On this week’s podcast we discuss Padraig Harrington’s victory on the Champions Tour circuit, Seamus Power’s disappointing finish at the Valspar Championship, the feel good factor of Peter Malnati’s victory, and how Leona Maguire’s year is shaping up with the women’s first major fast approaching.
Plus, we hear from leading amateur Hugh Foley ahead of this week’s West of Ireland Championship at County Sligo Golf Club, and the boys discuss what makes the first of the Amateur Championships such a special occasion.
[Music] Hello. How are you getting on? Irish Golfer Podcast coming at you here. Ronan McNamera in the hot seat today and I’m delighted to be joined by the Western Warrior Mark McGawan. Mark, how are you getting on? All right, Ronan. Seems like the people have spoken and we’re we’re going as a two ball. Well, we great success with it last year. So, this was long overdue in my in my opinion. Yeah. Where is Where is Pete this week? I know he’s he’s off in some far-flung destination, is he? Some far-flung destination across from me in the office here. He’s uh gallivanting and fluting around. You know yourself. You know yourself. Mark, look, we have a big week this week and you’re in Siggo for more reasons than one. It’s not just because you live there. You’re going to go across the road for us and cover the Connelly Motors West of Ireland Championship this week. I’m sure as you look look out your window there at the lovely dark clouds. Have you got your Wellington boots? Got your waterproofs ready to go? Uh yeah. Well, it’s it’s actually not not the worst day in the world here. It’s slightly it is slightly wet, but uh compared to the pretty much all five days we had last year at it, uh this is a great weather. Um but but yeah, I think the the forecast for the week is sketchy, let’s say. Fingers crossed fingers crossed that uh that God smiles upon us and gives us a little bit of clear uh little bit of clear daylight and but yeah, I’m I’m not holding my breath. How long are you a member there now? Was it two years now you’re there? Well, just know last year was my first. Yeah. So, so you’re into your second year. So, you should be an expert at this stage. Like, you should be going out now on the on the Friday morning asking fellas, do they need a caddy members knowledge? No, I mean, look, I mean, I don’t know if they could afford me to be honest. Um, yeah. No, last like last year I didn’t I was pretty much seeing the course uh for the first time more or less the week of it. Uh, but yeah, I’ve actually even played a ton of winter golf this year, which is first time I’ve ever done that. So, yeah, I’m very very well. uh up on exactly what’s out there. So yeah, look, if anybody if anybody wants the wants a few pointers and on how to get round and how to get a win and score, you know, I’m available. Give Mark a call. He’ll be there Friday to Tuesday and he’s cheap as well. He’s cheap as well. So before we kick things off on this podcast, we’ll just park the amateur stuff to one side. H today’s pod is sponsored by Flow Gas, making greens greener. These guys do fantastic things for all levels of Irish golf, whether it be sponsoring tour players or even sponsoring some of our amateur events. Um, so we’ll kick the kick the west just to one side for a little while and we’ll uh kick into PJ Tour Champions because we have another winner, another Irish winner that’s now a seventime winner on the Champions Tour at just 52 years of age. It’s of course none other than the legend himself, Pora Harrington. And Mark, I think it’s fair to say this was a real trademark Por Harrington win. Abs. Absolutely. As Yeah. As Harrington wins go, this was as Harrington a win as they come. Um I mean, what a what a man. Like he’s just he’s just absolutely box office material for anytime he’s near the leaderboard or near the top of leaderboard in a tournament because, you know, it’s not going to it’s not going to be straightforward. He’s going to he’s going to do it the hard way. And yeah, he certainly did it the hard way this week. Um, just I mean he’s he’s a national treasure. We we’re so fortunate in this country to have uh an ambassador for the game like Harrington and just anybody I mean I don’t I don’t think it was available to watch here unless you were uh unless you were like utilizing an old dodgy streaming streaming service uh which I can neither confirm nor deny that I was but it was fantastic to see. Ah, absolutely brilliant. Like classic Harrington, the double bogey on 16. You know, tournament’s over. You’re done. You’ve blown it again, Patty. It’s like back in the old days and birdie birdie finish 14 under par. And even the put on the last the the last birdie like it’s that put’s just not going in the hole. But somehow as he always seems to, he just kind of wills it in and the teeth are clenched and the fist pumps going 90 and it’s all over then all of a sudden like it was just a just a throwback to like the Harrington of yester year back in his heyday. Yeah, I think that like the winning the winning put did the full lap of honor of the of the hole before before dropping. Um but I mean he’s but even like as as soon as he as soon as he’d finished um as soon as he’d won he went straight he was interviewed more or less like before the interviewer pretty much was on the green within 30 seconds of of him shaking hands and he was talking and he just he just talked like he said you know he he never he never does it easy and he’s like um he says like his best you know his best stuff comes out whenever he’s faced with difficult challenge. He says like the, you know, when when it’s when he’s got an easy shot in front of him, he’s at his absolute worst, he says. But whenever whenever it’s like his backs to the wall, that’s that’s when he’s at his best. And that’s exactly the way the way it was. I mean, yeah, to to double bogey 16, which I mean, the double bogey came out of nowhere as well. He’d been playing like really really solid. Um, missed a like missed a shortish eagle putt on 15. Just pulled the putt a little bit low. Um but like you know this is this is going to be routine. Uh not any and it was anything but but to regroup after after the double bogey and suddenly going one one down like to birdie the next two and the birdie on the on the par three 17th. So he birdied all three all three rounds is by no means an easy hole. uh Gimenez that was playing along with him bogey did but his his shot was just right over you know just slightly left of the flag exactly where you want to play it to and a 20footer downhill roughly that just I mean it just died in the died in the front door it was it was fantastic I mean I was sitting I was sitting watching I was like if if Harington it was pretty late I was like if Harrington wins this I’m going to have to I’m going to have to bang out bang out the report on it right away uh if if he loses you know I can probably wait till morning. And so once he double bogeied, I was like, “Ah, pretty much getting, you know, getting getting set for bed. As soon as that, as soon as that birdie put dropped, I was like, I am definitely not getting an early night tonight.” Yeah. Yeah. Some leaderboard as well. Like it was like a throwback to an old European tour event with Tong Chai J and Miguel Angel. Like it’s funny. It’s brilliant to see Harrington winning again because he had his battles with pneumonia and a collapsed lung over the winter and that really did kind of cretail the early part of his season like he had a lot of starts on the two main tours and never really kind of got to show his best self and now he’s playing in the Houston Open in Texas this week only Irish men in the field and you you know you back him to put on another good show and he seems to be back to himself swing speed is up he’s hitting the ball a mile again like so he’s definitely definitely out the other side of his of his health issues. Yeah, and he’s back shooting crazy videos on the on the range before go before going out to play start the tournament. I’m sure I’m sure most people listening to this have probably probably seen him trying to trying to emulate Scotty Sheffler with the with the dancing feet before before hitting the ball. It was um again classic classic Harrington. You had uh if you if you watch the video then there’s like all the rest of the players in the range behind them are stopped. They aren’t hitting shots. are just like staring at him. All kind of thinking is like what is this crazy lad up to? Uh so yeah, right right back classic Harrington. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Moving on to the PJ tour as well. We had Sheamus Power. Uh didn’t quite happen for him on the final day, but before we get into that, Peter Manati picked up his first win since 2015 at the Val Spar. And look, I think probably going to be interview of the year. Would you say, America, after that one? It’s Yeah, I mean, it was you you hear a lot like a there’s a lot of stuff talked about how it’s all about money for for golfers and everything. And even though he did pick up one a check for $1.5 million, which incidentally is more than he’s ever earned in any of the previous nine years playing on the PGA Tour, this one week alone is going to is going to um is going to top anything he’s earned in any one individual season. But I mean, money was far from his mind. Uh I mean, he was like the emotional walls just completely crumbled. Um, and you just you just you just see how much it meant to him. Um, the interview was the end was fabulous. And I mean, he he talked about, you know, how how it’s gotten much tougher out there as well. Like he’s he’s a 36 36 year old. He’s the quint he’s pretty much the quintessential journeyman PGA Tour pro. And I don’t mean that in any sort of a derogatory way. Uh because I mean if you keep your card for nine years playing on the PGA Tour like you are an absolutely superb golfer and it’s an incredible achievement in itself. Uh but just the way the way he broke down the way he talked about how he didn’t didn’t know if he would ever ever get another win. Um you know about how life you know how it’s how it’s a struggle week to week trying to trying to balance. I mean he plays a really heavy schedule. Last year he played 35 times like I mean and that was without any major appearing appearances if you if you think the likes of your Sheffler and Mroy and those guys probably play like 22 23 PGA tournaments including the four majors like so he’s nearly going like he’s nearly playing double he’s playing he is playing double the regular PGA tournaments that they are playing. So yeah, I mean to to be out there fighting for fighting for your career, fighting for your job uh with a family to to balance and everything, it’s it is extremely tough life. But but even though he I mean he did reverence, he says like it’s you know it’s fantastic and that people see like weeks like this and think it’s like it’s the best thing in the world and it is the best thing in the world but then the other on the flip side they don’t see the grind. they don’t see the, you know, the weeks where you turn up, you miss the cut, you’re you’re on to the next place, you don’t see your family, all of all of those things. Um, but yeah, his like he’s he’s not he’s not a winner that’s going to like, you know, do great things for like the, you know, like we’ve talked a lot about being a little bit underwhelming viewing figures or nothing. No, no, he’s not like you mentioned it there. It’s another poor It was a really really poor event that’s kind of been glossed over by another sort of feel-good story winner. Like we’ve had any amount of them this year. Um like the quality I thought was absolutely shocking throughout the final round from almost everybody including Peter. Like he he did top a shot on his way around. Some of the shots I saw in the couple of hours I watched were just horrendous. But um like I think we need to have a little bit of a conversation about Cam Young as well because as much that Peter and Manati went out and won like it’s great to see him win like Cameron Young if ever you were going to have a chance surely that was it Mark like he was tied for the lead with two holes to go and then what he did in the 18th was you know almost unforgivable leading leaving a birdie put what was it nine 10 feet short you end up three putting to miss out by two like this guy this guy’s got a Yeah, I mean the the T the T-shot was like miles left. The T like this wasn’t this wasn’t one that just missed the fairway or you know I was unlucky to find a a bad position. He was extremely fortunate with the T-shot that it stayed in bounds and that he had any kind of a shot. And in fairness, he did play a fantastic second shot to get to get it onto the green. But yeah, as you said, I mean, the birdie putt was mild short and the the power putt then I mean, yeah, it’s 9 or 10 ft, but it was a n it was a 9 or 10 footer that was never going in. Like it was it never had a chance. It missed the missed the hole by about probably 3 in sliding past like so. Yeah, I mean it’s it is concerning. I mean because we’ve all talked about it. We like we know the potential he has. We’ve like we’ve been fortunate enough to like to hear Paul McBride talking about uh being a college with him seeing then seeing up close in Dubai when he cried for him earlier this year seeing like how much he’d progressed and everything and he’s an absolutely sublime talent but he’s just he’s having serious problems getting over the line and we’ve we’ve seen this with other players before. Uh some players have made that breakthrough and made that breakthrough win and then gone on to win several times. Others have never done it. And you know there’s only so there’s only so many years you can you can keep keep plugging away without getting without getting the wins without getting those rewards because the doubts are going to set in and once they set in they tend to set into across across all facets of the game. Yeah, absolutely. I agree with you there. And just quickly to touch on Sheamus Power. I thought we’d be coming here today waxing lyric about a win that would get him into the Masters, but unfortunately it wasn’t to be. Final round 76 to finish in a share of 26th position. It’s really one that kind of got away in the end for him when you look at the world rankings. Like it looked like at the minimum he was going to break back into the top 100, but he’s actually dropped from 103 to 105. Just never happened at all. He was nervy from the off. Probably it’s fair to say that himself and Keith Mitchell teen off in the final group together just dragged each other down to the bottom of the ocean like one of us is going to go. We’re both going to drown together here. Um like I gave up when I think he dropped a shot on the seventh or eighth hole. I was like right that’s all she wrote. Well, like on the positive note, Mark, it’s it’s good to see him back. Like, he’s been playing solidly in a lot of big events this year and he to see him hold a 54ole lead after being injured for so long. It was good. Like, it’s good to see him playing well again. Yeah. I mean, look, you have to take the you have to take the positives from this. Could it sound going to sound like Peter here now being overly overly positive, but I mean, Sheamus hasn’t been in he hasn’t been in contention at a PGA Tour tournament since he won in Bermuda. Uh, what are we talking like nearly 18 months ago now? Like, I mean, it’s it’s a tough it’s it’s tough situation. It’s a tough golf course. it, you know, the whi and the wind was whipping up, it it is a place where things once things start getting away from you, they can get away pretty fast. And yeah, as as you said, him Mitchell and himself seemed to really drag each other down. Um, the the day, interestingly, the day before, uh, Pyr had been playing along with Justin Thomas, uh, who had like a a horrific day as well. Now, he managed to he managed to keep power managed to keep it together and like get himself get himself into the final group, but that was two days in a row where he was playing along with somebody that was just self-destructing on the course. Uh, so unfortunately on day two, he wasn’t able to he wasn’t able to rise above it. But over the course like over the course of the week, I mean, he didn’t he didn’t do anything spectacularly well. He like he was just really really solid with with every aspect. Put it very put it very well in round one and the rest of his stats were really good. Uh hit hit his irons or his approach game was really good on round three and everything else was really solid. But then just on the final day everything was everything was poor. I mean he didn’t drive it well. He didn’t hit his approach as well. He was poor around the green and he put it terribly. So that that is that is uh a list of ingredients that are only going to see you go one way on a leaderboard and that’s down like a stone. Yeah. No, that that’s not what you want. And in fairness, Keith Mitchell, um he has a bit of reputation for letting the shoulders droop a little bit after a poor start. But just going back to what you said about Justin Thomas, like this was a this was a remarkable day on the greens for for JT. So he ended up taking 38 puts during his third round. He holds just 22 feet 10 in worth of puts. Made seven bowes and a double with posting eight over 79. It was the worst scoreer of his year so far by four shots and the highest number since first round 82 at the open championship at Royal Liverpool last summer, which I’m sure a lot of people have re refamiliarized themselves with after watching an episode of Full Swing. like for JT probably not what you want with the Masters just around the corner but like he is a bit of a streaky putter at put it you know kindly to him he’s not a great putter really. Yeah exactly he’s I mean a lot of a lot of a lot of the stats in his game were were well down last year but Putton was the was the most concerning one. I mean it really he he probably he probably struggled as much on the greens last year as Scotty Sheffller did. It’s just that he wasn’t he wasn’t striking as fantastically T Green and doing everything but doing everything but putting well. So um yeah look at the I definitely wouldn’t be I definitely wouldn’t be going backing Justin Thomas to win a Costa at the moment anyway. Uh, interestingly as well that so in the strokes since the shot link data came in, it was like the 35th worst putting round ever recorded and there’s been 200 over 240,000 rounds measured in that. So when you’re in the bottom 35 out of 240,000, that’s a pretty bad place to be. No, no, it’s it’s a it’s not ideal. But look, 25 to1 for the Masters. Lump on it. Let’s go. Let’s go. So, um, LPJ tour as well, Mark. We had a another close week for Leona Magguire. T13, not a great weekend. Rounds of 72, 72, kind of knocked her out of contention. Like she was flying high through 36 holes. Just seems at the moment, like looking through her results so far, not quite putting the four rounds together as of yet. Yeah. in in many ways. I mean, they’re completely different, completely different styles of player, but there’s a lot of parallels you can kind of draw between her and Rory Maroyy’s play this year. And that we’ve we’ve we’ve often seen these sort of where there’s been like one really good round and then three very average at best and well by their standards probably quite poor rounds. Um, and that was I mean we so we saw it was the same thing in Saudi Arabia when you were over following the Aramco. Uh again, similar again this week. Um she’s just not quite I mean she’s just not quite firing on all cylinders at the moment. I mean it was it was a tough again it was a tough golf course. Tough and very windy conditions and she just wasn’t she wasn’t able to put the ball in in the fairway enough. Um I mean we all like she’s not she’s not the longest player. So hitting fairways and then hitting greens on the off the back of that is like obviously the strength of her game when she’s not hitting the fairway off the tea, you know, it puts a lot of pressure on the rest of her game and she just Yeah, she I mean she missed too many fairways and then way too many greens off the back of that. So I mean she will she be concerned? I’d say she’s probably a little bit concerned that she’s not she’s not round into the form that she would have been expecting. I mean, the we do have like the Chevron Championship coming up a few weeks down the line. So, I mean, she could go out and have a good week this week and suddenly be like arriving at the Chev at the first major of the year and you know, you know, with like with her game in great shape. So, it’s not overly concerning, but it’s not ideal at the moment. Yeah, she’s more time to turn around than Mroy does at the moment anyway, which is a which is a good sign. No, look, her goal this year is to peak for the five majors and the Olympics. And the Chevron’s a major she hasn’t got a great record at anyway. So, you’d wonder maybe with it being in April, is that kind of before the era she uh wants to peek at? But no, like it’s good to good to see her with a finish of T13. Like it wasn’t wasn’t the greatest weekend in the world for but like there is plenty of you know good stuff in as you mentioned. It is a little bit like Rory Moy like it’s just about putting it all together. And just a quick note on the winner was of course Nelly Corda. She beat Rhino in a playoff. Both players were tied on 900 par to win the Fairill Ser Pack Championship. She’s going well. She’s had a bad year last year, but she’s now off the mark now with a couple of wins. Like, you’d expect her to be speaking of peing for the five majors in the Salheim in the Olympics. Like, she’d be a front runner for all of those. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, she is it how many major championships does she have? Is it just the one? I think just the one, I think, and the and the Olympic gold. Um, but I mean she was so it looked it looked at one point like Nelly was going to kind of, you know, start to start to become a real dominant figure in women’s golf. And then I mean she was unfortunate that she like had a blood cl like she got a a blood clot in her um in her arm. I think it was early last year and had to was around this time last year. I think she had to she had to pull out of the the first major and you know it took her took her a long while to you know to to really get back. Uh, but I mean that’s that’s her second win this year. She’s back to she’s back to number one in the world. She’s top of the rankings. Um, yeah, she’s she’s got she’s got like every single weapon. I mean, she hits it she hits at miles um comparative to the to the rest of the field. And when she start when she’s reading off victories at the rate that she’s currently reading them off, um you’d be surprised if she doesn’t if she doesn’t take one of the big the big five or the big six, I guess, with the Olympics this year. You’d definitely be surprised if she doesn’t put her name on one of those. Yeah, absolutely. And as you mentioned, World again, you have to admire her for it. H moving on to a bit of the amateur stuff now, Mark. It’s a big week for Irish amateur golf. The season really kind of starts here. West of Ireland, Connelly Motors at West of Ireland in Ross’s Point or County Siggo Golf Club, depending on where you stand on that one. Um, plenty of big names heading to Ben Bulbin this week. But before we dive into all things West of Ireland, I caught up with 2021 champion Hugh Foley a few weeks back just to talk about the season upcoming is back in 2022. He was the first man since Darren Clark in 1990 to win both the North and South of Ireland titles in one year to take his current major tally to four. Unfortunately, last year wasn’t really his year. A winless season he missed out on the Walker Cup. He lost his Irish place. So he’ll be teaming up on Friday, eager to prove point that he’s probably still the man to beat in Ireland. And we have a few minutes here of you just for all you to listen. Definitely hungry for for playing well and trying to win. Um and yeah, I’ll just kind of piece together the season, play Australia, and then hopefully uh get to play a few more Irish championships. I’ I’d um I’d love to. And you know, the goal was to turn pro this year uh having played the Walker Cup. That didn’t happen. So, you have to kind of um adapt and and change your plans, I think, rather than just go uh for the same plan without having tick some of the boxes. So, um yeah, the goal next year is to put a season together and and really just get better, like I said, not worry about teams and just get better. And uh with that hopefully comes chances to win and um hopefully get to play a few more Irish events. You know, I love playing in the courses that we play and I’d love to to win again. I think everyone would love to win and but overseas as well. I think that’s a big thing. You know, a lot of the guys out there on tour, you look at their records and um you know, they won at home, but they won away as well. So, uh that’s the aim of the game. you’re traveling every week and trying to bring good golf with you. And uh hopefully I can do that. Have a chance to win, you know, whatever it is, the Scottish ARM, the Brabazon, any of these things. Just go and go and play and try and try and try and win rather than um you know, just making cuts. Yeah. Would you like to win the Irish Am this year? I know it’s in Ross’ point where you won the West there previously. Like what are your thoughts on the move there? And like I suppose from your point of view it’d be a great chance to win it because you’ve you’ve threatened to win the Irish armor over the last few years, but it’s just just not quite happen for you. Yeah. Um, of course. Yeah, I I like Roth. It was my first I came seventh in the Irish there in 2018 or 19 whenever it was there. Uh, and that was that definitely uh kicked me on. Um, so I like it. May is a bit friendlier than March or April playing the West. So, um yeah, it’s it’s it’s it’s a it’s a great place. I love it. I stay with um uh cousins of the the Keelings, uh the Arnolds, and um yeah, I love going there. I love the clubhouse and the atmosphere and everything. Um in terms of internationals, yeah, it’s it’s a little bit of a trek for them across to the West, but it’s doable. So, hopefully we get a good feel. And uh again, yeah, if if ever uh you’re asking would you like to win? Sometimes I say yeah, doesn’t matter what it is. So um yeah, it’ be great. Yeah, the closest I came was was the European club. Um and I have I have a dig at Peter O’Keefe every time I think about it. But um yeah, no, it’ be great to uh of course win your national open. Yeah, be amazing. Yeah, and like you mentioned the we’ve mentioned the quality of the golf course before in you know in conversation throughout the year like we really do have some fantastic lings golf course in particular and it feels like the eyes of was amateur golf are going to be in Ireland next year with the amateur championship coming to Bali lifting you’ve got the 2024 women’s amateur in Port Maric Palmer Cup in Lhing like it’s a great chance for us to get some real international worldass events onto Ireland and you know showcase our great golf course cuz we really do have you know brilliant championship golf course as you well know by playing on the schedule. Yeah, the courses are brilliant and to play them on a schedule is is we’re so lucky. Um and yeah, cuz yeah, you chat to the guys in Scotland and England and and Scotland have Murfield now, but it’s you know, it’s the first time they’ve had um their their national championship at like a really top course in a while. Um so yeah, I think it it just attracts the field straight away and um to have all of ours on great uh courses. Um you know, chatting to the English guys and Welsh guys and Scottish guys like they’re always keen on coming over and you do see it like you know James Clar’s won the West last year. Um that’s just from lads chatting to them saying how good the courses are uh compared to what they play. So, we’re we’re very lucky in that regard. And um yeah, Rosses is it’s it’s a beast of course off the championship tease. It’s, you know, it’s well over 7,000. So, it’s it’s a proper test. Uh it just depends on what weather we get up there for May. But, um yeah, and belly lifting, I was when I when that came out, I was kicking myself because I was going to be pro um in my head and miss it, but I’m definitely looking forward to that now again. That’s a real beast during the summer when the roof is up and uh that’ll be amazing. Yeah. And I’m sure obviously you you want to go and win that, but like it’s really exciting to have, you know, the best amateurs coming to Ireland. And I’m sure yourself and a lot of the Irish boys will be, you know, chomping at the bit to, you know, go and try and win the amateur. Like there must be a bit of an an extra incentive there for the lads to go and try get one over the line there. Yeah, it’s brilliant. Yeah, to have the amateur open in Dunny Golf. It’s brilliant county, brilliant golf. and we played the home nationals there on the old course. Um I’ve played a few scratch cups on the glacidi which is great track. It’s one of my favorites. Um it was one of my first championships that I ever played the Irish closed there in 2017. I think it’s Alex Cleon when it and uh I shot millions. TJ Ford just reminded me there the other day uh 81 86 or something like that. But uh yeah, it’s it’s a serious test and hope yeah we we 100% we’ll get the we’ll get an amazing field to get lads from from all over Europe as well as Asia and hopefully we can get some Americans over. We were chatting to myself and Matt were chatting to a few at the Western and USM who said they’d love to go and play St. Andrews and then the British Open. So um yeah, it’s uh brilliant for for Biff and Dunnal and Ireland. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And like you mentioned there like all the lads you’re chatting to about how great our golf courses are. Like does that just kind of show how important you know word of mouth is that you can actually get you know such high quality players to come and play in championships in this country? Yeah it’s um yeah just the history of it isn’t it? I mean you look at l um what is it 18 18 something. It’s um going on till it’s that’ll that’s going to get a great field. Obviously, you’re going to have the Palmer Cup there and then you’re going to have a Walker Cup there in 26. Um, we were saying it like we imagined the 25 and 26 South could be brilliant fields. Um, and deservedly so. And that’s, you know, I don’t know who gets those things over the line, who who gets the um the Walker Cup to to La Hinch or the Amateurs to Bin, but um it’s just it’s brilliant to have that history and golf history and and Ireland such a brilliant um uh country for for the history of golf. and um hopefully just keeps promoting Irish golfers to succeed cuz um obviously it’s been like a little bit of a gap there for a while on tour but um there’s no shortage of of history as long as we keep those uh championships and and those venues and I don’t see why not um you know that we can’t get more and more people up through the the game and onto the tour. So that was Hugh Foley chatting to us there earlier on in the week. Mark, what did you make of that? Yeah, well first of all, I mean a fair play to Hugh. He’s a like he’s a great supporter of all the of all the championships. He’s like he goes and plays and all that he can. Um I mean like as a former former winner of of virtually all of them at this point as he as he was talking about. Um it’s great great that he’s going to be he’s going to be down again. Um interestingly I was actually talking to talking to Mrs. Arnold that he was talking about uh that he’s staying with there. Um she was I was down at the driving range the other day and she had her her young son down there and um and yeah he’s so the the young lad he’s he’s only a beginner golfer or whatever but um uh like even though like Sean Keelin and Patrick Keelian are are his cousins like he was talking about like he was so excited about the fact that that Hu Foley was going to go going to be coming down staying with them and that he was gonna get to go out and follow Hugh around the golf course and he did he did mention that he was going to be catting for him, but uh I think his mother his mother quickly uh quickly put cold water on that idea. I think the bag would be bigger than himself. But um yeah, I mean look I mean like like Hugh like Hugh said, things didn’t plan out the way or pan out the way that he had hoped. Um, but I mean it’s it’s great to see that he’s putting the putting the shoulder back to the wheel again and he’s like he’s going to be he’s going to be dead set on you know writing the wrongs you could say that that’s kind of propped up cropped up cropped up last year. Yeah. And he will be obviously one of the favorites. He’s playing in the feature group I suppose you could call it with um local man TJ Ford and Walker Copper and Matthew Mlan. Um, a couple of other big names in the field. Peter O’Keefe, um, Bridgestone Order of Merit winner David Shield, you’ve you’ve got, um, Keith Egan, you’ve South of Ireland champion Kie Campbell, you’ve Jack McDonald who’s a regular at the top of leaderboards in Irish events. Can this week be his week perhaps? Um, you’ve got other lads, you’ve got Shane McDermad, which is probably the big name in the qualifier. Jake Wheelen’s playing. Got a lot of lot of decent names there. You’ve um, yeah, it’s a decent field. It’s probably not the greatest field in the in the world, Mark. Not as good as last year. James Fox as well, North of Ireland champion. So, like it’s grand. It’ll be a good week. Um, you mentioned Hugh Foley there having a caddy. He genuinely does like to bring a caddy with him. So, you might want to get your get your ear in there, Mark. Get a word in H so you can loop the bag for a couple of days. Um, are you looking forward to the week? I know you’re going to be there pretty much all day every day, I’d imagine. Like, you went last year. What was it like? Yeah, I mean it’s it’s a great week down here. Um I mean the club like the club really embrace the week. Um I mean it’s it’s a it’s a big like you have the the qualifier Wednesday, practice day, Thursday, and then the tournament runs Friday through Tuesday. Um, so like it’s a it’s a lot, you know, it’s a lot of there’s a lot of time that, you know, the golf course is not available for the members to play, but like the membership embrace the tournament in a way that you kind of rarely see anywhere else. Um, like there’s so many of them will be working like in a vol on a voluntary basis. Uh, I remember like last year at the end of at the end of one of the days while I was in the while I was sitting up in the sitting up in the members bar tapping out my tapping out my reports and you just see like a fleet of about there was like 40 or 50 members all gathered and all went out like doing like divot work on the on the golf course and everything and and as we as we talked about like the weather was the weather was pretty horrific last year like so to to see that many people willing to go out and get soaked um just to just to just to re refill divots and everything. It’s it’s quite incredible. Um but it’s it’s it’s a huge thing for the like for the area as well. Um I know like so David O’Donovan the general manager has spoken a lot about like how many people from the area return you know on Easter weekend to go to the tournament. Um, you know, it’s become like a sort of like an annual pilgrimage home. Um, and like I’ve spoken I’ve spoken to so many people from around here that don’t don’t necessarily play golf that aren’t involved in the club in any way, but they all talk about the West of Ireland. They all go out and watch it and so many of them have talk about memories of watching uh, you know, a 15year-old Rory Mroy playing there. you know, it could be could be one of those ones where like everybody, you know, everybody’s everybody claims they saw it even though they may they maybe didn’t. But um but yeah, it’s it’s a great tournament for the for the area, great tournament for the golf for the golf club and yeah, I’m seriously looking forward to it. Yeah, it’s a brilliant brilliant week for everyone down in Siggo. You mentioned there the community spirit which I suppose is really what amateur golf is all about embracing the event and everybody willing to give 100% just to help in any way at all like TJ Ford local man there former South of Ireland winner he spoke about um you know going around getting towels signed by like the likes of Rory Mroy Shane Larry when they were youngsters going out and catting now he’s playing in it and he really really wants to win it like it’s it’s his major championship it’s always on at a special time of year as well and plenty of memories I’m sure in the clubhouse of you know watching the West in the afternoon and sticking around to watch the Masters in the evening won’t quite happen this week but um no it’s just a really really special event and a great it’s brilliant that it kicks off the Irish amateur season. Just a quick one Mark last the last couple of years we’ve seen um the format played in 54 holes of stroke play with the top 16 going through to the match play or the knockout stages. Um, it’s back to the traditional format this year of 36 holes of stroke play with the top 64 going into the match play. And we ran a poll on our social channels a few weeks back when Golf Ireland announced this and I think over 90% voted in favor of the change. Um, and a lot of players um have been given the thumbs up as well. Like Collie Campbell said the reason he hadn’t played in it in the last couple of years was because the format wasn’t what he wanted it to be. H what do you think of the format change for against? Well, I mean I can see both sides of it. But I can see like I think the reason why um they tried with the 54 hole stroke play is because we see so many of um like so many of the international amateur tournaments and you know once you get to like once you sort of like break it into professional professional ranks it’s all stroke play. So trying to perhaps better, you know, better prepare some of like the leading amateurs for that transition or maybe for the international competition or that transition into into the professional ranks like the additional round of stroke play was probably beneficial in that regard. But at the same time, like 50 or 54 holes with only 16 players advancing, um I think it’s a little bit too a little bit too cutthroat. Um having having 64 advance now. It you know it it makes it it’s going to make it much more of an exciting spectacle for for supporters. And I mean like last year I guess you had a lot of you had a lot of guys coming coming out to play their third round knowing that there’s no chance that they’re going to break into the top 16. They’re they’re too far back. So they’re effectively playing for very little yet a few players withdrew in that scenario. And I mean, yeah, look, I think I think it’s I think it’s a much better format as a spectacle, and I can understand exactly why the players prefer it this way. But I also, like I said, I understand I understand the logic behind trying it. And look, you got to you got to you got to give your or tip your hat to, you know, to Golf Ireland for trying it. Look, it’s turned out that it probably hasn’t worked. and they’ve, you know, they’ve decided to go back, but props to them for trying it at least. Very much on on the fence there, Mark. No, look, I I’m in favor of the format going back to the traditional way. Um, I just think I agree with you there. like the 54 holes in top 16. Like if you no hope making the top 16 if you’re, you know, struggling, you’re going to go out in a really horrible horrible day. There’s also the cost element as well. Like you’re going to have to book an extra night just to have no real chance of qualifying. Whereas you could have two really, really bad days. Then all of a sudden, you know, one good round could pop you into that 64th and final spot. And I think 64 players playing match play opens opens it up for you know a lot of upsets. Like I remember um the first time I went to actually cover the West you know Alan Hill was in Manute University still is he just he beat a load of former winners. He beat Keenan Rafferty. He beat Hugh Foley as well who we were talking about on his way to the semi-final. And of course, probably the greatest story of Irish amateur golf in the last couple of years for sure was Quinton Karu 64th qualifier at the Irish close went on to win the whole thing. Like so it just shows you like there can be a fairy tale story hidden in those 64 players that maybe you wouldn’t get with the top 16. Yeah. No, abs like absolutely. And and well, I did you’ve accused me of sitting on the fence there. I did say I was in favor of it. But I said I could I said I could see why they went why they went uh why they tried it. But uh but no, I do I do come down one side of the fence. I am I am in favor of the of it going back to 64. You’re in you’re in bounds. You’re inbounds as far as we’re concerned there. And as as well for for spectators, you know, it’s you know every single match that’s that’s out there, every every group you’re watching like you know you can you can tell exactly what’s you know what’s happening, what’s the what’s the state of the match. you you know you if you’re if you’re just out there and you’re kind of like randomly watching groups go past you might you may not know may not have any idea who you’re watching or where they stand in the tournament turning but like every individual hole matters obviously in a match play thing so you could stand you can stand there in the same hole and watch 10 groups coming through and you know like every single hole is significance in that you can you can take a match and follow it all the way to the all the way to the end and you’re I mean you’re not worried about you know the the fact that maybe somebody’s shooting a low score out there and you’re not seeing that I think you know because because the match that you are following has like huge significance in itself. So from a spectator’s point of view absolutely it’s the right decision. Yeah absolutely and just scrolling down to the field I know I mentioned it was a decent field it’s probably not the one of the stronger ones for the West this year. Just a couple of little things with a lot of top players who’ve, you know, gone on to turn pro like Rob Mo and Mark Power, Alex Magcguire. Um Rob Brazzle I know is preparing for Sunshine Tour Q School. So probably a few days out in the wind and rain wouldn’t be the ideal preparation for that. We’re also missing um quite a strong minute contingent with the RNA student tour series finale at St. Andrews uh taking place uh this week as well. So we got um we would have had you know the likes of Alex King, Alan Hill, David Kit, Owen Murphy, Owen Sullivan, Jack Hearn of course a big player on the scene, Liam Bomb, Ryan Griffin of course would have gone would have been one of the favorites maybe get a top 10 there. Simon Walker. Um, incidentally, uh, Ryan Griffin tops the order of merit going into the final event, as does Kate Lanigan in the women’s section, and the leaders at the after the final event of the season will get Pamemer Cup places. So, there’s it’s probably a shame with with the clash. I mean, we raised that issue with H Golf Ireland at their media day last week, and sometimes there’s just nothing you can do about it. But just shows like we got great depths h in both events I suppose this week. Yeah. I mean look the west of Ireland’s always held over Easter weekend. So I mean as we all know Easter dates change year to year. Um so it’s it is unfortunate in that regard. I mean you’ve also got with the defending champion uh James Clarage from England isn’t isn’t going to be back. He’s also the defending champion at the Burkham Burke Hamstead trophy which starts in in England. Uh I think this is the day after the day after the West of Ireland. So he’s going to he’s going to play in that one instead. And considering how uh considering how wet and uh and windy it was here last year, you probably wouldn’t really blame him for for deciding he’ll stay stay closer to home. Um but yeah, and it’s it’s un it’s unfortunate. It’s and as but as you said look some things you you can’t you just can’t legislate for it’s you know you either you either stick with the Easter weekend or you try and shift it around in the schedule and I think I think moving it from the Easter weekend would take away from the take away so many different aspects of the tournament. Um, like I said, we talked about the lot a lot of the support the the tradition around here in Siggo about about the Easter weekend dates. Um, yeah, sometimes sometimes just some something’s got to give and unfortunately unfortunately it’s not as strong a field as as we could be. But at the same time as you I mean you read off a lot of names there earlier on. We’ve added to that. that I mean you got Barry Anderson who’s West 2017 West of Ireland champion um and got to the final last year. Barry’s a Barry’s a county Lego man himself even though he’s living in Cork these days. Uh he’s playing in it. You got you got the ageless Joe Lions. Uh hope Joe’s another former West of Ireland winner made it into the top 16 last year. Um there’s a So even though you can list off a lot of names that aren’t that aren’t here, like there are more than enough players in the field to make this a really really good championship all the same. Yeah, 100%. I I agree with you there. And I’m sure you’ll have an absolute ball, Mark. Hope I hope it rains. I hope it’s absolutely freezing. I’ll be sitting in the in the comfort of my of my own home reading your reports and uh looking at some of the videos you’re going to be putting up. Uh just on round up. Sorry before we before we get there. I I went out I played on Saturday. Um we were like first first group off in the morning. Uh it was it was like 40 mph winds and we were halfway up the first. We get it was kind of one of those mornings where you woke up and you were kind of like everybody was everybody in the group was waiting for for somebody else in the group to send the text saying let’s say let’s call this off. But none of obviously none of us wanted to be that guy even though we all wished somebody was that guy. Um but anyway, we were like halfway up the first and it started a hailstone and like the hailstones were just hitting you like bullets. Uh but we sold we soldured on played uh didn’t didn’t play the full 18, but we played we played most of them. But I think we every single one of us were thinking like just praying to God please that it please that the weather be better than this next weekend. Yeah. Yeah. Well, look, you’ll have to you’ll have to touch wood and do a lot more things to guarantee that it’s scratch cup season this time of year. Um, we had a couple over the weekend. Um, the cut off point for the laytime betties scratch cup was plus 1.9. So, for anyone who, you know, went around to watch that, I’m sure the standard was unbelievable. It was won by Kean Rafferty. I mean, you might as well give this fell the trophy at this stage. Won it in 2022. beaten in the playoff by Richard Nikely in 2023 and he shot a second round of 65 to win for the second time. Um he trailed on 11 under par sorry he trailed by one after morning 66 and he was bogey free in his second round one by three shots from Kevin Leblanc in second. He had 10 birdies and an eagle across his 36 holes with one bogey coming on the power four six in round one. played his last 27 holes in 11 under power as well. And then Edmondstown Anna Abomb was the last woman standing in the Royal Countdown Lady Scratch Cup. Um she cared rounds of 75 and 79 to win by a slender margin of one shot on two over par. And then just tipping across the water to the states, Sarah Burn h playing in her last regular season event as a collegiate player from Miami in the Clemson Invitational Hop five finish. H just seems like every day, every week we’re putting out good news articles about Sarah Burn. Yeah, I mean she got she was named sec or golfer of the of the month for fe for for February which is the second the second time she’s achieved that a award this year. I think it’s the first time anybody’s ever been named it twice in the same year uh or yeah twice in the same college year. Um so yeah I mean she just continues to go from strength to strength. Um not sure is Sarah I think she’s this is her second year that she’s finished that she’s finishing now. Um, so I mean another possibly another two years of um of sort of like honing her skills on the collegiate circuit and I mean she looks she looks a shoe in to progress to the professional ranks and like immediately start making waves. Yeah, hopefully hopefully is right. Good to see um the women’s game in Ireland getting stronger anyway. like a great cohort of top amateurs coming behind the likes of Lauren Walsh and Olivia Haffy. So hopefully Leona and Stephanie will have company on the LPJ tour over the next 5 to 10 years. Mark, before we wrap things up, um I just wanted to let you know that you mentioned you were having your coffee and you were banging out the reports in the members bar last year. You may get in touch with Golf Ireland and see how they let you into the press room this year because there is a press room. You don’t have to slum it up there with all the all the public. Hey, I’m a man of the people. I’m I don’t I like to get my I like I like the the sweat and the and the and the sound of sound of food and cutlery and paints getting pulled and maybe the odd paint getting dropped down to me. You know, that’s those are the those are the things you don’t get when you’re in the press room. No, no, definitely not. Definitely not. If anyone’s anyone’s there this this week and sees Mark, you might you might drop him down a a nice point. It’ll have to be zero though cuz you’ve got what 10 12 reports to write daily, Mark. That’s what I’m expecting. Well, I’m I’m I’m a man who works fast works best when I’ve got uh a little bit of a buzz on. Don’t we all? Brilliant. Mark, thanks very much for joining me today. And look, I hope the rain stays away for you for you this week and I hope you get on really, really well. Um, anyone can check out irrishgolfer.e. You can check out our social channels for the reports and I’m sure Mark will do uh plenty photography and a little bit of video as well. So, um, thanks everybody for joining us today. I hope we didn’t bore you for too long. And, uh, we’ll back to the usual three ball hopefully next week, if not in a in a couple of weeks. Thanks, Emil. [Music] Hey, [Music]
