McGeady the man to beat as Adare hosts historic PGA event
The event, which is run in partnership with the Down Syndrome Centre, begins on Thursday over the historic Adare Manor course in Co Limerick. But almost all of our European Tour professionals are taking part in this week’s Dunhill Links Championship in St Andrews, so this has opened the door of the 108-strong field at Adare.
Leading the way may well be the holder, Donegal’s Michael McGeady and Waterville’s David Higgins, the man who preceded him as champion in 2012.
Raymond Burns, the Down man who made his mark on the European Tour before preferring the life of a club pro and is now attached to Lisheen Springs, makes a welcome return to the competitive arena, as does John McHenry, another with an outstanding amateur record. Monkstown pro Cian McNamara recently enjoyed a fine win in the Connemara Pro-Am, while Colm Moriarty of Glasson rounded off a few impressive weeks with a win in last week’s Ulster Championship.
All of these players should figure in the final shake-up, while considerable attention will focus on the two lady competitors, Hazel Kavanagh of Carr Golf Services, Spawell, and Marian Riordan of Ballykisteen. Hazel made history earlier this year when she became the first female to win a tournament on the IPGA Region, the Irish Club Championship at Arklow where, playing off the men’s tees, she followed up an opening 73 with a stunning 64 to pip Michael McDermott by one shot.
Adare Manor was one of the most admired nine-hole courses in the country from its foundation in 1900 until it was stretched to 18 under the direction of renowned architect Eddie Hackett in 1992. The layout is famous for the Desmond Castle (1200AD) that provides a magnificent backdrop to the first and 15th greens, while the ruins of the Franciscan Abbey (1464AD) is a feature of the layout.
At a modest 5,764 yards, with a par of 69, the expectation is that there will be many scores this week in the low 60s. However, several of Adare’s six par threes will provide a worthy challenge and there are also a number of tight driving holes, most notably the second which runs along the banks of the River Maigue.
