‘When I turned pro, I was miles away from the required standard’

Peter O’Keeffe will never make a cent playing golf again but if the new Flogas Irish Amateur Open champion had his time again, he knows from painful experience the key to success is not just innate talent but a big, fat wallet to match an insatiable appetite for hard work.

The 35-year old from Douglas spent five years toiling on the Challenge Tour before regaining his amateur status last year.

And while he now has the kind of long game needed to compete on tour a few years ago, he points to finance and professional preparation as the biggest stumbling blocks facing Ireland’s next generation of stars.