On this week’s edition of the podcast we talk to Alex Maguire on getting selected for the GB&I Walker Cup panel for next month’s contest. We discuss Robert Moran’s break through at the AIG Irish Close, plus the usual roundup including Rory’s putting woes, Seamus Power’s ever fading Ryder Cup hopes as well as the ISPS Handa as Galgorm & Castlerock. As always we hope you enjoy the listen and if you do leave us a review and share with your friends!
[Music] Hey everybody and welcome along to this week’s edition of the Irish Golfer Podcast. Peter Finnen here and joined by Rona McNamara. Another week. No, John. How are we getting on? He actually messaged last week. He said he was listening. So he said he he needs you to get your manners back. I never had manners in the first place. Dissing him a bit, but uh yeah, he’s gone nearly a month now. That’s it. Distant memory. That’s it. And I still haven’t been able to take his desk. I’ve still been demoted to the the podcast table. Um yeah, big week. Uh I suppose before we get into it, the podcast has brought to you in association with Tailor Made Golf. Um new MG4 wedges dropped last week. Uh, new looks, feels, new grind options, bound op bounce options on them. I don’t Did you feel them yet? Did you? You see, we did a field test last week. It was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. You need to feel the face on them, though. They are pretty good. They’re uh Yeah, the face on them just feels so different. It’s like sandpaper face on them. I I’m not allowed to get involved in the fun things we do around here. So, you weren’t here. I don’t know where you were. You were off out Gallivanting one of the days. Uh, could be Tuesday. Could be your day off. We did it. I don’t know. Ah, that figures. Don’t know. Um but yeah uh big week. Where do we get started? I suppose uh biggest news to drop today is the Walker Cup selections. So uh quite a strong team it is. And uh Ireland will have four representatives on the Great Britain Ireland Walker Cup team this year. The most represented nation on the team including Alex Magcguire, Matthew McClean, Liam Nolan and Mark Power. H maybe four and a half. John Goff of England has parents from me and from Nuri. So, you know, maybe maybe four and a half. And H Keelin Raffley of Wondock has been named on second reserve for Stuart Wilson’s side as they bid to rest a run with three straight defeats in the competition. Uh yeah, it’s a it’s a strong team. No real surprises. Uh Mag Meuire one of two players to play his way in from the cold, like one of two players who wasn’t named on the provisional panel in December himself and Jack Jack Bigum played themselves onto the team. But yeah, no real no real um outrageous calls. have to say every everyone there was pretty much expected to be included in the team. So you can just move on now really I suppose. Yeah, it’s only a few weeks away but yeah like I don’t know like looking at the Irish guys didn’t make it so you’ve quality Hugh Foley Rob Morren Peter O’Keefe probably Max Kennedy was on the peripheries as well of uh looking at stuff. Who’d be the most disappointed of the Irish not to make it do you think? Um, I’d imagine Hugh would probably be the most disappointed considering the year that he had last year and you know he was in a lot of big events this year as well, but he just never really got off the ground for uh this season like he was left out of a couple of Irish teams then towards the end of the summer and just never really got his form going at home or abroad this year which is a shame because everybody who knows Hugh knows he’s a pretty incredible incredible player. like his best finish of the season was fourth at the European amateur championship and then after that he that was actually on the eve of um his emission from I think the European team championship might have been for Ireland but then he’s yeah he needs something like that to maybe kick kick you on but it never happened for him Peter O’Keefe the same h I think he was looking to become maybe the oldest walker cup player I’m not 100% sure but it just again never really happened for him uh Ken Rafley is an interesting case h ranked 60th in in the World amateur golf ranking and he was really really consistent but I think the thing that went against him just doesn’t really play enough like he only played four or five times this year and I think that kind of went against them. So I think that the most he could have really expected was a reserve place. How many are under reserve? There are two reserve places. Uh he’s second reserve. Tyler Weaver of England is the first reserve. Okay. And then Max Kennedy was a was an outside shout after just his impressive start to the year coming second at the South American amateur. I think a run of seven top 10s in a row including a win h in the on the collegiate tour and he done pretty well when he came back to Ireland as well won the stroke play but again didn’t really do anything in the you know real big amateur events that count towards selection either. So but you never know like maybe two years time could be his time. Well that’s it. Max is definitely one for the future. you know, we’re talking about like a Peter O’Keefe being the oldest. Max is one of the youngest around the that sort of panel area and like he’s starting to produce some proper proper golf and yeah, he will kick on. Just being in that sort of general conversation I think is good for him and uh yeah, his golf speaks volumes, you know, he’s a serious little player. Yeah. And Rob Morren as well as win the close yesterday probably has obviously come a bit too late for him. They should say that the team picked before that was done. They did. Yeah. And by his own admission, Rob had said it hadn’t been a good year for him. Yeah, but if golf’s a funny game, he goes and wins the closest first national title. So maybe it is one of his best seasons. But um again, two years time might might be might be his call. Might be one for Rob. Yeah. Um yeah, of the guys that obviously did play their way in like I think Mark Power was a bit of a lock anyway. Lean Nolan played so well. Matt McClean as like they’ve ticked all the boxes. Alex was the one that was on the outside looking in. You caught up with him this morning after the announcement, so we might as well hear what he had to think of it himself. Yeah, you must be delighted to make the Walker Cup team like it’s a fantastic reward for the season that you’ve had. Uh yeah, it’s nice that it’s uh that it’s public now. I’ve known for a few days and um yeah, getting that call today off off the captain was um yeah, it was it was very surreal. You know, obviously, um, people were all sort of thinking I was going to make the team and, um, like as a player and somebody who wants to make World Cup so bad, I think everybody, um, just sort of says, “Ah, yeah, look, we’ll see what happens.” Like, I don’t pick the team and whatever the selectors pick, we’ll go with. Um, but yeah, to actually be chosen on the team is uh, yeah, something I’m very, very proud of. Yeah. Like you’ve had a terrific season to date anyway. like when you were waiting for the call, did you feel personally that you’d done enough to make the squad? Um, like yeah, selfishly, yeah, probably. Um, but you know, with selectors, like they look at everything. Um, so like obviously I didn’t play great in in the spring over in America. So in the back of my mind, I was sort of hoping that like they would, you know, um, value more recent performances like more heavily or like rate them more heavily. So um like I felt like the summer I had I felt like I was I was definitely like uh one of the leading contenders but you know in the back of your mind you you sort of think of all the the poor performances you put in or like the mis puts that the or selectors what you you miss or the bad drives you hit in front of the selectors. You sort of have that in your mind where um like I didn’t let myself think I was on the team for certain um at all until I got the call. Um, so yeah, like yeah, look, I felt like I did enough, but you’ll always sort of have that doubt in your mind, so you don’t get too um carried away because I’ve I’ve been that before where you think you get onto a team and you don’t get the call or you get a call saying it’s bad news. So I just made sure I um yeah, I stayed in my own little bubble until I got that call. Yeah, it’s amazing like all the negative thoughts that go through the head when um there’s pressure on the line. But to be going back to St. Andrews for the Walker Cup next month where you won the St. Andrews Ing trophy like that just makes it extra special I imagine. Yeah. I mean I don’t I don’t know if it could get any better than this. I mean the fact that it’s a centinery of the Walker Cup um being at St. Andrews uh especially where I I won a few months ago. It’s going to be it’s probably going to be one of the best weeks ever I think in my golfing career regardless of what I do from now on. um like to make any any Walker Cup team is is is very very special but the fact that it’s at St. Andrews the home of golf and there’s going to be a lot of things that are the or have planned for the week um will just add to how like how special is the only word I can sort of think of. It’s going to be sort of um yeah it’s going to be an amazing week and one that I’m very very much looking forward to. Yeah. Yeah. And to have four Irish players on the team like we’re the most uh represented country on the team this year like that that just shows the level of the standard of amateur golf in this country and the level that everybody has been playing at this year as well. Yeah. I mean like everyone who’s been picked has been playing phenomenal golf. I mean look at Liam. Um Liam went over at the Brazon and then I would at less and Matt won the US Midam last year and Mark’s played a World Cup before. I mean, uh, yeah, the standard we have in this country is, um, at an alltime high. Definitely, um, it’s nice to have probably the, well, it definitely is the most represented country in in the World Cup de, um, that’s a testament to sort of how the Golf Ireland program was run. I mean, they take care of us so well and, um, they give us good opportunities to go away and travel and get coaching and, um, you know, all the stuff that we need to to play our best golf. and they’ve done a very very good job with um you know like managers and selectors and people behind the staff and coaches. Um yeah, they’ve done an amazing job and I think it’s uh it’s very satisfying for them the fact that they’ve got four Irish guys on the World Cup team this year. Um but yeah, it’s a it’s it’s obviously nice for us, but I think for Golf Ireland as a whole, it’s um a big bonus for them that like the hard work they put in for us and the amount of opportunities they give for us is uh is paying off. Yeah. and you weren’t you weren’t named in the provisional panel there last winter and you’re one of two players to have actually played your way in from the outside yourself and Jack Bigum like starting out the year did you kind of set yourself a target of you know what I need to do to you know try and force the selector’s hand was that in your mind at all um yeah like yeah probably I’d always be one to like not really play for a team but I think when the walk cup is like the biggest event an amateur can play in. Um, I think it’s always in the back of your mind when you’re playing events that like you need like if you’re if you’re outside the top 10 or you’re like let’s say you’re 25th and you’ve got five holes to go, making three birdies to get to 12th is way better for your chances of selection than just sort of settling for 25th. And um like if you have a few 25ths that rack up, then it’s not really good for selectors. But if you grind out a few scores and and finish as high as you can up the leaderboard, then at the end of the year, um they could be the sort of scores that help eeny the team. I mean, I think winning is obviously great, but it’s it’s the consistency. Um that I think is what the selectors love. you know, if if if lads are consistently playing well week in week out, um, and then maybe one or two weeks out of the year, nip a win, that that’s that’s massive for them. Um, so yeah, from the start of the year when I wasn’t picking that panel, um, I always said I’d rather be picked on the 10-man panel in in August than be on the 19 man panel in December beforehand. Um, and yeah, luckily I’ve played my way on. Yeah. And when you kind of look back on what you’ve achieved so far this year, there’s obviously more to come now that you’re on the Walker Cup team. Do you kind of pinch yourself in any way and just think of like, wow, what I’ve done so far is just it’s been a pretty pretty phenomenal year. To be honest, it it’s it’s mad. Like I it I haven’t really had a chance to sort of like sit back and uh like dwell on what I’ve done this year. It’s a it’s it’s all snowballed in the right direction. Um like you sort of look at last year I wasn’t picked for Europeans or homes probably didn’t play my best golf towards those selection periods and then um from last year playing nothing really to this year playing pretty much everything. I mean um ever since that win at St. boundaries. I think everything has just catapulted into a different stratosphere and it’s all going so fast. So, it’s a little bit hard to um like soak up the the good times, but um I think definitely at the World Cup, I think it’s a week it’s a week long event. I’ll do as much as I can to soak it all in. Um because yeah, there’s not many opportunities you get to play World Cup. Um so, yeah, I’ll definitely try savor every moment as I can. Yeah, as you mentioned like the winning the Andrews links was I suppose really the turning point in the year because everything kind of snowballed down from there because you won the uh amateur open qualifying series to get into the H open championship. So it’s all kind of that the floodgates kind of open for you in St. Andrews there a couple of months back. Yeah, like I was actually I was playing with my friend my caddy at the Open Jack today um around Becky Town and he was like well do you think you would have been on the team if you had come second at St. Andrews and I was sort of thinking I would probably say yeah. Um but like if I don’t if I don’t win at St. Andrews I come second then I probably I don’t win the open series or I don’t get to the open I probably don’t get into the Bonatal trophy. Um like there’s a lot of these things that just sort of happen when you win or when you do really well that you don’t really realize. Um so after St. Andrews, I mean, obviously an amazing win. Very, very special to do it where I did it and how I did it, but that gave me a lot more opportunities down the line. I mean, getting into the open, um, playing the Manatic Trophy. Um, and then obviously gave me an opportunity to play at St. Andrews again in a few weeks. Um, yeah, I think a lot of wins are great in the moment, but in a year like it is and sort of the timing that that it happened, um, it’s probably given me a lot more opportunities that, uh, I could have even asked for. Yeah. And now you’re going to play the Walker Cup, which is obviously the pinnacle of amateur golf, and I’m sure I’ll be there in St. Andrews next month catching up with yourself and all the lads. Alex of Laytown and Betty Sound, thanks very much for joining me on the podcast this afternoon. Ron and Cheers. Thanks a lot. Obviously, he’s very happy with that appointment. Yeah. And I think even before he got into the open championship when he won the St. Andrews links, I think at that stage, everyone had kind of started punching his card for another date back at St. Andrews cuz he proved pretty impossible to ignore in fairness to him. Like he really really couldn’t have done much more. And yeah, he was rightly selected in fairness to him. Yeah. No, it was totally warranted, totally deserved. And you know, he’ll kick on as well. Like St. Andrews, I know you’re after alluding to the results, like past results in the competition. I think like Europe have only won three of the last 10 of these. So like you’re going back 20 years. Like the last one we won was when the time when we had the five Irish on the team in 2015. You’re going back to like Gav Minan and Cormick Sharan and Paul Dunn and them lads. So the famous five to the fab four. Yeah. Well, no, it could be the famous five again if you’re claiming John Goff. So yeah, the famous four and a half. the famous four and a half. Um so yeah like the record isn’t great uh recently in it like you know the the seol last time 1410 loss 15 12 10 and a half at Royal Liverpool before that 197 before that so like you’re going back a long time now Royal Limon we did have that like we absolutely kicked our asses in that one it was 16 and a half n and a half to GB and I but um yeah like St. Andrews will be a good leveler. You’d nearly hope for rough enough week weather-wise and just uh you know a good bit of wind and stuff like that. We have a lot like they have some serious players but I just think Link’s pedigree we have uh we have some serious Lynx caliber players on that and you want you really want that sort of to come into play that like the weather blows and we get some nice weather. Yeah, it’ll be interesting to see how St. Andrew’s plays because obviously last year for the Open Championship, everybody was worried that it could be, you know, bombed out of it by all these long drives. And I think uh with all the respect to the GVN team, we do need, you know, a bit of link weather to come in, maybe act as a bit of a leveler because the USA obviously on paper by far the hot favorites to win for the fourth time in a row. like all 10 of their team are ranked inside the top 20 in the world in the world amateur golf rank and they obviously have the world number one in Gordon Sergeant and h only John Goff 11th in the world is the only GBNI player ranked inside the top 20 so like there is a on paper there looks to be a gulf in class but it is match play and over as we see on the PJ tour with the WGC Dell match play as I said before anyone can win over 18 holes so you just never know yeah and it is the case like yeah we just hope for hope for a good role with them. They have some good experience as well. I see Stuart Hagistad is in their team as well. Like he’s this must be his third Walker Cup. I think it’s his third one. Yeah. 32 years of age. The man lives for amateur golf. He’s like the GBNI answer. He’s like the American answer. Sorry to Chester for GBNI there for a while. No, it’s it’s meant to it’s it’s mental like it’s some record. But um yeah, no, it’ll be good. It will be good. Uh away from the Walker Cup side of things, then you were at the close for the last couple of days. So, uh obviously you’ve already commented on Rob Morren notching up uh his first national title. Uh what was it like up there? Tense. Very, very tense. Mother of God. Um yeah, it was um actually like I’m only there reporting on it, but you got two really really likable guys and I was standing there nervous for both of them and I don’t think I’ve ever felt that way before. And then it got to the stage where third playoff like Jesus lads someone just win this cuz it was getting dark quite quickly up the north there and obviously time time is running out now with your daylight savings and what have you. But um no like it was a fabulous golf course, an unbelievable setting and in fairness like the the course staff did an impeccable job of getting the course playable because it it was described as a miracle that they got played on the Saturday and like I walked the course on the Sunday for the 36 holes. Not a not a puddle, not a patch of mud to be seen. So that was really really good. Um but yeah, Rob, first national title, banished the demons of losing to Peter O’Keefe in the playoff in Tullemore two years ago. And God, it looked like it was going to happen again because he teed off the final round uh three shots clear after a sensational 66 on Sunday morning. And he hadn’t had a bogey for I think maybe 21 22 holes, something like that. And he goes back to back bogeies and throws another two bogeies in four or five holes. And all of a sudden that three-sh shot lead is down to a shared lead with Quenton Karu who put up an outrageous defense of his title in fairness to him like to do it in different formats is really really impressive. And then it kind of became error strewn towards the end from the pair of them. Puts weren’t going in. There was bad shots here and there. Rob obviously bo the last to fall into a share of the lead with Karu. Karu obviously has the 16th and the 17th to play. 17’s a par five. 16th a drivable par four. Didn’t birdie either of them. So Rob gets his lifeline when Karu gets up and down for the par to force the playoff and then Rob three puts the 18th which is the 73rd hole and um interestingly enough Karu missed the put to win the exact same put Rob missed for the par on the 72nd hole. So there’s Rob’s second lifeline if if you like. Yeah. And then the 18th going down again was just a deadlock. They both pared handily enough and then Rob hits this fantastic seven iron from 205 yards to about 13 ft. and Karu in fairness had a 25 footer and it didn’t roll particularly well at all and it came up just a hair shy of the hole and then Rob in fairness super drilled right in the middle into the heart of the hole and the roar that went up was pretty loud in fairness so yeah I seen the videos you stuck up like the rel you could see the relief on Rob’s face as well like just to get it done get over the line cuz you know he’s a player that should have a national title under his belt long before this and uh you know you just hope that that’s a watershed moment for Rob Moore and like we’re saying we’re talking about him this time two years time and he’s kicked on and he’s he’ll be on the next Walker Cup side and he’ll have a few national titles under his belt. Yeah, like we were I it’s funny that because there was no redraw for the 36 holes. Him and crew were in different groups. So it kind of made it hard to follow towards the end when things were getting tight and we were getting text messages saying that Rob had missed a two-footer on 17 to go two clear at one to go and then obviously he bogied 18 to drop into a shared lead. But God, Karu played some golf in the back nine and he shaved holes after hole after hole. Bit like Mi Lee as it was back in back a few weeks ago and um no but Karu will regret obviously not getting a few putts in regulation and then the one in the playoff as well. But it kind of just begs the question because it was so unbelievably tense like the golf wasn’t too great and it just begs the question maybe is 36 holes too much to ask on the final day of a major Irish championship on a you know tough golf course tough conditions were the pressure enough pressure is enough to make you tired and make you do silly mistakes. So it was just one of those things because was it was getting dark as well and everyone was tired you could feel the tiredness around. So, it was just interesting from that aspect because the golf in the morning was far better than the golf in the afternoon. Even though it was even though the golf in the afternoon was much more exciting. Yeah. Yeah. No, it’s a strange one. It’ll be interesting for Quinton as well now looking forward like he’s one I’d have marked down. I think he’ll he’ll have a role at the pro game fairly soon. Not sure did you catch up with him yet or did you like he like I see he is you obviously you obviously don’t read my stuff. No piece about this a couple of weeks back before the scratch cup I think it was in Mullenar. Yeah, he’s he wants to give it a go. You know, 32 and from his point of view actually does make you know complete sense. He’s thinking of the Deep World Tour Q school or the Sunshine Tour next year but it makes sense from his point of view. 32 years of age, good job as a guard. Like it it’s worth the risk for a year or so. Try it out. Come back. Like it’s not it’s not like he’s a young aspiring pro where if he doesn’t make it he’s nothing to fall back on. like this is a calculated and worthwhile risk and I think he should do it and he’ll get leave from the guards won’t like he’ll get a year or two leave to go off and he can always go undercover. Yeah. Oh, no. It’ll be good. No, cuz I see he’s wearing like the prodig club uh gear and stuff like that, you know. Uh it’s nice stuff actually. They’re making some nice clobber. Yeah, they do to be fair in fairness to him. Like and actually just one thing to note fairness to the castle knock and the Castle Golf Club guys. They bring some serious support with them wherever they go. Yeah. Crew and more and have some entourage following them to be fair. Jason Sherlock running around the place. Yeah, maybe they’re all following Jo. I don’t know. Um, no, it was good. But your takeaways from the close then. Uh, yeah. Another year, another trilling finish. Like that’s three or four years in a row. The finish has been pretty sensational. Like with the playoff last year, the playoff this year. Yeah, it’s an event that consistently delivers. Yeah. And Malone was a really really good golf course. Yeah. If anyone that hasn’t played Malone, like the upgrade works they’ve done there in the last like three or four years. Uh I know Ken Carney was involved. It’s in our top 100 panel and Malone is just it’s such a hidden gem. Up around that area though, like Malone, Beaver Park, places like that. They’re top top golf course. But if you can get up to Malone and get a get a tea time up there, it’s it’s well worth the trek up. It’s it’s such a class golf course. There’s water everywhere. like there’s water ever a big lake on the golf course that uh me and Brian weren’t able to identify. So if anyone knows the name of that lake on the that that kind of runs around the 18th and the 15th, please let me know. Lake Malone. Lake Malone. Someone said that and I was like that’s too simple to be true. Um yeah, I think that’s like in fairness as well. One last nod on the Irish Close. Obviously AIG as well. Um you know, you have to sort of tip your hat to them. the longest supporters of Irish amateur golf. I think that this sponsorship is is going back nearly 30 years at this stage that they’ve done. They’re still involved with Golf Ireland. Um they do and this is this is a this is like they’re not paying us for plugs and stuff like that, but you have to commend companies when they put their money where their mouth is. Um and for so long and such a legacy partnership sponsorship. I have AIG car insurance, home insurance, and you do get serious discounts through the Gulf Shore product that they have the um that sort of golf cover. They have an AIG golfer cover and like it’s it’s really good how they’ve used golf as a vehicle to sort of promote that stuff, but they just keep involved. They’re good good people. Yeah, fair enough. I’ll go along with that. Uh right, moving into away from the amateur game. We had uh the BMW championships and the FedEx Cup uh this week. Did you get to watch this actually when you got back from alone? No, I was when I was home and it was long over at that late. Really? Yeah. Yeah, it was late one. Yeah, it was that late. Well, it was it was proper golf. I I haven’t been Have you Have you looked through any of the stuff this morning? I know I know Victor Hofflin won and Rocky miss with like a a knee knee tidler for an eagle later on the round but I saw bits and pieces for the first three days in fairness. No, it was seriously good like uh Victor Havlin he just gay crashed the party. Um like if you look at the scorecard he 12 threes for around eight of them in the last nine holes came home in 28. Uh like it was just it was relentless how he did Like Scotty Sheffler goes out tied for the lead uh and shoots 66 in the final round. Tied for the lead. That would get the job done most weeks. But first time he lost the lead was when he was on the 17th T-Bucks and Victor just went mental on the back nine. Like coming home at 28. Like that is no Olympia Fields is no easy golf course. We’re not talking like a US Open golf course. Yeah, exactly. You’re not talking like the Green Bryer a few weeks ago with live and stuff like you know Bryson shooting 58 like this 61 is a far better score than Bryson’s 58 when you consider golf courses like for like um and just how he did it like just he was relentless on the back n just did not go away and you look at the distance I don’t know who it was put out a tweet last night like of all of his um threes on the back nine like I’m saying He like he he came home in 28. The longest putt he had was 9 foot like so he was and you’re talking 460 70 80 par fours and like he’s hitting driver pitching wedge ner these things and just getting up and down from all over the place. He missed one fairway on the back n um which was unbelievable and led the field in drive and accuracy for the week. hit 43 of 56 fairways for the week, which is it’s just scarily good. It’s so good to see him clicking this time of the year as well. Yeah. And he’s uh starting to ditch the only wins at Resort Golf Courses tag as well now with the BMW and the Memorial. But uh no, he’s a he’s a world class player and you you think he’s definitely progressed as a player this year given his performances in the major championships towards the end of last year and this year as well. And um from a European point of view, it’s great to see himself up there at Mroy and Ram as well. I’m sure Ram will will turn the corner over the next few weeks leading into Rome. But from a European point of view, that tournament, you’d be quietly confident that Europe might do something in Rome given how some of the players performed and how many are through to the Tour Championship this week. Yeah, Matty Fitz’s done well too. like you know Sheffler Sheffller did what Sheffller did this week just to the usual um you know beat the field doing handstands and strokes gained off the tea and approach and then just uh he had a better putting week with this new putter that he had but he still still lost uh who he lost two shots on the field in putting this week and averages and he lost the tournament by two shots. So like there is the difference again in uh bits like that. But no, Matty Fitz outside that like just didn’t go away. So consistent 66 67 66 666 uh just so good and some of the shots he pulled off uh in yesterday’s final round as well like playing with Scotty Sheffller. He he will do damage like he’s going into a RDER Cup with a chip in a shoulder rider cup wise as well. Matty Fitz like terrible terrible record. Yeah, he does have he does have a he’s a he has a bad ill record. He’s no points like no half points, doesn’t he? No. Uh, no, I don’t think he’s ever won a point. No, he’s never claimed a point. He actually the last one on the 18th, remember? Yeah, he had Daniel Burger, I think it was, was it? He dumped it in the water. I laughed so hard at that. That’s bad. But he does have a point to prove. Yeah, we’re shaping up nicely. Like we will we’ll do a specific Ryder Cup pod in the next week or so when things are starting to take shape. like Saulheim as well with the Salahheim team being announced tomorrow. Um their picks like Europe might not win but on the personality stakes I think we think will win. Like you look at the six that have automatically qualified for the USA. Um you’d hope Max Homer brings the jokes into that team room. They could do a few characters getting a couple of wild card picks like Yeah. We’ll get into the RER Cup in a minute. um on on the rest of the tournament like do you like the way it’s shaping up now for FedEx Cup? It it was weird actually. Yeah. Like I don’t know you wa like he obviously didn’t watch it but like seeing only Matt Fitz played his way from outside the top 30 in uh which is unusual for just one. So Chris Kirk was the only one that dropped out went from 29th to 32nd. Matt Fitz went from 40 and up to 10th. If he would have won that tournament he would have went up to fourth. like it’s it’s a big uh it’s a massive leap that he’s after having in there. Like when you uh think of Yeah, he’s starting the tournament next week at four under um the way they do. I I don’t like these seeded score things. I always forget about them until they come round again. So I I never actually know how I feel until the tournament starts. So I really I actually can’t comment on that at the moment until Thursday. Yeah. Yeah. Well, so but just going back to what you said about the bubble. Yeah, it felt the FedEx Cup so far has felt a bit of a damper. There’s been no drama around the bubble that you usually get every single year. And I obviously didn’t watch it yesterday, but uh I heard like a load of uh American commentators were going on about how all the money in the game, but it shows how much these players care when they’re scrapping out to qualify for the top 30. So, I’m kind of glad I missed that for one year. No, it was funny. It was funny seeing guys like Sahit Tagala missed out, finished 31st. Um like there is a guy who might think his Rder Cup chances could be gone now. Yeah. Which is mad. And they probably are. They probably are. Um after that, especially when you have someone like Lucas Glover that’s kicked his way on and uh that’s going to take that. But no, it was it was real. It was actually and like he obviously didn’t see it, but it was cringe watching on Twitter the So when Hatton So Hatton was one of the guys that thought he was out. Jordan thought he was out h and they were I’ve seen that video around it was terrible. Like the man the PJ tour official like when he’s walking out to his manager at the door. Tier, I just want to talk to you about the uh FedEx Cup playoffs. And he go Yeah, I don’t think I’ll be in them. And he goes, well, as he stands now, it was just cringe content. It was so bad. And Turl was like, “Yeah, all right. Thanks.” Yeah. So, I need There’s still guys out there that can do it. And your man just congratulated him like on finishing whatever tight 12th or 15th or I don’t know. And you’re just going, “Ah, here.” Yeah. The only person that’s only people who are delighted by scraping in by the skin of their teeth are Everton fans after uh the 2022 season. Tero’s not going to be celebrating for scraping in at 28 out of 30. Like, no. But Seb Straa makes it in. Uh like these lads stayed where they were. So um he’s a he’s a lock in now for the R cup surely now. Definitely. He can’t do anymore. Well, like from our point of view, Rory had a great week again. Like he’s just relentless with his stats and numbers. Like he didn’t really Second round. We were actually having we had a straw poll in the office here. Were you here for that last? No, you do all the fun things and I’m away. No, we were talking on the second round. And so when he pumps in the opening 65, the lads were like, “What’s he going to shoot tomorrow?” And in fairness, Jody was the only one to call. Jody said, “Yeah, level par 70.” And I was like, “No, 67 66 has to be on that golf course.” He’s got, “No, no chance. No chance. That’s for the weekend.” Um, but yeah, it was like pretty flawless stuff again. Um, but yeah, always has that one round at just uh second round 70. It’s the most Maroy thing to hit three fairways in the first round and shoot a 65 and then to hit the ball unbelievably on day two and not hold a single thing. Like he was he was 22nd strokes game putting for the week and if you’re just looking at it on the face you think oh 22nd that’s you know pretty decent was 22nd out of 50 which means you’re kind of middle of the road there which all of a sudden it’s not that great. Yeah. No, it’s it’s Yeah, he’s getting it together, but it’s always the same, isn’t it? Rory Mroy just was sort of flatters to deceive in the main events throughout the year and then once it comes FedEx Cup like someone will like I um like Victor like you have to just tip your hat to Victor like 6561 at the weekend, finished the tournament at 17 under and 14 of that was done on Saturday and Sunday. Like that is flawless golf over the weekend. Like you just The back nine on Sunday was probably the best um back n Sunday to win a golf tournament that I’ve ever seen. Like a big golf tournament like that. Yeah. Well, you’re you’re you’re kind of talking to the wall here. I I didn’t see it, but I’m just look I’m just looking at his card like three three three four three three mental stuff like really really sensational golf and you know what thank god he beat sheer thank god poor Ned Flanders doesn’t get a good N Flanders he doesn’t get a good rap on his not a good day for the Bible bashers but not like looking into this week so uh going to the tour championship uh so we’re starting off Scotty Sheffller will start off at 10 under then Havlin eight under Mroy seven under Ram six under Glover five under then you’ve homely Harmon Clark Fitzpatrick all at four under Fleetwood Henley Bradley Fowler Schoffé all at three under Tom Kim I uh Feno Connors and Siwim on two under uh Taylor Moore Nick Taylor Adam Shank Marawa and Jason Day on one under and then the last five so Burns, go Hatton, Speed, and Straa all at level par. So, um I can’t see anybody coming from outside like no one’s going to come. It’s not like last year like it’s I cannot see anyone outside of the top four doing damage to Scotty Sheffler, giving him considering what happened last year at this tournament and how he started off and Rory hunting him down. I think Rory was further back last year as well. uh going yeah Mroy was fifth or sixth. Yeah. So like he’s he’s only three shots back going into the final round. I like it’s a shootout between Sheffller, Havlin, Mroy Ram. Yeah. Like I just can’t see someone else going mental and Scotty giving up X amount of shots. Like you know from there back from Lucas Glover back he’s five shot lead. They’re the danger men up the top. It is all he it is all set up for an unbelievable championship. Yeah. Well, looking behind the four lads you just mentioned like five to maybe 20, there’s no real serial winners there. You have to go back to 24 to get, you know, Colorawa, then you get Jordan Speed at 29. Other than that, like there’s no one really who you expect to win a golf tournament on a normal week. So, it will be hopefully if it does play out the way everyone hopes it does play out and there’s a shootout between those four lads, like it could be it could be a sensational week of golf. Yeah, it’ll be explosive. All right. But just like Scotty is a bit of scar tissue from last year in the way Rory hunted him down. It will irk him a little bit that he didn’t win that tournament yesterday. Um he should have won that tournament yesterday, but just Victor just gay crashed the party and did what he did. And uh yeah, for once he was actually wearing a decent looking Jay Lindberg top as well. Wasn’t shocking. Maybe maybe that’s the trick. Exactly. Maybe that’s the trick. Um Sheamus Power on the other hand, disappointing week for Sheamus. That’s his season over on the American side. Anyway, he is playing he is playing at Czech Masters this week. But um yeah, look, finish in second last obviously a limited field. It’s still not a great look. Um he looked injured. Saw a bit of him on Friday. They showed him walking off a greener that he has been battling the hip injury for the last couple of months and you just never know how these things are going to flare up. but looks like he’s battling it again on his RER Cup prospects. They were already dwindling even before this week and I think the general consensus was that he needed to make make it to East Lake to even ask the question to Luke Donald. He most certainly needs to win now. I think at this stage he admitted that himself a while like a couple of weeks ago when we were at the Irish Open media day with him. He admitted like I just need to win. That’s the only way I’m going to get in. And even at that, like if he wins the Czech Masters this week, I still don’t think No, he’ll get in. That’s the That’s just the way the season has gone. Yeah. Well, you say that’s the way the season has gone. It’s still going to end up as a season where he’s won on tour. Yeah. Which is a weird one cuz considering that came at the end of 2022 when he really did have a brilliant year, but he’s had no top 10 in 2023. Like it has been a dismal year from start to finish so far. and hope hopefully like even just forget about the Rder Cup from a form perspective. You’d like to see him pick up anyway cuz he’s outside the top 50 now and obviously he’s a player in that sort of bubble who really needs to be getting into the top 50 to make these major championships and just guarantee those spots in the big events. Um cuz yeah, it’s a worrying time for him, I think. Yeah, I think he’ll get it together again. Like but like you’re saying, he’s still he’s been struggling with injuries and stuff like that. So, but like it’s it’s been a meteoric couple of years and look and to be 57 in the world is still still no bad thing. Like it’s it he was at a level that was nearly unsustainable if you get me. Like he’s due a dip. It’s just a you hope he can rise again. Yeah. Um on the Royal Cup, we spoke about Ryder Cup a little bit earlier. US team finalized uh on the main qualifiers. The most boring collection of people I’ve ever come across in my life. Like Max Home has got some gig to lift that dressing rip Johnson. So we’ve Sheffller, Clark, Harmon, Canlay, Homer, and Shalay. So uh Shalay just um edged out Bruce Brucey Bruce Copka. Yeah, it’s interest leaves that up in the air now, doesn’t it? Totally does. It’s all on Zack Johnson’s morals now. And the lads are really like Shambli, Brandell Shambbley coming out the other day. Uh did you see his comments on like they shouldn’t be there and he was pointing out like Brooks straight up like just shouldn’t be there and like these lads just need to cop onto themselves. There’s no way in the world that Brooks does not get the nod for this. He has to. From a golfing sense, obviously he has to. um from obviously a live golf Saudi point of view to play the the John Craven card here. Uh probably leave him off probably leave him off. Don’t start. There are worse regimes as you said. Um but they’re all getting into bed with each other anyway so it doesn’t that’s true. But it’s going to open up a can of worms cuz if you pick Keepa, you have to pick Bryson. Bryson won on live again. He had a very good major year too. Like it’s going to raise that question. Johnson I would still consider if I was in Zack Johnson’s position, but he probably has shown I say deep down Johnson didn’t really need Kfka being edged out here. Absolutely. Absolutely. He he needed him to be in just to avoid that. Then he doesn’t have to pick anyone else. Now he has to pick him. I think he has to pick him. Um but like there’s such a long list. Like if we say yeah like we just take Brooks as he’s going to get a pick. like it leaves five picks from like you literally have a list of 12 players that it’s it’s throwing a dart at a dart board and closing your eyes job. Tell you who I wouldn’t pick. Who? Calm Young. Would you know? Well, he’s had a poor year. He didn’t make it to the playoffs. Finished 42nd. But then I look at like the type of player that he is. Like I wouldn’t pick him on form, but he’s one of those players that you’d pick for the RDER Cup in in in the sense that he just makes a ton of birdies. Like he’d be the ideal match player, but on form like I just I think there’s players playing better than them that deserve picks like speeds. Uh I Ricky Fowler deserves a pick in fairness to him. Lucas Glover, I think you have to pick him. And what about Justin Thomas? No. Yeah, he’s a no for me. But then you look at how good he is with speed and President’s Cup and Ryder Cup as well. Like this like we talk about the European wild card picks. Johnson arguably has a harder selection headache. Yeah, Johnson could surprise a few. I I think he he could like he they could he could easily pick um JT over Glover like everyone and he could justify it. Everyone’s going on about how terrible a year JT has had. Like Tony Fen now is 21st in the rank and six below JT. Like do you do you pick Feno? Yeah. Well, at least he’s got to the Tour Championship and given himself he’s won this he’s won this year like multiple times. Yeah. And he just has he’s just had such an inconsistent season. Yeah. No, it’s going to be it’s going to be mental, but we will we’ll have a proper Ryder Cup rap. We’re obviously going to have our own um we’ll have our own team coming together now over the next couple of weeks as well, Ryder Cup wise. So, yeah. Tell you who’d be a a good match player. I’d say I’d say he’d be an absolute prick to play against. Who? Kirk Kittyama. Yeah, but he’s no chance of getting in, I don’t think. 17th one, the Arnold Palmer. Yeah, he did. He did, but that was a long time ago. I can’t see him getting a pick. Oh, when you consider the other the experience of the other guys. Um, yeah, I’d have I’d have JT over him any day of the week. I would, but like there’s just so many permutations on it anyway. Um, that’s it from FedEx Cup anyway for for this week. We’ll see who takes home $18 million. This is the This is the time where John Craven gets depressed in the past with the money. With the money. So, things like, you know, you just 18 mil for the winner. It’s just white noise at this. I don’t I don’t even notice it anymore. Yeah. And it’s just you’re watching it. Do they talk about the money? Do they not talk about the money? Is it about the money? Is it about the points? What way? It’s just uh No, but it’s all set up for a big week. So, looking forward to it. Um an event on home soil this week. We had the ISPS Handa up in Galorm and Castle Rock. Did you watch any of this? No. No. Um it just Did you watch any golf? I don’t watch golf. I don’t watch anything outside of the majors really to be honest with you. Uh why do you employ me? Yeah, stop. But uh no, like it’s the weather was dreadful. That’s all I know. And um but fairness, the Dan Brown winning wire towire is serious achievement like regardless of the field or the golf course or whatever like to win wire to wire or some going doesn’t actually happen too often either. No, you need to tip your cap every time it does happen to be fair. And then Tom McKibben, you know, he was fine. 78 first round in Galor. He really bounced back uh to make the cut. It looked like he was going to do a Marroy at the open in Port Roshion just missed the cut by one, but fortunate for him he got in and you know turned out to be a decent enough week for him. Only Irish player to make the cut. So I say he brought brought around the bulk of the crowd over the weekend and then Alexa Pano what a way to cap off your birthday. Yeah. when he turned 19. When he turned 19, arrived with no clubs and no clothes, like real fairy tale story and fair play to her. I thought this was uh just from looking at the leaderboard, this was a really really tight tight tournament all week long. It was good playoff as well like so plenty of drama in it, you know, and she came in fairness to Pano, she came um you know with a 66 I think it was in the final round and yeah, just she hold puts when she needed to. looked really cool under pressure. Like so mature for a woman of her age, like just gone 19, like you say, just rocked up. Everything was lost. Got her stuff middle of the week and then just kicked into gear and uh done her damage over the weekend. But no, it was good. It was it was a good finish to that. It was a like a good finish to the other event as well. Um when you look at the overall leaderboard, yeah, Dan Brown done really well. Alex Fitz, yeah, he did push him. Yeah, there’s a point D Brown was doing his best to try and hand this to Alex Fitz. And I tell you what, if Alex Fitz had had won, like you can have your Luther Gabbergs, this man would have been getting a few tips for Ryder Cup, I’d say, as well. Stop it, man. Two Fitzies. Two Fitzies. One’s bad enough. But imagine Alex Fitz gets a RER Cup point before Matty does. That’s mean. Um, but no, Eddie Pil as well was up there in the tournament. Never really got into it featured, but like uh 368 from Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Like it’s good to see him back playing well. Yeah, good to see him playing a bit of golf and showing that he can he is a golfer, not just a social media personality these days. Not just a tweet machine. Love him though. Probably one probably my favorite character in golf is Eddie Pepper. No, he is he’s class. But um it was a disappointing week for the Irish on the I know like Leona never really featured in the women’s. Uh Steph Meadow never really got into it either on that. They were solid without doing anything special, but the conditions didn’t allow you to do anything special either. Like it was a week they just ground it out and Leona Sher 16s Stephanie Meadow T27 like two good weeks to say no more about it. Yeah. So they would have been looking for more. Both of them looking for more. But I’m more so looking at the men’s side of the draw. Like we had 11 competitors in this and for only one of them to get through to the weekend Tom McKibben that’s not a good sign like for on home soil like Nile Carney came close bad opening round then followed up with a 70 but outside of that so we had 11 starters so McKibben put two rounds under parney second round 70 none of the rest of them broke par in any of the rounds like you Durma Mckelroy 7472 Rory McGee plus six for the week. Uh Max Kennedy plus seven. Johnny Caldwell uh plus eight. Mcgraine plus 9. John Ross Galbra plus 13. John Murphy plus 14. Like David Kerry unusual like plus 17 75 83 and then Cormick Sharan uh with retired withdrew after round one I think. But uh it’s not good. It’s not a good sign. No, it’s not. And like the topic of the depth coming behind your your Maroys, Harrington’s, Larry’s and Power have been has been raised over the last couple years. Obviously, we’ve McKibben coming through and he’s going to get to the top level of golf over the next few years. But that really was, you know, the proof in the pudding is where Irish golf is at at tour level. Like there really is a darth of talent coming through like and it’s reflected not only in the DP World Tour. like there was a lot of opportunities given as you mentioned 11 lads but on the challenge tour top 20 um on the challenge tour at the end of the year earn promotion to the DP world tour the highest ranked player on the challenge tour from an Irish point of view is Connor Pcel at 52nd. Yeah. Like we’re not even challenging at that level. Yeah. No, it is. It’s uh and like just behind him then you’ve Johnny Caldwell and um Yeah. Like even looking at looking at some of the other guys like the main state like Connor Aors and Paul McBride and Johnny Yates and Rowan Lester and guys they’re just sort of in limbo land aren’t they on trying to push on and get a card like they’re all ranked in pretty much 200 and above on the projected Race to Morca rankings like and very slim like we’ve only eight events left on the challenge tour compared to this time last year when you John Murphy flying and Tom McKibben flying and Gary Hurley he was flying, you know, sort of the way. And now it’s just such a different uh 12 months on like a lot of those guys are falling away. Tom seems to be the only one that’s kicked on and done. And even at that with Tom like um he’s been quiet been quiet since the win. Well, he’s been quiet most of the season even with the like a win is a win and you’re never going to change or take that away, but outside that he’s had no other top 10s. So you take that away, he’d be struggling to make his card. Now, I know that’s very that’s harsh, but um yeah, like he’s gone through some big changes obviously this year. His caddy changed start of the year just before the win and that worked out really well. He’s into all the big events. Uh the opening 78 in Galorm, it was his first round with a brand new set of clubs as well. Um like he has been a tailor made player and still is a tailor made player, but um rocked up with a whole pile of titleless stuff this week. So, um, you know, new driver, fairway woods, irons, everything throughout the bag. I think he’s the same putter as Rory. Uh, he got rid of that after the first round, I heard. Did he? Yeah. And put put his old one back in the rock. Yeah. It held everything by all accounts. That’s it. Like that’s the difference. But like, yeah. So, he’s obviously messing around with equipment and doing stuff like that. So, that’ll explain the 78. But then to do what he did 65 68 get himself in the mix and the only Irish man um the only Irish player really to get through to uh make the cut and and do it. Yeah, it’s it’s it’s great to see but it’s just sad to see what’s happening behind that’s all on home soil. Yeah, there really really isn’t much to cheer about in that regard at all. So um probably less about the better at the moment. Yeah, we’re running out of events to get to cheer. I hate when we’re so down and stuff like that, but it is there’s a there’s a a bit of work to be done on that. Um, but like the standard of amateur golf in Ireland is extremely high at the moment. So, you’d hope, you know, we can start producing. It’s just It never transpires though, does it? Like you you go back, we’re talking about even five, like going back to 2015, the guys that uh kicked on Sharon, Paul Dunn, Gav Min, and all the lads that were part of that Walker Cup team we were talking about. Like you don’t hear from some of them anymore. Like Jack Hume doesn’t even play golf anymore. But he does out nice. He goes around with the lads. Plays with the boys, but that’s it. He probably wipe the floor with half them now. That’s the thing. Yeah, that’s the thing. like on a nice little day, he’s still unbelievable. Like you don’t hear from uh you don’t hear at all about Gav Min anymore. Paul Dunn comes tips in and out. Uh Charvin is struggling. Um it’s it’s it’s hard to see. It’s tough to see that transition into the pro ranks is really tough. We must it’ll be an interesting chat to have with Neil Manship uh between now and the end of the year as to why he feels or what he feels could be better, you know. Um right on that then uh round up for the rest of the week. There’s plenty of stuff going on with your man Andy Ogulry International Series. My man Andy. I knew when I talked to I knew when I spoke to him a man he’d turn around. You met him man. He’s the man. The man and man. H Gmac was down there like they were in Scotland this week actually in St. Andrews. But yeah, GMAC was uh he was talking a bit of smack there about uh he’d love to see um the international series, the Asian tour going to Port Rush. Like you’re just going, “Yeah, love to see Asia go to Antrum.” I can’t see that happen in GMAC. Sorry. No. Um like number one, it’s on an open road of course, so like no chance. The RNA would have a thing or two. They won’t even let a DP World Tour event go back there. So um that won’t be it. But it was Yeah, it was a decent enough event. Um, look at Salheim Cup announcement is tomorrow, but the initial qualifiers are in. Leon is in on that. Um, so she’s all guaranteed her spot. We knew that anyway. So outside that, anything else on roundup? No, don’t think so. Um, I think was we’ve covered pretty much everything there. Uh we the Irish seniors actually sorry in uh P court over the over the weekend which was just again another tournament that was bombed out of by the rain on on Friday but Suzanne Corkran won the Irish Senior Women’s Amateur and Alan Condrin won the Irish senior men’s amateur close stroke play. H they were both playing sidebyside events in Paris court. So um yeah that seemed to go go really well. And the block party rolls on. going to see Michael Block at a 63 around Valhalla over the weekend. Oh, home. H, who cares? Uh, right. Heroes and villains. Uh, my hero, you have to go Alexa Pano like to be fair like her birthday the way she arrived the week. Bit bit on you Dunigan style like no clothes and obviously Alexa had no clothes either. Uh, Rob Morren my hero as well just for, you know, getting over the line finally, you know. and it would have been a tough one to lose. I’d say god knows what conversation we’d be having today if he had lost it. But uh and the green keeping staff from Malone collectively are all heroes as well because the the job they did on the on the golf course to get it up up and running and in action was just phenomenal. Yeah, I’ll go with Rob Morren on mine. I just had him listed down as well as someone we’ve been waiting a little while to break through the door and now that he is through I think there’s there’s huge things to come from him. And then villain. Uh not many villains around this week. I would have I know we mentioned earlier on that bit of content that the PJ tour did with Tyrell Hatton. So whoever that guy was that pulled him to one side to explain to him how he might be in and congratulate him. That man needs to learn how to read the room. Yeah, he’s the villain of the week. Hate him. Um anyone else from you? Uh Mark McGawan maybe just for not coming in thinking just because you’ve given him a a computer microphone he can do what he likes. like he’s coming in sending all these brilliant notes in the podcast into the Slack channel. It’s no good if you’re not here like you know what I mean. Yeah, he needs to turn up. Turn up or go home. One or the other. Right now we’ll have him on next week. We’ll be a three ball next week I think. Uh we get Mark dialed in. So no outside that um cheers for tuning in. Cheers Ronan for everything this week. And um yeah, we’ll be out and about at various events throughout this week. So uh keep up to date on Irishgolfer.e be on all your latest golf news or uh seek us out on any of our social channels. So until next week, cheers for tuning in. Talk to you soon. [Music]
