll get we’ll get stuck into all that is Irish PGA Championship sort of later on the podcast, I suppose, before we get stuck into all that. Uh bit of a roundup, I suppose, on what happened over the weekend. We’d majors happening. We’d you were at the the women’s championship last year, the close and we’ve home internationals going on beside us here at Cork Golf Club this week. There’s loads going on that I’m up in Khen Castle on Wednesday at the challenge tour as well. Uh yeah, we’re we’re here, there, and everywhere. Notably not at it when it starts, but you’re there anyway. Oh, I’m there. I’m there when it starts. Um so where do we start? Yeah, I suppose you have to start um last major of the year. Sad day for golf. Yeah, like honestly just puts everything into irrelevance, doesn’t it? I mean, I don’t care about the FedEx Cup playoffs. Neither do I. Neither do I. But we’d have to talk about them for a second. But uh yeah, my um Mayu Yamashita uh at the AIG Women’s Open. I don’t know how much of this you watched because you were here, there, and everywhere over the weekend. I watched a fair bit of it. Yeah. And I was just It was a really nice tournament, really good tournament without a dramatic end. We nearly got the dramatic end we needed with Charlie Hull chasing her down the backstretch. But um did you catch much of it? Not much. I caught a good bit of the first day. saw Charlie Hull had a had a slow start, then came back with four birdies in a row, then I think she finished with four bogeies in a row in a par. Um, but yeah, like when she she came back then obviously and gave herself a chance going into Sunday. But, uh, like it makes you realize how much golf needs Charlie Hull around big time. Absolutely. Cuz when she chases, she’s just she’s fearless. And look, that can be to her detriment. She’ll make a mistake here or there, but she’ll put everything behind what she’s trying to do. It’s funny. She doesn’t win often as she’s much like Shane Larry who doesn’t win as much as she probably should or as much her ability suggests that she should, but she’s an absolute thrill to watch. And like it’s funny like we’re talking we’re going to talk about the winner, but it feels like Charlie Hall kind of took most of the story. Yeah. Which it is unfortunate in a way. Like obviously she draws all the headlines, Charlie. Like this is her fourth runner up in a major as well. And she it’s a it’s a strange one because she was never in this golf tournament. Like I watched a good bit of it and she was never really Yamashida just kept her at arms length the whole way. Like it was clinical by her in the final round by Yamashida and Charlie did come at her but like Maya was just so far ahead that she was able to keep her at arms length and it was all bogey avoidance. I wasn’t doing it in flarey like she did she dropped her first shot on the 17th Maya did in the last round and that was the difference like she just didn’t make the mistakes anytime she get out of trouble she didn’t compound it with an error upon an error and um yeah she won it by doing that and Charlie dropped away late on uh with like you said bogeies on 14 15 16 uh or 15 16 17 and then yeah it was it just didn’t birdie the last then as well only be two back yeah she’ll go away a bit pissed off But um I think she’ll admit herself the best golfer in the week, won the won the tournament. Yeah, 100%. Uh Yamashita was just too good for everybody. As you said, seemed to have everybody at arms length. Even when Charlie got to it and won, she never looked like she was going to waver in any way, shape, or form. And I suppose Charlie’s finish kind of summed up just how she played that week. It was just a bit too streaky to stick out there for the 72 holes. Royal Port Call was class. That’s one thing I’ll say. The golf course looked unreal. It has kind of wet my appetite for we need to get the AIG Women’s Open to this island. Yeah, cuz we’re set up for it. Like if we’re we’re hosting open championships in Port Rush, looking at Port Marik. I think this has to happen before that. Uh like Port Marik is a prime location for it. Even places like the island or something like that. port call really shows you that the you know father time and the advancement of technology and distances and all that that’s not as relevant in the women’s game. It’s a more um it’s a more relatable level of golf. And Port Cole was played like there was some shots played in Port Cole the other day that you know were played 100 years ago when the course was laid out because the weather conditions dictated what they could and couldn’t do and bunkers were in play like that were like 20 30 yards from greens for approaches and it was it was really nice to see a golf course like that actually stand up to uh a modern player and the women’s game really is the only way that that could happen. Yeah. like Hull spoke about it in her in her press conference even though she says Lynx golf doesn’t really suit her. She prefers when the women’s opens on like a Walton Heath or Wurn or somewhere like that, but she was saying about how you know that the art has sort of gone out of the game in terms of hitting your draws and your fades and getting the different trajectories whereas now you can just hit it. If you hit it powerfully, you’re going to be able to take on most golf course. Doesn’t matter if it’s in the roof or not. So definitely port call and the women’s game is sort of a throwback to suppose a traditional style of golf that we’re on the verge of losing if not we’ve already lost in the men’s game. Yeah, it’s long gone. It’s long gone the men’s game but that’s it’s unfortunate just with in the grave. Yeah. No, but it’s it’s it’s bad. But like you hit an interesting point straight off the gate there saying about Charlie Hull like women’s golf needs superstars like Charlie Hull. Women’s golf just needs a superstar to come. Like we’re we’re at such two coins two sides of a coin when it comes to golf now that we’ve always been blessed in the men’s side. We had the Tiger domination then we had Rory coming in do it for a while. We’ve always had people that have separated themselves and Scotty Sheffller’s carrying on that mantle now. We just don’t have that in the women’s game at all. Like, and when you look at the stats on it, like that’s the 21st LPGA event this year. And that’s 21 different winners. Yeah. This year. And you look at the major um 36 like the last So, we’ve had 32 new major champions in the last 36 majors. that like that’s a lot of golf for somebody like they’re just taking turns. Yeah. Which makes it hard to not follow it but get an identity with with a player or two. Yeah. Pin it to a superstar. Um like you know Maya Yamashida is an unbelievable player. It’s hard to believe. It’s only her rookie season on the LPGA but she’s a prolific winner in Japan before she came across. Like she’s only 24 years of age. um and she dominated the last three or four years across in Japan and progressed her way onto the LPJ. So, it’s no coincidence when she gotten a chance to win, she took the bull by the horns and just went for it and totally put this. She is one, but like um and we’ve talked about Charlie Hull. I was waxing lyrical last week about um Lotty W. Lotty W doesn’t do it for me in in the sense of being that superstar. I don’t think she has the personality at the moment anyway to be to be that cover star that you need for the women’s game. Like she’s not a Nelly Cord or a or Lydia Co even for that for that matter. Um even though like Nelly Nelly didn’t win a major this year. Lydia hasn’t really done much. And even Ro Jang, she’s kind of fallen off the face of the earth recently as well. So they’re all they’re all coming and going in in fits and starts. I expect Lotty Wo to have a great five years certainly from this point, but I just don’t think she has the personality at the moment to be, you know, be a Charlie Hull or somebody like that. I think she’s she’s interested in making money. I don’t think she gives a damn about growing the game. Yeah, but like Tiger didn’t give give a damn about growing the game. He just grew it and he didn’t have personal style of play. Yeah, I think Yeah, I don’t know. I I I I disagree with you on that one. I I think she has the potential. But I think of anyone that’s there, she has the potential to be explosive. And this week, I was well interested in watching her this week. This week, she didn’t have her best stuff on the greens. Her overall play wasn’t great. She never quite recovered from the triple bogey she had on um day two when she had gotten back in the tournament. And um like she didn’t have she probably had her C game this week and she still finishes eighth. Like she’s had a long run of events though as well like that week the Scottish Evian then of course the Irish Open like she won twice in that spell out of you. Yeah that’s not getting her college stuff before that like you know she was on a college campus a month ago month and a half ago and playing all the um NCAA stuff and all that. So yeah I I think um yeah I I think Lotty Wood is one that could break that cycle of just your turn this week, your turn that week. It it needs something women’s I think she will. Yeah, but I don’t think she’s going to transcend the game. Yeah. Personality wise. Yeah. No, I I’ I’d go along with that. I did. I the triple bogey we spoke about. I don’t know. Did you see that? Did you see the the seven? Yeah. No. No. Yeah. It was It It spoke volumes as to I really liked Dermit Burns interaction. He called a referee in and was calling for a second rule. And if you do get a chance to look at it, it is it’s mad. It is mad. He like you can tell the experience that he has. She was kind of innocent, innocently sitting back and letting things happen. Whereas Derma was calling for a referee. No, we should do this. Like get a second opinion because they went for an embedded ball. She literally hit down onto a ball, dug it further into the ground and um yeah, it was it was mad. There was a couple of mad things happen in this. Did you see the hole in one? Yeah, I don’t think that should have got shot of the week because it’s not going in unless hit that golf ball. That’s harsh now. That’s harsh. No, I think it’s fair for anyone that didn’t see it. Who hit the shot? Mimi Rhodess. Mimi Rhodess hit a shot and her playing partner stuck the ball into like two or three inches. Seven or eight inches. Yeah. Yeah. Like hanging on the edge and then she Mimi follows her in and like billiard style was going left and wide and just hit the ball and just dropped into the hole and that’s it. Done. And her playing partner that she was playing had a hole in one the day before. Should that be shot of the week then? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. This makes better camera, better TV, but no to be fair. It was good. Um, anything else on the LPGA you want to hit on? I suppose we had our own players there. Like Leona wasn’t her week. No, she hung aroundish for a couple of days around level par. So, but the weekend definitely didn’t go away. She still picked up still picked up just short of 20 grand, which is, you know, Lauren Walsh missed the cut by a shot and Anna Foster missed it by four shots, I think, on seven over. Shame for Anna because she pre-qualified pretty easily the day before or on the Monday before and look still gave a better account of herself than she did two years ago in Wburn where she she finished dead last but yeah she’ll be disappointed. I think she’ll be disappointed to miss that cut. it would have been a great opportunity for her to keep that sort of upper trajectory that she’s ongoing as well because we I think she’s starting to emerge as someone who can you know rival Lauren Walsh in terms of like the progression that she’s had and would have been nice to see her make the quote and Lauren it’s disappointing for her because she’s just on a bit of a bar and run at the moment the last month or so since she came back to to Carton House it didn’t really work for her that week the change routine I don’t think helps her either and just kind of struggling to get back that momentum. Yeah. Yeah. It’s a pity cuz she showed such great promise straight out the traps and it’s just gone a little stale the last month but I’m sure she’ll kick again. Yeah, it’s interesting because on the le unless you’re winning, what have you to aim for? If she wins the order of merit like to hell with it, you don’t get LPJ off it. You get the final stage of Q school and she’ll probably get into that anyway. Yeah. So, I wonder where the motivation comes from at this stage of this stage of the season. Yeah. It’s like FedEx Cup syndrome, isn’t it? Yeah. It just feels like everything’s come to an end now. Yeah. Yeah, right. We’ll move on from that. We’ll get stuck into the FedEx Cup really quick then. Um, obviously the regular season is now done, Windom Championships over uh Cam Young, the 10,000 winner. They must have said that a thousand times on the TV last night. The 10,000 winner on the PGA Tour. Um, yeah, seven runner-up finishes, his 94 start. The 1000 the 10,000 winner at nearly his 10,000th try as well. Probably getting over the line. I was happy to see him do that. Like I I I I’ve always liked him as a player and yeah, it it it’d be interesting interesting where he goes from here in the playoffs. He’s certainly asking questions of Keegan Bradley now. I’m sure Keegan Bradley was watching this going a I don’t know. I think he’d be He hasn’t played before, I don’t think, has he? Would he be a rookie? Did he play in 23? Don’t think he did. He He has been playing well even before that win. Like he was he did well at the Canadian Open. I think he did play in 23. He might have done. Yeah. Yeah. Sure. He was top 15 in the world. Yeah, he Yeah, cuz he burst onto the scene with basically a runner up in nearly every major. He nearly went Ricky Fowler style. Yeah. But he played well at the Canadian Open, played well at the US Open. Could have won that if things went his way. He was part of that like just group. You only needed one to burst out from there. And yeah, I think he was it was definitely a long overdue win. Like we talked to Paul McBride a lot who went to college with him said you know kids born to win majors. Yeah. And it looked like he was never going to win at one stage but it was definitely you know h definitely an overdue one and puts him on the radar and yeah I think he’s going to be there or thereabouts for the next 18 months. Again this could be as Harrington always says that 18 months 24 month spell that you have in the game and this could be it. Somebody learned to putt. That’s the thing in the Happy Gilmore week. Like he just blitzed the field with strokes gained pudding. Like he started with a five shot lead and you think if there’s one guy that’s going to go out with a nervy start with a five shot lead on a Sunday given his pass record, it’s Cam Young. He bogeies the first and then bang straight away just hits it with five birdies in a row. That’s Yeah, he he his strokes gain pudding after 54 holes was better than his strokes gain putting the whole season. Which is mental. Yeah, that is mental. That is mad. Um, but yeah. No, I like Yeah, I the reason I’d say he’s Keegan Bradley is cursing it now is because his decisions to make himself like I would you start Keegan Bradley over I know it’s only one week but if this lad has a decent FedEx go playoffs you cannot leave him off that team. Yeah, Keegan can always pick himself though. Wildart Wildcart pick himself. No, but I think Cam Young would be a would be a welcome addition. I don’t think he’s one of those JJ Spawns or you know Chris God up you’re like oh god don’t need him on the team. I think you’d need Cameo. Yeah. He’s explosive. Yeah. No, I’ I’ I’d have him in. I’d have him in. It’d be it’s a nightmare scenario cuz Bradley I don’t know was has Keegan Bradley made decisions already behind the scenes and told his players he’s not playing himself and just is publicly putting himself out there um just to take the spotlight off the team and what he’s done. He’s already pretty much told the lads that are playing that they’re playing and left one or two slots and he’s not playing himself. Or is it the opposite and he’s just focused on his own game trying to make this team? Yeah, it’s in like Keegan Bradley’s almost in an uncomfortable position in the rankings. Like he’s 10th, he’s four outside the top six. So he need he needs to win again to get in essentially. And Cam Young is 15th. So can you pick a guy five places below you? But then you look at some of the players around there. He’s playing like Cameron Young and Keegan Bradley are both playing better than Marv McNeely, Brian Harmon, better than Andrew Novak. Kantlay. Kantlay is nowhere to be seen. He’s 14th. Yeah. Yeah, more like Morawa is eighth. You know, speed speed’s nowhere to be seen there at all. Not even top 20. There’s a lot like a lot of the American stalwarts over the last seven, eight years aren’t playing well. Like even Tony Feno has done nothing for a couple of years. Daniel Burgerer still there. Lucas Glover, you probably wouldn’t have him. H what was Windam Clark’s nickname? Oh, the lad. Yeah, I hear that the blow pig. Blow pig. He’s 17. So, like there’s a lot of, how would I describe it? Players who of the same ilk, which is never I don’t think it’s ever a good thing. Yeah. You need someone to sort of stand out from the pack and provide a little bit more than what you’re getting. Yeah. It was a bit of a stale finish to this anyway. But yeah, more power to K Young. I still haven’t got the needle in with you actually. I’m surprised I haven’t. We at We in Crow Park yesterday. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, how’d that go for you? Not great. Not great. Poor me women destroyed by Dublin. destroy. Look, it’s for another day, but LF LGFA need to get the finger out. Change the rules. Get with the times. Get with the times. Um, right into Memphis then. We’re straight into the playoffs. Like, I can’t get myself hyped up for these at all. When you see even like Mroy, he didn’t bo played the three events in a long time. He usually plays two. H. Look, Larry’s obviously playing and he’s put a lot of stock into the FedEx Cup. He mentions it a lot how important it is to now whether that’s just lip service, I don’t know, but I’ll be interested and I’ll watch if Larry is going well. But other than that, I’ll be holding out until the tour championship and even that’s a stretch. Yeah, because the the tour have kind of caused this now of players being able to like Rory finished I think Rory finished like close to last in this event last year when he’s playing and he didn’t drop any position going into the next week at all. So like why would you bother going and especially now that the the tour have taken away like that the championship will be a level playing field so it makes no difference if you play them or not. He’s built up enough points that even if he doesn’t play the first two events, he’s still going to be in the Tour Championship. Yeah. And as I say in match, if you got two, take two. You can eas two weeks off. Yeah. Yeah. So, I know he is in the BMW, but yeah, it’s it’s it’s no disadvantage to him not going and he’s already guaranteed the tour championship. So, it’s kind of an irrelevance. Um, yeah, I I just I I still can’t get my head around how they’re going about the FedEx Cup, how they’re splitting the money, what they’re doing, and yeah, even cutting it from 100 to 70 for next week and then 70 to 30, like they’re big cuts. Like some players are going to be going in there knowing they’ve no chance of progressing, which again, like the format needs jigging up. Yeah, big. Since they got rid of the four events, it’s it’s never quite been right. Yeah, it needs a bit of innovation. Definitely. Uh, shake it up. Right, we’ll get straight into PGA Championship here. Um, Brown and Brown PGA Championship here in Monstown. We’ve been here all day today. We’ve caught up with a fair few players just uh preview stuff and how have you found it since we’ve been here? Yeah, good. The weather’s a lot better than I was expecting, thankfully. Um, cuz I don’t have my rain trousers. But no, like the course is in great shape. The greens are unbelievable and like it’s it’s going to test a few. There’s a lot of quirks out there. It’s going to give lads some serious headaches. Like there will be frustration. Lads are going to be frazzled by what they’re presented with this week. Don’t need driver a lot. Few drivable par fours. But if you miss the green on the wrong side on any hole, you’re in serious bother. So it’s it’s going to test all facets of the game. Like we are we walked a few holes the lads and Simon Torrenton was walking down the tenth and he said, “I’ve used every club in the bag so far.” Yeah. So it’s it’s going to test absolutely everything. It’s in his wheelhouse. So if I was to pin it to one player this week, I’d say Simon Torington. Yeah. Torington, Morardi, Tim Rice, lads. Yeah, exactly. I was say it’s very Nulandy out there is the way I was when I was walking around doing it. And those type of lads that like play that A to B to C golf, keep it in front of them. Don’t do too much wrong. Comfortable with every club in the bag. And yeah, you’re not going to overpower this golf course. It’s it’s short enough, but it’s quirky and it it it does put handcuffs on you in certain places. So I it’s a very wide open field. That’s the thing. We could get a very unlikely winner here that you wouldn’t expect. Yeah. Because it doesn’t really play into the hands of some of the lads who’ve recently come off the tour. I know we mentioned Torington and Mori Arti and those ads. They’re sort of off the tour, you know, 10 15 years now. Whereas the likes of a Carne or or a Corvan have just recently stepped off the main tour and are still trying to get back there, I’m sure, as well. So it it’s not a style of golf that they’ll be used to. H Sharon’s admitted that himself. He’s used to hitting drivers off most TE’s. I’m sure Carney is as well. So, it’ll be interesting to see how they adapt, too. Yeah. You did some walking talks with a few of the lads here now as well. So, we might as well we’ll give a spin first of No Carney, I suppose, coming in here as defending champion. Um, looking to go. Is it his fourth? Looking for the fourth. Yeah, looking for the fourth. So yeah, here’s Nile Carney on uh where he’s at here on the 14th TE at Monsttown Golf Club ahead of the Brown and Brown Irish PJ Championship. Nile Carney, you’ve had a good season so far today. Few wins around a 60 last week. So no better time to do that than the week before a major. Yeah, exactly. Ron, yeah, feels playing well. First time to play the golf course here uh today. It’s obviously it’s tough enough conditions today. So, just trying to find my bearings, find my way around and figure out what I’m going to hit off TE’s tomorrow and stuff like that. So, certainly going to be a tricky enough golf course to score on. Yeah. So, uh it’s going to be interesting to see what the scoring is like. Yeah. When you’re practicing the golf course before a tournament, you actually prefer weather like this or would you rather at flat camp? Ah, today is today is very windy so it’s always going to be difficult, but um I think it’s going to be about 50% of what it is today going into the next few days. So, yeah. Look, it’s tricky. I’m hitting a lot of drivers today where you probably won’t hit too many drivers tomorrow just to kind of see where the where the space is and where you really want to be. There’s bunkers pretty much everywhere uh off the tea in terms of where you’re trying to hit it. So, you’ve got to be a bit more strategic. You know, you either lay it back short of the traps or else try and fly it over them. So, certainly a tricky golf course. Yeah, you are the defending champion this week. What does it mean to win the Irish PGA last year? Yeah, it’s great. You know, last year was my third time to win it, which was which was super. And um I think it’s probably the best event we play all year in terms of you’re playing with fellow pros. You know, there’s a there’s just a lovely atmosphere. It’s going to be a great atmosphere here in Monsttown. There’s so many volunteers out today even and uh there’s just a great atmosphere and vibe around the golf club. And um I think Kane was saying earlier on they’re hoping to get some crowds out as well. So, you know, it’s going to be a great event. Yeah, you mentioned you might have to keep the driver in the bag this week. It’s going to bring in a lot of strategy and maybe that plotting your way around the golf course sort of nature which could bring, you know, a deeper feel into the tournament as well. Yeah, I think it does. You know, it’s a very different style of course to say Palmertown which is where we hosted the championship last year and um so it’s Yeah, certainly everybody’s going to be included here. You know, if you’re accurate off the tea, second shots are not overly long and uh anybody that’s putting well has got a chance this week. Absolutely. But hopefully see you up there close on Thursday as well and best of luck hopefully. Thanks Robert. Full of beans after that 60 last week. Yeah, no better time to do it. Like we’re as we said to Brian McCormack last last week backto-back wins like you want to be coming in here with good form peing for the big events and that’s exactly what Nile’s done. He won four times this year. Still think he’s probably the favorite going into the week. You know the course mightn’t suit him but he’s more than good enough to adapt to that challenge. And if the porter gets rolling on those greens, you’re going to make a lot of putts, especially if the wind dies down. Like the greens are immaculate at the moment and it’s nearly impossible to miss I think from six feet in. Yeah, I know it is. It is. Who else caught your eye? I know you’ve walked and talked with a lot of other players as well. Yeah, I walked with Simon Thornton as I said and he just said the challenge presents is going to test absolutely everything. He’s playing well enough. He had a second place finish in Bellowstown last week. So, he’s arriving with some with some good form again. He’s won this championship before. He knows what it takes to get over the line. We’re also talking to Charvin and like he’s starting to play a lot more on the region and again he says the two and three day events suit him more than the one day shootout. So, yeah, his chat the chat you had with him was actually interesting. Yeah, let’s let’s get we’ll play that now and then we’ll dissect some of it. here with Cormack Sharon ahead of the Brown and Brown Irish PJ Championship at Monsttown. Cormack, you’re playing the golf course for the first time. What you make of it so far? Yeah, it’s very quirky. Um kind of a lot of irons off TE’s it seems. Smalish greens. Kind of got to be accurate off the tea. Seems to be the front line’s only like three or four drivers for me and I generally hit driver everywhere. So, uh, it’s going to be a lot of positional golf and, uh, trying to put yourself in the right spots to access some of the some of the small targets that are the greens. And obviously today we’re getting it quite windy. So, it’s it’s been tricky enough to be honest. Yeah. When you’re playing away from what would be your natural game, are you relying more on patience and discipline in that regard? Yeah, I think you’re always relying on on patience and discipline. Um, I guess this week’s different. I I think with the 18 hoers and the and the shorter tournaments, you you can be a bit more aggressive. But I think you can be a bit more patient and and kind of plot your way around here a bit more than than if it was 18 holes. I think I would maybe take a few more shots on, but yeah, it’s just trying to get a feel for the place and uh pace of the greens. Of course, in great condition. The greens are absolutely perfect. So hopefully I can make a few putts. Yeah, the longer events suit you. As you said before, you won the K Club last year. You won Donny Gaul very recently as well. Yeah, I think I think it’s just what I’m used to. I’ve kind of never really I’ve played a lot of two round tournaments unfortunately, but that’s why I’m here. But um no, I mean yeah, the longer events kind of I can be a bit more patient and I feel like feel like I’m one of the better players here. So I just feel like over three rounds or over two rounds I’ve got more of a chance than over 18 holes. Yeah. And how much are you enjoying playing on the region? Because as we mentioned there, you’ve had had some success. Yeah, it’s been it’s been great. Um just to keep me competitive. Um, I didn’t really fancy um going and play an alter or anything like that. Just kind of where I’m at with my life. Um, so it’s been great to keep me competitive. Um, and going to do Q school uh in a in a month’s time. So, it’s kind of just keeping a card in my hand and and just keeping me keeping me competitive is getting a car in your hand is the most important thing in this game, I think, to keep you sharp. Absolutely. Well, play well this week. Cheers. Thanks. He’s nearly having digs at himself. Yeah. Yeah. the little thing about the two rounds, that’s why I’m here, but and it is why he’s here. H yeah, like it is what it is. He’s trying to work his way back up and you know, he’s getting the competitive juices going, but when he turns up, he’s one of the favorites and he’s won big events. Won in the K club last year as we talked about, won in Donny Gaul earlier this year. So, the longer the event, the more of a form horse he is, it seems because he he does know how to play tour events and this is essentially what it is this week. Yeah, it’s a tricky tricky test. And like you say, the more holes they play, no matter what the holes are, the more holes they play, the more chance of the best golfer in a field gets to separate himself out. And that is the saving grace. If this was a um a PGA championship over one round on this golf course, literally anybody could win because somebody I’d imagine will shoot five six00 on the first day. But if it’s one of the players from sort of the middle of the middle of the pack, are they going to do that over three days? Where if you just plot your way along like a Charvin can like a Torington over the three days, you’d imagine they’ll rise and rise and rise and get in get into contention on on the back nine on on Thursday. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, it’s it’s it’s fascinating. It is fascinating. The thing that stands out for me here is the second you come through the gate, they could not be more welcoming. like the everything about the place like the car park and they actually are treating this like a proper championship here which is yeah that’s what you want they signposts uh on the route in saying slow down event in progress it took me a minute to kind of think what the hell but no like the people are great and look for ourselves here doing the media they everyone’s been fantastic and offering themselves and saying do you need anything so it’s it’s well appreciated and the sponsors as well brown and brown getting involved um this year they’ve so many logos on the board in it’s nice to companies supporting golf, getting involved and uh yeah, like the the Irish PGA are the biggest winners in this then and getting a host venue like this h to follow on from Palmer’stown last year in Kar where it was hosted for a number of years in a row and it’s it’s nice to see it moving around the country. It is. It is. And it again it gives you a different test every single year because even though we’ve had two Parkland courses, Palmertown and Monkstown are worlds apart in terms of the test it provides. uh Paramers Town was definitely one you could go all out attack from the off whereas here I I just don’t think so like you can you can take on those power fours but you can easily make a double on them. You get a difficult bounce here and there even though they’re short they’re riskreward so you do need to sort of find the balance this week and that’ll be key between attack and being overaggressive. Yeah. Yeah. Anything else you want to hit on from Monst? No, but I have to say I’ve rarely seen a PJ where there’s you mentioned the sponsors. It’s not just on the first intense tea. There’s a lot of logos everywhere which I think really does stand out and brings a certain sense of class to proceedings. Yeah. No, they’ve dressed the place up lovely. They they they’ve done and I’m I’m assuming most of that falls on Keen the pro here like he seems to be he we just caught up with him when he came in off the golf course there now. Um we might as well play the quick bit of audio that we got with him. We had a nice chat about the pleasure of hosting the championship and what it means to him. And he might be playing an awful lot of golf, but he’s certainly feeling the pressure of this week. Yeah. Here at Monstown Golf Club with head professional Kian McNamara ahead of the 115th Brown and Brown Irish PJ Championship. Kian, just talk about what an honor it is to have this championship here at Monstead. Yeah, we’re we’re privileged to be able to host an event of this uh of this level. Over the last few years, we’ve tried to I suppose develop the facilities and kind of advertise the product we have here at Monstown and um you know to be able to be given the opportunity to host this event was something we we grabbed with both hands. We’re very very proud of it and uh we got such a great response from the members and you know from sponsors uh that um we just really feel um excited about the week ahead and and delighted with the support we got. Yeah. And how enjoyable is it for you on a personal level to be teeing it up on home soil this week? Uh I enjoyable I’m I’m unsure. there’s a little bit I don’t get to play much or there’s a little little bit of pressure maybe brought on myself but um it’s enjoyable just to you know we all kind of have a bit of pride in where we work or um probably there’s little egos to to all of us wanting to work in nice establishments and you know I’m just delighted that you know my fellow pros get to come down and and see the place that I work and and and see the I suppose the the benefits or the the improvements we’ve made over over the last few years. So, it’s it’s it’s it’s nice for people to to see that. Yeah. Because the facilities and the work you’ve put into them are are really excellent. So, it’s brilliant to be to be able to showcase it to the pros as well. And Monsttown has a great tradition within the PJ as well. Yeah, absolutely. You know, we uh kind of pros such as Bat Murphy that was here was always a very good golfer and a very established coach and he shows great interest in myself and the two Shains uh and we’re we’re we’re very lucky for that. So, you know, uh the golf club here are just kind of real traditional golf club and any opportunity they have to get in behind a PJ or Golf Ireland and and support and host some big events, we’ll always put our hands up and uh and you know, offer our facilities. Okay. Well, no doubt it’s going to be a great weekend. We’ll chat you throughout. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. You can tell by him it means so much. Ah, yeah. And I’m sure by tomorrow morning when he tees off, he’ll be a bag of nerves. Exhausted. Yeah. Yeah, cuz it like a lot of a lot goes in. It’s not just this week. It’s probably the last couple of months leading into this event, he’ll have had his hands full. Like he’s really sort of pulled the boat on his own in many respects as we all know. And there’s a certain pressure then as well going out. The members will be keeping an eye whether they’re here or not. They’ll be keeping an eye on a score. And you do want to do yourself justice no matter how much golf or how little golf that you’ve played. And it’s just about doing yourself a bit of justice as And there’s pride then in making sure the core stands up and provides a great test as well. It’s the extra things that he has to do that nobody else in this field has to do. And Rory and Shane talk about it coming to the Irish Open. It’s no different for Keane McNar this this week except he’s standing on the first tea looking oh that sign is after falling down. I need to pick that up or something. Like the little distractions coming into his head is is mad. Yeah. Yeah. And that’s like it’s a great problem to have because we’ve only been here for the day. We can already see like it’s it’s going to be a fantastic week just in terms of the setup. Even the clubhouse upstairs, the facilities here are top class as well. So every everything’s in place for when the pros come in and they’re coming in off the course and going out onto the golf course as well. They’ve everything at their fingertips. No, it’s good. It’s good. Anything else you want to hit on from here? No, I think it’s I’m not sure what score is going to win to be honest. We’ve seen a lot of shots out there today and it’s difficult even though it’s a short course. There’s I don’t know. Can you overpower it? I don’t think you can. There’s enough good players in here to pick it apart though. I think I think over three rounds um it’s three rounds. I think over three rounds I think five under a day is a good target. 15 under. Depends what the wind does though. Does depend on the wind. Yeah. If we get wind like today, no. No. But um yeah, it’s it’s a hard one to call. We won’t know until you get one round under the under the caution do it. But um yeah, we’ve lots of stuff going on this week. So in next door to us here up in Cork, we’ve the boys and girls home internationals. We might nip in there later on in the week um if if the Irish are doing are doing well in that, which hopefully they will. And then I’m heading back to the challenge tour, the hotel planner tour um in Khen Castle for your freebie program on Wednesday for the proam. Uh so looking forward to that. Um, just nice to see tournament golf back in Ken Castle. It’s such a big championship host venue. Um, yeah, nice to see it back hosting big championships like this. So, looking forward to that. Yeah, I was I was there at the Solomon Cup in in 2011 and I know I hosted as a three-year-old. Not quite. Not quite, unfortunately. 28 on Tuesday. Christ above hair is falling out. Uh, no. I was there at the Solheim in 2011 and then it finished up hosting women’s Irish Open in 2012 and it’s don’t think it’s had anything since, has it? No. Which is a shame. Few Irish golfer events. Few Irish golfer events. They mean nothing. No. It’s brilliant to see H Colleen Castle back on the map because this was buil as somewhere, you know, this is built as as a men’s Irish Open venue for many years and, you know, I’m sure Ryder Cup was moved at some stage, too. So, it’s great to see it back on the market. No, it’s great. Great for me as well. It’s great for me after a disappointing week. It’s going to end on a high. Um, right. Is there anything else uh on you were at the close? Yeah, Anna Dawson beat Holly Hamilton one up uh won on the 18th with a par. But this doesn’t tell the story. Anna got off to a sensational start. Was four up through 10. Game looked up. We were like lovely nice early evening home here by the 14th or something. Then Holly just came back with three birdies and four holes. All of a sudden she wins the 17th. We’re all square and she got a bit of a bad break on the 18th. Holly hit a shot and it just went long and it must have got a fierce kick. She went 40 yards long. Yeah. Which, you know, just doesn’t really happen in the women’s game. They’re usually deadly accurate. Um but yeah, Anna, she was put under serious pressure and she was getting a bit antsy and she’ll probably say herself like her dad was the caddy and they were having a go at each other. uh which was interesting to see that dynamic but she composed herself played the 18th beautifully it has to be said and yeah deserving winner and someone who you know she’s going to grow from this win as well yeah because she’s going to play the student series events this year and and next year in doing a masters in man so plenty of opportunities to get more wins on the board I think yeah she’s a proper proper player like she hits the ball a fair old whack gives it a fierce day yeah and so like so does so does Holly to be fair and Holly had a great start. Chipped in the first for birdie and nothing went right for after that. Like Anna took apart the par five, had an eagle on the fourth and just the power she hits like she’s 20 30 ahead of most of her competitors. Yeah. Well, like she she was the star turn in in that event like she had a sensational match with with Katie Poots of Knock. Katy Ps the leading qualifier Anna Dawson the last woman in it just shows you like match just to get in last different game but they shared 17 birdies in their match. That’s crazy. Unbelievable. Went to I think it went to the 20th or 21st hole. But like Anna’s definitely the star turn when some of our other Irish internationals don’t turn up. And I think that’s something that needs to be addressed. You’re getting, you know, you’re getting good sponsorship from Golf Ireland at amateur level. Turn up and play. Like there’s only two Irish women’s events really, the women’s arm and the close. I think it’s a poor look when you’re not turning up and especially when you’re withdrawing a couple of days beforehand. It’s not good getting the digs in there. Well, it’s not good. Yeah. Yeah. No, no, you’re right. No, listen, like it it needs to be there has to be some sort of a comp if if you’re opening yourself up to grants and you’re opening yourself up to team island support, there has to be an obligation to play in your home events. Yeah, there has to be over and and that’s just the way it is. Um but no, you’re right. You are right. And it’s it’s it’s an unfortunate part of the modern game that you’re seeing amateurs and both the women’s side and the men’s side being picky and choosy about Oh, on the on the men’s side, it’s just as bad. It’s worse. It’s just as bad. It’s worse. Not we’re not just not not that we’re picking anyone. We’re not saying the women here. The men are just as bad. Yeah. Yeah. And you like it’s it’s more of a like the the level and I’m not saying the players don’t, but the level of high esteem we hold on some of these championships. Yeah. It it doesn’t seem to be reflected. No. Not anymore. And in fairness, we did talk about this last week on on the pod. We dug out Yeah. dug out the men for not throwing up, which look gives opportunities for other people to step in and you never know what can happen to them. Like we’ve had David Howard and Jonathan Keane are getting Irish caps this week, home internationals. That’s brilliant and they deserve it. So, you know, swings and roundabouts, getting the digs in. I like that. I like that. Um, right. Anything else you want to hit on? Uh, Mark Power was the only Irish player to make the court on the challenge tour in in Scotland. I think he finished third last in the end, but Daniel Young got his first first win. Just leading into the Irish challenge, sort of most of the Irish lads have sort of gone off the boil at the wrong time here. uh like three or four of them are doing well as recently as a month ago and we’re going to have lots of players playing this week. So hopefully one or two will burst out from the pack and play well because it would be great like Ken Castle is a very accessible place as well to get a good crowd in if we can get lads climb up the leaderboard. I’d just be a little concerned with no one really to hang a hat on at the moment coming into the week. You would think that there’s a few of them will raise their game like Mark Power is looking at this. He’s licking his lips. Yeah, this is a Mark Power golf course. It is, isn’t it? Is Max Kennedy playing? Max Kennedy’s playing. Liam Nolan’s playing. Yeah. Like these lads, these three lads need good weeks. 100%. And it’s a it it’s a massive opportunity week for all three of them to actually pin their colors down and and uh you know, it’s it’s a platform to kick on from. Absolutely. And playing on home soil like it doesn’t happen too often. Yeah. They’ll have massive support. Do you remember actually doesn’t happen often enough in Ireland? No. But do you remember like I’ll never forget like for a challenge tour event the K club I think it’s four years ago at this stage three years ago maybe um on the south course when we had Tom McKibben up there we John Murphy up there I was at that yeah you were at we were upstairs doing a podcast down looking at like the crowds around the 18th green the support all the home players got yeah Gary Hurley was going well Gary Hurley as well yeah so like we’re due a few like if the lads produce, you will get a big crowd at Ken Castle over the weekend. If the lads are in the mix there at all, you will get people coming up and turning up and and going do that. And yeah, I’m looking forward to it. Absolutely. It’s a little bit of a shame that it clashes with all the international golf. So, we know amateur is playing this week, but there’s good opportunities there for uh Rob Morren, Jack Madden, John Murphy, you mentioned there, he’s playing this week as well. Paul McBride and Daniel Mulligan and Liam Greins playing too. So, a good chance for him. I think this is one of his last events before he goes back to the Sunshine Tour as well. He’s one to watch actually because he’s like it’s not I’m not going to say there’s no pressure on him, but it’s a free roll of the dice, isn’t it? Yeah. And it’s a similar It’d be a similar enough test to take the K club out. Yeah. So, I think he’ll go well. Yeah. I hope so. No. No. All good. Looking forward to that. Anything else? Don’t think so. No. All good. Unless I’m missing something. No, no, no. I trust you. Glad you’re putting me on the spot then. No, I’m trying to put you on the spot, but it’s not working. Um, right. Something we never have notes for. Gary Player, villain of the week. You laugh at this every week. I do. My villain of the week. I I don’t know. I I have a hero. Right. Go on. We’ll do heroes first. It’s the dude upstairs in the piano. Oh, really? Sensational performance. Nile is his name. Is it Nile? Nile is the man. Yeah. There’s a guy here. There’s a member here playing the piano in Monkstown and he’s unbelievable, you know. It’s really good. Um, yeah, I like heroes of the week. Yeah, let’s give it to the piano man. It’s the most underprepared. It’s shocking. It’s shocking. And villain of the week. You have to have someone for a villain. I’m calling myself out as villain as well. I’m after killing another bird driving down here. Oh yeah, you took another victim. Took another victim. I don’t know. Like last week, pigeon disintegrated on the windscreen. Now a trush or something went through the grill in the front of the car. Bits of them everywhere. So yeah, it’s not good. It’s not good. You any villains? No. No takers? Ah, I might give it to the L LGFA or the referee yesterday. Had to boil back to that sore loser. Um, right. No, I think that’s a wrap for this week. We Yeah, there’s so much golf going on. We’re here, there, and everywhere. We’ll be back early next week then with the full roundup of everything that’s happened. We’ll have a new Brown and Brown uh PGA champion crowned. We’ll have hopefully an Irish winner in Keen Castle. Uh hopefully Ireland win the home internationals in the boys and the girls categories and the men’s and the women’s and the men’s and the women’s and what else? Hopefully Larry wins the one of the playoffs. There we go. Memphis. Larry wins in Memphis. We win everything. That’ll be it. We win everything. Clean sweep for the week. But um no, cheers for tuning in and uh yeah, we’ll chat to you again next week. Bye. [Music]
