Intrepid four aim to follow in Harrington’s footsteps

AT precisely the same time as Pádraig Harrington was banking well in excess of $2 million from his globetrotting activities, four young Irishmen were using him as the ideal role model as they set out on their own professional careers

Limerick’s Tim Rice, Corkman Pádraig Dooley, Gavin McNeill from Waterford and Donegal’s Ciaran McMonagle decided to take the plunge into the paid ranks when failing to acquire their European Tour cards during the autumn months.

All four had enjoyed relatively distinguished amateur careers but believed the time had arrived when they should play for pay.

South Africa was attractive to the quartet because it’s not an all-exempt tour. They hold Monday qualifying rounds for each tournament and if you came through that exercise and then make the cut in the tournament itself, you are exempt into the following week.

So there was an opportunity to gain experience and hopefully a few rand as well that wasn’t available anywhere else.

Dooley was first into action and shot 68 to play his way into the Platinum Classic near Johannesburg. He went on to make the cut in each of his tour events, and while he admits he subsequently “flattered to deceive”, was understandably pleased with his progress to date.

“I played 72 holes each week and made about 23,000 rand, which equates to around 2,600, which covered about half of my expenses,” he said. “You can live very well in South Africa on not so very much and it’s a wonderful country.

“They rise early out there and so we would have 18 holes and some practice completed by midday. Then there’s time for some rest before going back to the practice ground. It’s not a joy ride by any means. My long term ambition is obviously to get on the European Tour and eventually to win tournaments.

“Anyway, it’s been great so far and as a friend of mine says, it’s all about the pursuit, not the end result.”

Rice, Dooley, McNeill and McMonagle travelled around South Africa together. All four are self-confessed golfing nuts so conversation rarely digressed from the important matter of getting a little white ball into a hole in the fewest number of shots possible. And it was here that Harrington’s remarkable progress struck a chord with each of them.

“What I have noticed is that the standard is not that much greater,” said Dooley. “Padraig has found ways of knocking a shot off his round here, knock another off there, and if you keep doing that consistently you will obviously achieve the desired results.”

That the young Irishmen are using Harrington as a role model is perfectly clear from the way Rice regards the task that lies ahead.

“When you’re bright and smart, as Padraig is, then you will figure out a way,” said the Limerickman. “If you can hit your wedge shots to eight feet rather 20-20, then you are going to knock shots off your score on a regular basis. It’s all about learning to score well and it shouldn’t be all that difficult.”

Perhaps not, but moments later Rice was shaking his head ruefully at the manner in which he completed the recent South African Players Championship in Cape Town.

“It was typical Rice,” he said. “I shot rounds of 74, 66, 75 and 67 and snuck into 10th place which means I have an exemption into the first tournament after Christmas, the South African Open, which also counts on the European Tour.

“I went from fifth to 45th in the space of 12 holes in the third round and that’s something I must address.

“Getting into the South African Open is a huge bonus because the Monday pre-qualifying is a nightmare, a real lottery.

“Gavin and Ciaran have also qualified from their rankings on the South African tour and our aim is to take out the driver and give it a real go. You must take your chances because you mightn’t have very many.”

What the future holds for the intrepid four lies very much in the lap of the gods.

For now, though, they couldn’t be happier.

As Rice observed: “For four Irishmen travelling around together, South Africa is fantastic and so, too, is the South African Tour. We can’t believe how well organised it is.

“We have really fallen on our feet. And it has helped that the four of us have played reasonably well and made it into all the tournaments.

“It might have been a problem if one of us was struggling but it didn’t happen that way.”