Passion pays for McDermott

Sometimes it takes a step back in order to move forward and that has certainly been the case for Michael McDermott.

A successful amateur career for the Stackstown youngster looked to have set McDermott fair for the leap to the touring professional circuit, but five years of toil and near misses at the European Tour Q School prompted him to change direction.

“I’d been playing Tour events beforehand for about six years and just stopped enjoying it,” the 34-year-old said. “I love playing golf, but I don’t think you can play your game properly if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, so I decided to train as a PGA Assistant which meant I could also do more coaching. I just wanted to try different things. Now I feel much better about my game and I am enjoying playing again, so it’s worked out well.”