The Irish Golf Club Gazette: IrishPGA

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5/03/2016

Irish PGA Honour Christy O'Connor

The Irish PGA Championship 2016 will be hosted on the Twin Oaks championship course at Moyvalley Hotel and Golf Resort from September 21-25.

As a mark of respect to a golfing legend that was lost this year, the PGA in Ireland will host the inaugural Christy O’Connor Jnr Memorial PGA Championship Pro-Am on the opening Wednesday.

Shabra Charity is the official charity of the 2016 championship.

Michael McCumiskey, secretary of PGA in Ireland, said: “We are pleased that this year’s event will not only be staged at Moyvalley Hotel and Golf Resort but also sponsored by the venue and we thank the directors for their generous support of the tournament. The commitment is for three years, and the directors of Moyvalley Hotel and Golf Resort have given their clear intention to support and host this historic tournament until 2018.”

“Following the sad passing of Christy O’Connor Jnr, it is fitting that, in agreement with his family and the directors at Moyvalley Hotel and Golf Resort, the championship pro-am will bear his name and be titled The Christy O’Connor Jnr Memorial Irish Championship PGA Pro-Am.”

The O’Connor family have welcomed the announcement and stated it was “a very fitting mark of respect which we hope will help to continue his legacy and commitment to the game of golf.”

The Irish PGA Championship has been staged since 1907.

10/17/2013

Farr Ahead of McGeady

PGA EuroPro Tour

Michael McGeady battled into second place midway through the front nine in the final round of the 888poker.com PGA EuroProTour Championship on Thursday to make the turn two under and in contention.

Having started out the day in the second last group, and in a share of second place, the chance then slipped as successive bogeys on thirteen and fourteen - with no more birdies on the run for home - left the Irish PGA Champion level par for the day.

McGeady finished in a share of seventh and a total of five strokes off the winner on -8.

Oliver Farr won the PGA EuroPro Tour Championship and the 2013 season Order of Merit, after finishing 13 under par for his 54 holes at Prince’s Golf Club.

Daniel Gavins was one behind in second place, which also confirmed his position as runner-up on the tour rankings. Paul Reed and James Watts finished the tournament tied for third on ten under par.

The top five on the Order of Merit are awarded Challenge Tour cards for 2014.

George Woolgar, who was guaranteed a top-five finish before Tour Championship, came third with Dave Coupland and Paul McKechnie also progressing to Europe’s second-tier Tour.

Farr (Worcester Golf & Country Club) shot a final-round 67, five under, to beat overnight leader Gavins (De Vere Oulton Hall) by one and in doing so also claimed the Order of Merit title.

“The last two days I have really controlled the ball well and put some great scores in,” said Farr. “It was nice to do that under a lot of pressure. I wasn’t quite sure of my Challenge Tour card for next year but it is brilliant to get it.

“The Challenge Tour card only really occurred to me on the 18th. I was focusing on the last round. I came here this week to just play this tournament as it is and I did that. It only really came into my mind on the 18th tee, then I thought I could win the Order of Merit.

“Playing on the Challenge Tour is something to really, really look forward to. I have played some Challenge Tour events this year and I feel comfortable on there. There is a little step up but I will prepare myself and get some good practice in over the winter to get ready for next year.”

The Welshman led for much of the back nine after shooting five birdies on the first 11 holes. A birdie for Gavins on the last left Farr with a short but nervy putt for victory, which he calmly made to collect a winner’s cheque of £15,000 and a brand new Motocaddy S3 Pro.

Richard Wallis finished sixth on the 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour Order of Merit, missing out on the top five by just £69.17. However, if any of the top five earn a Challenge or European Tour card via the European Tour Qualifying School, he will receive their satellite tour graduate category.

Marcus Armitage collected the Rookie Of The Year trophy after finishing ninth on the Order of Merit.

Ruairdhri McGee finished one stroke adrift of McGeady after a final round 74.

Colm Moriarty signed for a successive third round 70 to end the week T25.

Tim Rice carded a final round 69 but found himself in 33rd place following a second 76 on Wednesday.

Paul Cutler, the 2011 Walker Cup player was 38th after rounds of 73-70-70.

McGee and Moriarty will get another chance at a European Tour card during Stage Two of Qualifying School next month in Spain.

10/14/2013

McGeady Wins Irish PGA

Michael McGeady secured the Cassidy Golf 103rd €30,000 PGA Irish Championship at Roganstown on Sunday in a tight finish with Damian Mooney and Cian McNamara.

McGeady posted rounds of 66, 72, 70 and 67 for a nine-under-par winning 275, one stroke ahead of Mooney and McNamara, after the leadership changed hands a few times during the day.

As well as the silverware, the winner also collected the top prize of €3,500 while Mooney and McNamara earned €2,125 each and Mooney moves up to second in the 2013 end-of-season Order of Merit with €26,217 points, less than 90 behind winner John Kelly, who withdrew from the championship because of family commitments.

“Winning the Irish Championship is a fantastic boost heading for the Europro finals,” enthused the 35-year-old as his victory began to sink in.

“It would be a great double to add my Challenge Tour card to my Irish Championship title.

“This win is amazing for me as I have struggled recently. It is only my second time to play in the Irish Championship, maybe the third, but that is all. It is really a great boost to my game.”

McGeady posted rounds of 66, 72, 70 and 67 for a nine-under-par winning 275, one stroke ahead of Mooney and McNamara, after the leadership changed hands a few times during the day.

Mark Staunton and Michael McDermott led overnight at six-under with McGeady, Mooney and McNamara a stroke behind but it didn’t take long for the leaderboard to change, once the final round began.

Staunton had a horror front nine as he began with a double-bogey and made only one par to the turn. He had four bogeys and three birdies to drop to four-under for the tournament and he could never get back into the pack, finishing tied fifth. The best McDermott could do was level par for the day to finish in fourth place.

Mooney raced to the turn in two-under with a hat-trick of birdies, 4-4-2, from the fourth hole and he eagled the long 10th to move top of the leaderboard at nine-under-par.

McNamara was creeping up, as well, helped by an eagle at the fourth and birdies at the first and 10th to be one shot behind Mooney, along with McGeady who had pencilled in birdie fours at the fourth, fifth and 10th holes.

An unfortunate three-stab on the 15th green cost Mooney the outright lead as he went back to eight-under. McGeady, who bogeyed the 12th from sand, rolled in an uphill 12-footer for birdie on 14 to draw level and when McNamara, who had bogeyed 11, sank a birdie putt on 16 it was a three-way tie heading to the tape.

It was then that McGeady’s resolve shone as he had the scent of victory in his nostrils. He rolled in a steel-nerved five-footer for par at 17and snatched victory from Mooney and McNamara on the home green with birdie four.

“I birdied all the long holes and didn’t have a five on my card. At the last, I fired a sand wedge at the flag from 76 yards and the ball settled five feet below the hole. I was delighted to see the putt dropping – it was an amazing way to win the championship,” smiled a delighted McGeady, who headed off to Derry to see his folks before flying from Belfast this morning.

Brian McElhinney, finished tied 12th at Roganstown, which just secured him enough points to claim third place on the Order of Merit – four ahead of Staunton – and a place in next month’s Titleist PGA Play-Offs.

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10/13/2013

Staunton Storms Leaderboard

European Tour

Mark Staunton stormed up the leader board on the back nine, during the third round of the Cassidy Golf Irish PGA Championship, at Roganstown, as Michael McDermott came tumbling down with the two players colliding at six-under-par 207 and sharing the lead, going into today’s final action.

Over the front nine yesterday, McDermott, who set a course record 65 in his opening salvo on Thursday, skated to a tournament nine-under with a quad of birdies from the second hole and he pencilled in another at the long 10th to be well clear of the field but then the wheels came off.

The Leopardstown player bogeyed 14 and 16 and lost two strokes at the last for a round of 69 and a total of 207.

Meanwhile, Ballinasloe pro Staunton produced steady stuff to cover the outward run in regulation 35 and then turned on the powerplay on the way home. Birdies at 10 and 11 sent him to six under and he swapped bogey five at 13 for birdie four at 18 to leap into a share of the overnight lead with McDermott.

Three players are biting at the heels of the leaders with Damian Mooney, Cian McNamara and Michael McGeady sharing 208, just a stroke back.

Mooney began the day at level 142 but sparkled with birdies at three, four, seven and eight for a four-under-31 to the turn. He added other birdies at 10 and 18 but dropped a shot at 17 for a round of 66, the best of the day.

McNamara also sped up the leaderboard with a four-birdie, one-bogey 68 while McGeady made it a threesome, one stroke behind the leaders, with a three-birdie, two-bogey 70.

A shootout today to decide the title, vacated by 2012 winner David Higgins, looks a distinct possibility.

History-maker Hazel Kavanagh (Carr Golf Services), the first woman to make the cut, kept the female flag flying high as she posted a one-over-par 72, yesterday, to move up the leader board, after making the cut on the margin on Friday evening.

Her score would have been much better yesterday, too, had she not pencilled in a triple-bogey six at the ninth hole. She birdied the par four third and long holes 10 and 18 but also dropped a shot at par four 11 to card a one-over-72, leaving her at 11-over after 54 holes.

10/11/2013

Staunton Joins PGA Leaders

Getty Images

Hazel Kavanagh made history by becoming the first woman to make the cut at the Cassidy Golf 103rd Irish PGA Championship, at Roganstown.

The Spawell Golf Centre pro, and former LET member edged into the reminder of the tournament right on the mark of ten-over-par on 152, posting rounds of 78 and 74.

“It is nice to make a bit of history but I didn’t think that I would qualify after that first round 78.”

Overnight leader Michael McDermott, who opened with a course record 65, saw his dreams of a repeat score fade early after a bogeys on the first, second and fourth. The collapse continued however, the more trouble at 10 and 11 before birdies at 14 and 18 - to sign for a round of 73 and retain share of the lead.

Michael McGeady was another who failed to match his opening round with a double-bogey on the par four 11th, and then dropping shots at both the 13th and 16th holes. The Derry man then covered the front nine in regulation 35 to sign for a round of 72.

Mark Staunton, the Ballinasloe club pro, steadily climbed the leader board with a six-birdie 68 to be one-under-par and in mix as joint leader going into the final 36 holes. The former Ulster champion, began on the 10th tee but, despite three back nine birdies, was only one-under as he turned for home.

Staunton then laid the foundations with birdie threes at the first and third holes and a four at the long 5th to be five-under-par but a blip at the short ninth denied him of the outright halfway lead.

Niall Kearney posted a disappointing 74 on Thursday but carded an equal best-of-the-day 67 to lurch up the leader board, as did playing partner Peter Martin who also added a 67 to his first round 74.

They both started at the 10th tee with Kearney pencilling in eagle three with a drive and six iron to 10 feet. He added a birdie four at 18, despite driving into rough, to turn three-under.

“I got off to a bad start in the first round when I putt a ball out-of-bounds at the first hole and it’s not an easy course to get shots back from. Being favourite didn’t unease me,” said Ulster champion Kearney.

Martin’s putting was exceptionally good. For his birdie four at 10 he holed a 15 feet putt downhill and made birdie three at 13 uphill from 20 feet. Ironically, he three-stabbed the 14th green but got the shot back with another 20-footer on 16.

Again from 20 feet he made birdie three at the fifth hole, missed the green to drop a shot at seven before finishing birdie-birdie with putts of 15 and 30 feet.

“Yes, the putting was good and the iron play was not bad either. I missed the cut last year by a stroke so I’ve done better, so far, this time,” reflected the Belfast man who was out of golf for a month after cracking his ribs in a football game.

McDermott Leads Irish PGA

Irish PGA

Michael McDermott set the pace at the Cassidy Golf 103rd PGA Irish Region Championship at Roganstown on Thursday to lead after the first round of the €30,000 tournament.

The Leopardstown pro shot a 65 course record to push early clubhouse leader Michael McGeady off the top of the leaderboard by one stroke, when it looked as if the latter was set for the overnight lead.

“I shot a three-under-par in the pro-am and that was good practice for me before the championship,” said McDermott.

“I am hitting the ball very well and I was pleased with the way I controlled the flight of the ball in the breezy conditions. It’s a good start but there are still three rounds to go and anything can happen.”

The leader explained that he is just getting used to a new set of PING clubs, particularly the irons and he feels the clubs are really suiting him. They have improved his iron play tremendously, he says.

On Thursday McDermott hit all but two greens in regulation and, after starting at 10, covered the back nine in four-under-par without loss. He was on in two at the long 10th and steered a six iron to 20 feet and then holed for birdie three at 11. Another birdie three at 13 got him to the turn in 32.

Michael McGeady’s was also in excellent form as he carded a mid-day 66.

“It is quite a few years since I played in the Irish Championship,” he reflected, “and this is a promising start. It leaves me in a nice position to make a challenge for the title but, of course, there is a long way to go.”

He disclosed that since taking a new putter out of the bag, his game has improved immensely. He used it first in the PGA Ulster Championship, at The Hilton, and Roganston was only his fifth round using the club.

“I’m just getting used to it but it seems to be working well. The shaft is a bit longer, but it’s not a broom handled putter, with a little more weight at the top and it feels good,” McGeady enthused.

Former championship winner David Mortimer posted a 69 in the evening to take third place overnight. Playing the back nine first, he birdied the par four 15th and short 17th but gave a shot back at long 18. However, he regained the lost ground with birdie three at the first hole before finishing with eight pars.

5/25/2012

Higgins Shows BMW Class

David Higgins has been a multiple winner of Race to Mount Juliet in association with PING which normally culminates at the famous Kilkenny venue with an end of season final event.

Having won the Irish PGA Order of Merit on numerous occasions Higgins is an experienced golfer. All no surprise given he hails from a golfing family with his Father, Liam, a veteran of the European Senior Tour in recent years.

As a result by the time David was twenty one he was the country's leading amateur.

Following match play victories over Pádraig Harrington in the finals of 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 he 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. At Stage of 3 of Q School last December at the PGA Catalunya the Waterville professional man also missed out on a return to the main Tour

This season David has been very consistent 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. However he failed to qualify for the 150th Open Championship at St Andrew's with a bigger disappointment to come in September when he failed to make it through European Tour Qualifying School Stage 1 at Dundonald Links.

In his last two outings at the BMW PGA Championship Higgins has missed the cut. But this year he has broken the mold and on the second day carded an impressive two under par in the windy conditions to secure a share of 17th place.

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