Rónán MacNamara in Straffan
You can repeat the leaving but you can’t repeat your first Amgen Irish Open. That’s how John Doyle puts it as he delays the start of sixth year for a dream month that begins at the K Club and ends at the Junior Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.
Doyle, an 18-year-old from Fota Island, is embarking on his first Irish Open experience in every sense. Having never attended as a punter he’s getting full value as a player as he lingers inside the ropes alongside the great and the good of Irish and world golf.
He was already welcomed into the inner sanctum of Irish golf having met the legendary Pádraig Harrington who has made a wonderful habit of taking aspiring youngsters under his wing while a Wednesday afternoon practice round with five-time major winner Brooks Koepka is a dream ticket for the teenage amateur.
“It’s class, it’s such a cool week,” smiles Doyle who is wearing his customary bucket hat. “Being inside the ropes for the first time is great. I actually never went to an Irish Open but I had been to the Open in Portrush so it’s different gravy really. So your first Irish Open you might as well play, it’s not a bad thing to have a tee time.”
Rubbing shoulders with Grand Slam winner Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Koepka and others was far beyond Doyle’s expectations this season. It would be easy to be starstruck by the arena in which he finds himself but he wants to show the big guns what he is made of.
“It’s cool alright. There is a small sense of being a bit of an imposter but you have to get over that. You’re in the field now and you may as well try your best and try to compete with these people.
“It’s been a bit of good golf just compounding in more and more opportunities really but now that I have it I may as well try and take it as best I can and am looking forward to it.”
Doyle has had a sensational 2025 season. He won the Irish Boys and Munster Strokeplay in back to back weeks and has taken to men’s golf like a duck to water.
He lost out in a playoff at the St Andrews Links Trophy which could have put him on the GB&I Walker Cup team this week had he won and he made senior Ireland appearances at the European Team Championships and Home Internationals.
Although he has enjoyed mixing with some of the stars this week in Kildare his round one and round two tee times are very much off broadway as he partners Frenchman Martin Trainer and Norway’s Andreas Halvorsen.
“I haven’t stalked their instagrams yet!” he laughs.
Although he is still a Boys amateur golfer, Doyle has had plenty of experience at the highest level of men’s amateur golf. He is the only Irish amateur in action this week with fans hoping that he can repeat the heroics of Shane Lowry in 2009.
Seán Keeling made the cut last week in Royal County Down and wasn’t afraid to big up his chances of a landmark victory. Doyle however, isn’t too blunt in his aspirations this week.
“I’m not really sure. I just really like to have a good week process wise and go away without regrets and not change my mind over shots over the ball. I want to be committed and go through the process really well over my shots. Whatever happens I don’t really mind to be honest. It shouldn’t be too bad if I can do what I want to with my routines.
“It’s soft, it’s playing long. I feel if you get a morning tee time compared to twelve or one o’clock when the sun comes out it’s going to be completely different. The ball will go a different distance. I was hitting balls on the range yesterday, 9-iron going 140 and then going 150 on the course, you’re just going to have to deal with that. I’m looking forward tot hat it’s a tour course.”
As for the pre-tournament nerves…
“Could be a bit of butterflies,” he admits. “I haven’t thought about it too much but I will be excited tomorrow. I’ll be nervous but I think I can deal with that I’ve been nervous enough this year, just stick to a good plan. Should have plenty of support from home and great crowds overall over the weekend.”
