Meet the amateurs rubbing shoulders with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy at the JP McManus Pro Am

Some of Ireland’s best amateur golfers for will be at Adare Manor for the sixth staging of the JP McManus Pro-Am

Barry Leddin, who is playing as part of the Saoirse Addiction Treatment Centre at the JP McManus Pro-Am 2022, with Shane Lowry.

Tiger Woods, Shane Lowry, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and Justin Thomas.

Those are just some of the world’s golfing greats who will be taking to the green on Monday and Tuesday to play alongside some of Ireland’s best amateur golfers for the sixth staging of the JP McManus Pro-Am.

It’s an opportunity that has a ‘once-in-a-lifetime' feel about it, but for Barry Leddin, who is playing as part of the Saoirse Addiction Treatment Centre team, it’s a case of very welcome déjà vu.

“This is my second time qualifying,” he said, speaking like a man who can’t quite believe his luck.

“In 2010, I played with Henrik Stenson and Jean van de Velde ... It was such a brilliant experience.” 

Leddin, whose Whatsapp profile picture shows the Limerick native jumping in for a photo with Shane Lowry, has been a member of the Adare Manor Golf Club for some time, so he has some experience of the Tom Fazio-redesigned course.

“It's a completely different golf course to 2010,” he says, the last time the JP McManus Pro-Am was staged (the Covid-19 pandemic thwarted the 2020 plan).

They took up every single blade of grass. The only thing that's the same is the direction of the holes.

Another man familiar with the course is Pat Lee, who will be representing St Gabriel's Foundation.

Asked what name he hopes will be pulled out of the hat to face him and his team next week, he’s quick to offer up Tiger Woods and Cavan’s rising star Leona Maguire.

"But I've had a lot of luck to date,” Mr Lee said. 

“I don't think my luck will last to get either of them!” 

The occupational physician and avid golfer has played in a number of Pro-Am tournaments previously, facing greats like Peter Mitchell, Darren Clarke, Justin Johnson, and Shane Lowry.

Pat Lee will be representing St Gabriel's Foundation at the JP McManus Pro-Am and would like to come up against Tiger Woods or Cavan’s rising star Leona Maguire.

“I'm madly looking forward to playing with some of these guys again,” he said, adding that because it’s a charity occasion, he knows the pros will be more “relaxed and jovial” making for an even better day.

For Barry Leddin, Xander Schauffele, Dustin Johnson, and Cameron Smith would be the dream competitors, but right now he says he’s just focused on keeping himself on an “even keel” before the event.

“I am nervous because of the crowds,” he said with a laugh. 

“When there are 40,000 people there watching what you're doing ... I'll be very, very nervous yeah.

“Everybody who plays golf in Limerick, for the last two years, every event has been to try and qualify for this. It's so prestigious.

“Tiger Woods plays, I’d say, three golf tournaments in the whole year. And he's playing in this. That says it all.”