Fota test awaits possible Masters of the future

PGA EuroPro Tour boss Danny Nickless has thrown down the gauntlet to Ireland’s young professional golfers to make their mark at the Audi Cork Irish Masters this week and take an important step towards life in big-time golf.

The Fota Island Resort’s par-72 Belvelly course plays host over three days to a full field of the best of Europe’s developing players, competing for a €10,000 winner’s cheque that will boost their chances of a top-five place in the tour’s 2011 Order of Merit. That would give the players an exemption onto the European Challenge Tour, the feeder into the full-blown European Tour.

Nickless, the EuroPro Tour’s operations manager, believes his tournaments offer a great platform for future success.

“We’ve had a lot of support from the Irish pros, guys like Noel Fox, who have always come over and supported the tour in England as somewhere to play and it gives them that stepping stone to the next level.

“These guys aren’t big names like Pádraig Harrington but it’s a fine line between them and the top boys and we’re giving them that stepping stone to that. People who come and watch will be amazed at the level of golf they’re seeing.

“These guys are the future and in five years we might be sitting here saying so and so played at Fota Island five years ago and he’s just gone and won the British Open.

“We’ve got a lot of Irish guys playing on the tour and most of our 12 invites for this week have gone to Irish players so it’s a great opportunity to use this as a springboard to the European Tour.”

The EuroPro Tour reaches Fota for the sixth of 15 events this year having last week visited Galgorm Castle in Ulster where Englishman Chris Hanson climbed to the top of the Order of Merit with a play-off win over compatriot and previous top dog Graeme Clark.

Cork Golf Club’s Steven Hackett finished third to move up to 13th on the Order of Merit, while Limerick’s Tim Rice sits in 15th.

Muskerry’s Niall Turner will tee up in his home town having just missed out on qualification for the British Open while even closer to home will be Fota Island’s Daniel Crowley and Tommy O’Flynn, who line up alongside seasoned Irish pros including David Higgins, Damien Mooney and Fox.

Former Munster interpro team member O’Flynn, for one, is hoping to grab the opportunity with both hands this week on his home course, having turned pro last August.

“It’s going to be exciting,” the 24-year-old O’Flynn said. “I feel comfortable at this level and I came from quite a high amateur level as well but the amateur scene never really suited me, all that links golf, and turning pro seemed the best option.”

A lot of local knowledge won’t hurt O’Flynn, Crowley or the other Cork golfers but the EuroPro Tour’s Nickless says Fota will appeal to all comers.

“Obviously Fota Island has had an Irish Open here and we’re so excited to be coming here to play a course at that level.

“It’s certainly one of the top five venues we as a tour have been to over the last 10 years and as a venue they do things properly.”