Profile - David Higgins

Getty Images

David Higgins is a multiple winner of Race to Mount Juliet in recent years, and added the Irish PGA Championship to his trophy list in 2012.

Having won the Irish PGA Order of Merit on numerous occasions Higgins was fulfilling the promise gained from being part of a golfing family as his Father, Liam, is a veteran of the European Tour and Senior Tour.

Not surprisingly by the time David was twenty-one he was the country's leading amateur, and following match play victories over Pádraig Harrington in the South of Ireland and the Irish Amateur Close championships - he decided to turn professional in 1994.

In his Rookie season in 1996 Higgins earned £67,000 finishing just inside the top 100 on the Order of Merit. The following year he broke his left wrist and right elbow in a horse riding accident and failed to rediscover his form on his return to the game dropping down to the Challenge Tour in 1999.

In 2000 Higgins won three times on the Challenge Tour and was ranked 2nd at the end of the season earning his playing rights back on the European Tour for the following season. 

Having been unable to make the breakthrough over a few years Higgins returned to the Challenge Tour in 2005 finishing 12th - earning playing rights for the European Tour once again. 

However Higgins lost his card at the end of 2007. 

In 2009 he qualified for The Open Championship in Turnberry and in winning the Irish PGA Order of Merit earned a place at the 3 Irish Open and the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth - failing to make the cut at all three events. 

But in recent seasons David has remained a consistent force on the Irish PGA Region, winning five times - including the Quinn Insurance Pro Am and a second place at the Southern Championship in Powerscourt behind Eamonn Darcy in 2010. 

Although he failed to qualify for the 150th Open Championship at St Andrew's, along with a bigger disappointment in the September when he failed to make it through European Tour Qualifying School Stage 1 at Dundonald Links that same year.

In 2011 at Stage 3 of European Tour Qualifying School at the PGA Catalunya the Waterville professional man missed out once again on a quick return to the main Tour

But in 2012 he came back stronger and improved on his two previous outings at the BMW PGA Championship, ending a magnificent performance at a sun kissed Wentworth Course, with a two under par final round 70, and slaying a tough West Course that over four days had taken a number of high profile Irish casualties.

None less than the World Number One, Rory McIlroy, the 2011 Open Champion Darren Clarke, the 2010 US Open Champion, Graeme McDowell and three time major winner Padraig Harrington.

Amidst all that carnage though Higgins exuded composure travelling around Wentworth with a remarkable consistency and carding three rounds of 70, with only the one blip on a windy Saturday when reaching the historic Gothic clubhouse in a two over par 74

In was his third consecutive appearance at the BMW PGA Championship with Higgins slaying his own demons on the Sunday to finish in tenth place.

Higgins then crowned the year by capturing the Irish PGA championship at Mount Juliet and underlined his ranking as the number one player after he beat assistant professional Noel Murray from Massereene in a play-off.

The Waterville man, who fired a best of the day final round of five-under-par 67 to reach the play-off, said it was the fulfilment of a boyhood dream to lift the trophy that his father Liam lifted in 1983.

"I remember looking at the trophy as a young lad and saying it would be lovely to win it.I tried for a long time to win it and did it today and I'm just delighted."

In July David Higgins narrowly missed out on qualifying for the British Open after his five-under was one shot short of the qualifying mark at St Annes Old, with former Ryder Cup pair Barry Lane and Paul Broadhurst, both squeezing in.

However on the PGA Catalunya's Stadium Course, Higgins signed for a final round 70 to earn one of the most cherished of prizes - one of the 25 automatic places - and made a return to the European Tout five years after losing his card.

In 2013 a second place finish at the Open D'Italia Lindt gave him Higgins late hope of an automatic place for next year, in what was a very disappointing season with too many missed cuts. Including the Irish open at Carton House and the BMW PGA  Championship at Wentworth.

At 115th he could miss out unless Higgins can cards a big week in Perth. 


Personal Fact File

DOB: December 1st 1972 in County Cork.

Attachment: Waterville GC

Career: 

1989Irish Boys Championship

1994 Irish Amateur Closed Championship, South of Ireland Championship

European Challenge Tour

2000 NCC Open;

Günther Hamburg Classic

Rolex Trophy

European Tour
2007 loses Tour card
2012 Qualifies for 2013 season after finishing T16th 

Related articles

• European Tour unveils £19m series
• Higgins Homage to PGA Catalunya
• Where are they Now - David Feherty
• With This Win - Shane Lowry
• Brady and Murphy in Martin Chase
• European Tour Set 2013 Schedule
• Higgins Still in Italian Hunt
• Profile - Gareth Maybin
• McGeady's Poker Challenge

Where are they Now - David Feherty

David Feherty

David Feherty was born in Bangor, Northern Ireland and spent most of his playing career in Europe, where he won five times and finished in the top ten of the European Tour's Order of Merit twice, coming tenth in 1989 and eighth in 1990. 

He spent 1994 and 1995 playing mainly on the PGA Tour, and the best result on the tour was a second place finish at the 1994 New England Classic. His combined career prize money exceeded $3 million. 

Feherty represented Ireland in international competition including captaining the victorious 1990 Alfred Dunhill Cup team. Feherty played for Europe on the 1991 Ryder Cup team.

In 1997, Feherty retired from both the European and PGA Tour and joined CBS Sports as an on-course reporter and golf analyst. Feherty is a contributor to Golf Magazine and has his own column in the back of the magazine called Sidespin. He  has also published a number of books A Nasty Bit of Rough, Somewhere in Ireland a Village Is Missing an Idiot, An Idiot for All Seasons, and David Feherty's Totally Subjective History of the Ryder Cup.

Feherty lives with his wife, Anita and five children in Dallas, Texas.

He appears in advertisements for the Cobra golf company, showing off his trampolining and cheer leading skills in the advert.

In 2008, Feherty was hit by a truck, while cycling suffering three broken ribs, which punctured his lung and was hospitalised for a few days with a tube in his chest. He resumed his broadcast duties at the 2008 Masters.

Never far from controversy, two years ago Feherty was one of five writers to comment on George W. Bush's move to Dallas using the article to express his support of Bush and to speak on politics. At the time it caused CBS to distance themselves from Feherty's comments.

European Tour wins 

1986 Italian Open

1986 Bell's Scottish Open

1989 BMW International Open

1991 Credit Lyonnais Cannes Open

1992 Iberia Madrid Open

Irish wins 

1980 Irish National PGA Championship

1982 Irish National PGA Championship

Other wins

1984 ICL International (South Africa)

1988 South African PGA Championship

1992 Bell's Cup (South Africa)

Ryder Cup 1991

Record: 3 matches, 1.5 points 

Alfred Dunhill Cup (representing Ireland): 1990 (winners)

Four Tours World Championship: 1990, 1991 (winners)

Fact File

Date of Birth : August 13th 1958

Birthplace: Bangor, Co. Down

Turned Professional: 1976

Original Club : Balmoral Golf Club

Related articles

• Feherty Declares for Team USA
• No joke: Feherty will root for US at Ryder Cup
• Golf star Feherty finds links to heroes' struggles
• Feherty on Tiger, Rory, the Ryder Cup
• No joke: Feherty will root for U.S. at Ryder Cup
• No Joke: Feherty Will Root for US at Ryder Cup

Brendan and Peter Greet New Season

Brendan McDaid coached European Tour winner Peter Lawrie long before the Dubliner claimed his maiden European Tour victory at the Open de España in 2008 in Sevilla, defeating home favourite Ignacio Garrido in a play-off. A victory that was followed by a third place finish at the same event twelve months later when it was played at PGA Catalunya.

In 2012 Lawrie qualified for the US Open for the very first time.

At the 36 hole qualifier in Walton Heath Peter needed to finish among the top 11 to earn a place at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, and did so after a five-way play-off for four places – finishing on six-under-par with Matthew Baldwin, Matteo Manassero, Rafael Jacquelin and Shirwan Kim.

The Dubliner's only previous appearance in a Major was at the 2005 British Open at St Andrews.

After a twelve year journey the partnership now concludes and Lawrie will tee off the 2014 season at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship without the ever observant McDaid for the first time in over a decade.

“Since Peter was the Rookie of the Year 2003; it has been a great adventure on the European Tour together,” said McDaid “Particularly retaining his playing rights in Perth at the very end of last season. Which really came down to the wire and was a true test of nerve in Australia”

“For this season a new setup makes sense and I am grateful to Peter for some great years on Tour,” continued Brendan, “No doubt he will continue to enjoy success and I wish him well.”

“At times these changes can be good and it is the natural process of the game” said McDaid, “Few things ever stay the same and the twelve years have just flashed by us both.”

Having coached a number of aspiring Irish players over the years McDaid reflects on some of those names that crossed his path.

“These days Gary Murphy works in the media outside the ropes, Colm Moriarty, a regular on the Challenge Tour, has called it a day inside the ropes. As did Stephen Browne some years back now,” Brendan explained. 

“On the other hand Michael McGeady won the Irish PGA Championship last year which was great to see.”

Golf started early for McDaid as a young member of Lahinch Golf Club from where he won the Irish Youths in 1977 and progressed to a PGA Professional by 1985. Born in Donegal and raised in Skibbereen, Co. Cork, his playing career as an amateur career saw victory at The Irish Youths, The Munster Youths twice and The Munster Boys. 

In 1981 McDaid joined professional ranks training in Bandon Golf Club in Cork and becoming a PGA Professional four years later, reaching Category 14 on the European Tour in 1989. 

Golf tuition however was to become his real vocation. That decision reflected in a coaching career that has clocked up success stories over time. 

It also included Karen Delaney, Irish Ladies Close Champion 2007 and Kate Gallagher, Irish Girls Champion in 2007. With a list of individual titles also among the credits; 6 Irish Ladies Close Champions in the 1990’s; 2 Irish Strokeplay Champions in the 1990’s; Curtis Cup Team Members in 1992 & 1998 and a 2003 Walker cup team member.

www.brendamcdaidgolf.com

Related articles

• Fanling for Higgins Lawrie and Phelan
• Irish Struggle at Leopard Creek
• McIlroy Delights at Fota News
• Irish Trio Make Dunhill Cut
• Luiten shares lead at Volvo Championship
• 2014 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship

Thornton Irish PGA Runaway

Golf seems simple the way that Simon Thornton plays it and, at Seapoint, the Team Ireland player swept to victory in the 101st Irish PGA Championship with a bit to spare.

The Newcastle, Co Down-based Thornton produced magical golf throughout the tournament and finished at 19-under-par 269, a record low for the championship.

Over the 72 holes he carded just one bogey. "And I'm disappointed at that," he said. "After the halfway cut, my target was to finish without a bogey at 20-under-par but I missed out on that. However, it feels great to have won the title with such great players as Des Smyth in the draw."

Having opened a three shots lead at the halfway stage over Des Smyth, Thornton promised to take no risks in the remaining rounds.

"I'll keep it simple and not force anything," he said. "Just play it steady and hope that will be good enough to keep me at the top of the leaderboard at the end."

The Huddersfield-born winner kept his word. He eased over the third round with one birdie and 17 pars to be 13-under going out in the last round in the afternoon, without a bogey in the 54 holes played.

In the last round he stormed to the turn in six-under-par with four birdies and an eagle three at the eighth hole where he was just four feet from the pin with a drive and rescue club.

His only blip of the competition was bogey five at 11 where he put his nine iron approach into a bunker and failed to get up-and-down. He regained the lost ground with a chip and putt birdie three at 16 for his third round of 66 and a six stroke victory.

The morning story was, naturally, Gary Murphy's course record of eight-under-par 64 that catapulted him up the scale from joint 13th to second spot.

Half-a-dozen pars and an eagle decorated his card with the eagle flying in at the long eighth hole where he boomed a drive and rescue club to 18 feet and rolled home the putt.

"That was a big help," mused the European Tour player whose home is just across the hedge in Baltray. "It was nice to shoot a course record."

The afternoon wasn't just as good for the big man but his closing 69 kept him in second place on 275, 13-under-par but six shots behind the new champion.

His 69 included six birdies as he put in a flying finish of three-under for his closing four holes, going two-three-three-four.

Seniors' Tour player Smyth, whose home is also local and who has won this championship six times, climbing the podium in each decade from the seventies, posted a one-under-71 in the third round with four birdies and three bogeys on his card.

Smyth closed his bid with a 70 for joint third place alongside newly qualified Seamus McMonagle who posted a six birdie, one bogey 67. Smyth had four birdies and two bogeys on the course that he jointly designed with former amateur international Declan Brannigan.

Adare Manor assistant Graeme Dunlea celebrated recently passing his final exams by carding an afternoon 65, one shot outside the record set a few hours earlier by Gary Murphy.

Kerry youth Dunlea had his first bogey-free round as a professional when he sprinkled seven birdies over his impressive card to haul himself back up the leaderboard to level par for the tournament.

Final result

Thornton Leads in Seapoint

Simon Thornton called upon an old friend for help when he felt he had lost his focus on the golf course and now the Team Ireland player is back on track with a passion.

So much so that he stormed to the top of the leaderboard after the first round in the 101st PGA Irish Championship, at Seapoint, with a super six-under 66 to equal the course record. He lays the cause to former titleholder and GUI coach Neil Manchip's words of wisdom.

"I had lost my focus and was going through the motions, playing just for the sake of playing, but I had a talk with Neil before the Irish Open at Killarney," said the former Irish No 1.

"He told me that I was lucky to be doing what I am doing and I realised that was the case. My mental attitude was all wrong."

The overnight leader, who had nine threes on his card with five of them birdies, started his round at the 10th and immediately went one-under with a chip and putt and then wedged to six feet at 11 for his first birdie three.

At 16, he drove 40 yards short of the flag and pitched to six feet. On the front nine, he birdied the third hole from six feet, the fifth from four feet and the seventh from 15 feet for a bogey-free performance.

"After this week, I aim to concentrate on the Challenge Tour and, hopefully, get a good ranking for next season," disclosed Thornton.

Newcastle-based Thornton sits one stroke ahead of Neil O'Briain, Glen Robinson and Des Smyth going into the second round.

PGA Europro player O'Briain was first to set the target with an midday 67, minutes after John Dwyer had posted a 68 to be the front runner. O'Briain birded 12 and 18 to turn two-under.

Birdie threes at the first and second holes were followed by his only lapse of the day, a bogey five at the fifth where he put his second shot into a water hazard. The 24-year-old then highlighted his card with an eagle at the sixth where he holed from 20 feet pin high.

St Helen's Bay pro Robinson, like Thornton, gave a bogey-free performance as his 67 contained five birdies and no bogeys. "No bogeys were very important," he reflected.

Joint course designer Des Smyth posted his 67 of six birdies and one bogey - at the ninth hole where he finished and missed the green late in the day.

The Seniors' Tour player made a four at the long 10th, a three at 16 from 12 feet and downed a 15-footer for another birdie four at 18.

He had birdies from 10 and 20 feet on the second and fourth greens and chipped stiff for another at six.

"It is a lovely opening round," he enthused. "My putting was very good and we will see what the next few days bring."

Dwyer is on a roll just now having qualified for the final of the Lombard Challenge in Turkey during November and the final of the Virgin Atlantic PGA National Pro-Am Championship in Las Vegas in December.

"This season I have played about just half the tournaments that I usually do but the form is still quite good. I hit every green in regulation," explained the Ashbourne club pro.

He turned level par with two birdies and two bogeys on his card but then reeled off four birdies on the back nine with no dropped shots. He trimmed the long 10th and 18th holes to four strokes, hit an eight iron stiff for a three at 14 and rolled home a ten-footer for another three at 16.

Defending champion David Mortimer, seeking his third win in the championship, finished at three-under 69 to stay very much on course to retain the honours.

European Tour player Gary Murphy carded a two-under 70 the same as Damian Mooney and Eamonn Logue who went eagle-birdie-eagle from the eighth hole.

Following today's second round, the leading 50 players and ties will qualify for a final 36 holes tomorrow with the projected cut at an all-time low of two-over-par.