Bubbling Under: The Irish golf hopefuls scattered around the world, grinding for a living
TWiLIGHT WORLD: Northern Ireland's Michael Hoey at the Emporda Challenge in Girona last October.Â
Trying to make the grade as a tour player is hard work. Just ask the dozens of young Irish players looking to establish a foothold on tour — any tour.Â
Lack of money is a challenge but so too is planning a schedule, travelling and that other prerequisite, getting the ball in the hole the fewest number of strokes possible.
Since the European Tour started in 1972, the number of Irish players (from both sides of the border) making at least one appearance in a season has varied wildly.
There were 15 in 1972, a record 21 in 1984, 11 in 2004 and 13 last year.
As far as the hardcore goes, Irish golf has always had around 10 players playing the main tour full time. But there are another 40 hopefuls on the second, third or event the fourth tier circuits.
World No. 46 Seamus Power cut his teeth on the North Carolina-based eGolf Tour and he still has fond memories.
“I was lucky to get out of there but that was a huge learning experience for me,” Power recalled. “Even some of the guys I see now like Jason Kokrak and Chesson Hadley, Brian Harman and Hudson Swafford just to name a few, they were all on the eGolf Tour going back. So it’s amazing to see some of those guys go up with you.”Â
Power advises all up-and-coming stars to be brutally honest about their weaknesses and address them. But he does have a message of hope even if the challenge remains the same in the ultimate numbers game.
“Sometimes the breaks just don’t go your way but I am a big believer that if you’re working hard, especially working hard on the right things, I think that things will turn around and good things will come,” he said.
The key is to know where you’re losing out the opposition and correct that deficit so you can win at the ultimate numbers game.
As Power puts it: “It’s a results game and you have to figure out how to get it around and 69 or 70 shots on average and go from there.”Â
: Alps Tour, Challenge Tour, Florida Elite Tour, Portugal pro tour
Possibly the Irish Challenge. Final Qualifying for The Open.
: I have zero doubts I'll move up this year. My game is easily at a high enough level; I just need to stay healthy."
Nine top tens, including one win (fourth as a pro), one second and one third (in 24 events). Made some big improvements in my game (particularly driving and ball striking).Â
Low point: Making bogey on my last hole of the year to miss out on a Challenge Tour card was hugely disappointing. I had a very severe reaction to my second Pfizer vaccine, which caused me heart trouble, fatigue and head pain, among other issues. I tried to play through the problems, but it caused a severe dip in form in the middle of the year.
Florida Elite Tour in February before the Alps Tour starts at the end of next month.
My putting was not at the level of 2019 when I shot record scores (including a 57 on the Alps Tour). It would be the low-hanging fruit for me to improve this year.
: Very confident. I've been a pro for a few years now, it's been an expensive, difficult road, but I know I now have the experience and skills needed to move up, compete and win at higher levels. I've the backing of my coach Shane O'Grady, my parents, everyone at my sponsor Darwin Escapes. We all know it's just a matter of time and perseverance before I'm winning at the top level.
Mostly Challenge Tour with some DP World Tour also.
Irish Open if I get in, otherwise the Irish Challenge.
Top 20 on the Challenge Tour.
Low point was tearing an intercostal muscle in my rib cage during the ISPS HANDA World Invitational at Galgorm Castle in July. My club and ball speeds are still slightly down, but I am nearly back to full strength.
First event of 2022: Challenge Tour's Dimension Data Pro-Am Dimension Data at Fancourt (Feb 10-14).
: Putting and iron play.
: Excited and optimistic.
Mainly Alps Tour with hopefully a few Challenge Tour events.
One of the Challenge Tour ones, Irish Challenge, probably.
: Top 5 Alps Tour.
A mixed year, started slow and finished really well. My game is trending well.
: Alps Tour's Ein Bay Open from this week (Feb 22).
Wedge play and my overall behaviour around performance. That means being more process-orientated person on the course, focusing and reflecting “only” on what I can control and creating some “separation” between the process and the occasion/outcome.
Feeling about 2022? I'm excited to test the work I've done over the past few months and continue to do going forward.
DP World Tour/Challenge Tour.
: Hopefully Irish Open.
: Finish top 110 in the Race to Dubai rankings; Win.
High points - Chasing the card all year, some great buzz moments at certain weeks. Low points - The frustration of not having access to the last few tournaments and watching my ranking slip.
: I will start back this month (Feb), I'll go to South Africa and play the early events out there.
: Doing a lot of reps, working on my setup and takeaway with the long clubs. Will start to focus more on the short game now as we head towards the playing schedule.
: Optimistic.
Challenge Tour, PGA Tour.
: AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and AT&T Byron Nelson Championship on the PGA Tour.
: Top 20 on Road to Mallorca.
: High - Being in the final group of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Low - Getting off to a poor start in the college season in January.
: AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Working on?: A couple of minor things in my swing and making sure everything is relatively sharp How are you feeling about 2022?: Very excited and obviously nervous, but I think these nerves make you a better player.
: Alps Tour, Challenge Tour.
Irish Challenge.
: Top 5 on Alps Tour. Top 70 on Challenge.
Losing in a playoff on the Alps Tour was the high point - that shows I didn't have a good year.
Alps Tour in Egypt, February 22.
: Putting and wedge play.
: Looking forward to it. Hopefully, some normality resumes in terms of travel/bubbles.
Asian Tour.
Uncertain (schedule not released).
: Move up the world rankings and graduate via the DP World Tour, Qualifying School or Korn Ferry Q-School.
High point was seeing progress at home and physical fitness. Low points were a neck injury early in the year, the COVID-19 quarantines and missed cuts on the second-tier tour in Japan.
Singapore International on the Asian Tour in January (tied 39th).
: Commitment, focus.
: Strong.
: Alps Tour, Challenge Tour, European Tour.
Unsure yet as I have not got a full schedule.
: Keep on knocking on the door and hole more putts.
: A funny year affected by Covid and a year to forget on the course. I feel I didn't back myself enough last year, but I'm hoping to change that in 2022, and I'm grateful to have sponsorship from Keary's Hyundai Mallow.
First event of 2022: The Alps Tour's Ein Bay Open in Egypt after a week's warm weather practice and competition in Portugal.
: All aspects of the game from tee to green, just trying to get better at everything.
: Excited to play a full schedule and optimistic about the future.
: Europro Tour
Irish Challenge.
: Improve all parts of my game.
Tough year. Not my best golf, but I learned a lot that I'll try to use this year.
: Europro Tour in May.
: Putting.
: Excited.
Europro Tour, Challenge Tour.
Challenge Tour events depending on how some qualifiers go. Qualifying for The Open.
: Top 5 Europro Order of Merit.
Winning a Europro Tour event, nearly winning the Irish Challenge, finishing top 20 in a European Tour event.
Europro Tour at the end of May if not on Challenge Tour.
: Short game.
: Excited to get playing again. It's been a while.
Eurpro Tour, Mena Tour, Challenge Tour.
Unknown.
: Perform well in Challenge Tour opportunities again. Graduate from Q School.
High points - The work I put in and how much better a golfer I am heading into this season. Low points - The lack of playing opportunities and again, no Q-School.
Most likely Mena Tour.
: Distance control.
Incredibly excited as I really feel I'm improving day in day out.
Minor League, West Florida, All Pro Tour, Qualifiers for PGA and Korn Ferry events.
Depends on finances though I am fortunate I have been working a full-time job as an online sales specialist in Joyce's Expert Electrical Store.
: PGA and Korn Ferry Qualifiers.
: Be more consistent, hole more putts and take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves.
My first four months of being a professional golfer were exhilarating, starting in Nebraska for Pre-Qualifying for the Korn-Ferry Tour. I shot a bogey-free 66 in the first round and qualified for the Second Stage. My US visa only allows me to stay for 90 days at a time, so I have been working a full-time job as an online sales specialist in Joyces Expert Electrical Store in Wexford, which has helped top up my finances.
: Florida Elite Open, Feb 7-9, Orlando.
: Putting and psychology.
Optimistic, confident and excited. I'm enjoying the journey and the opportunities very few get to experience.
Challenge Tour, Alps Tour.
: Unknown.
: Finish top 20 on the Challenge Tour rankings or gain a card through the DP World Tour Q-School.
The season started off well and then once there was a big break of tournaments, I fell into a bit of a technical way of approaching the game rather than playing. No status on tour makes it difficult to plan out your year.
: Hoping to play on the Alps Tour in February.
: The mental game and tournament preparation, so I am ready to compete week in week out.
: Looking forward to getting going after a long layoff. Feeling good about my mental game and the direction my game is going.
: Alps Tour; Challenge Tour.
US Open qualifier.
: High points - Pro starts on the European Tour in the Czech Masters and Qatar Masters. Won qualifier for the SA Open. Low points - Inconsistency.
: Saudi International qualifier.
Driving.
Excited.
Alps Tour, EuroPro Tour.
European Tour Q School.
: Finish Top 5 in Order of Merit.
: High point was winning Stage 1 at Alps Tour Q-School.
: Alps Tour in Egypt.
: Tightening up my short game and wedge distance control.
: Excited and pretty confident.
EuroPro Tour, Challenge Tour.
: Irish Challenge.
: Top 5 in the Order of Merit on the Europro Tour or graduate via the DP World Tour Q-School.
Seventh in the NI Masters hosted by Jonathan Caldwell on the Europro Tour but also missed seven cuts in a row.
: Mini Tour in Portugal.
My driving and mental game.
: Pumped. Excited. Confident.
: All Pro Tour (US), Challenge Tour, European Tour, Korn Ferry Tour.
: Hopefully, the Irish Open/ Omega European Masters.
: Better golf and more playing opportunities through invites.
Knowing that my game wasn't even close to my best and still feeling like I wasn't that far off the mark in the two European Tour events I played. Low point - Just not being able to get a run of events.
: Coke Dr. Pepper Open (APT) in Louisiana.
: Swing technique.
Excited, confident, motivated and grateful.
: Europro tour.
Europro Tour's Tour Championship.
: Be consistent in every tournament
Starting my first year as a professional was all about learning the trade, so every event was an opportunity to improve my game. Low points - None. High points - Getting a strong card at the Europro Tour Q-School gets me into nearly every event.
: NAU Morgado Open, Portugal Pro Tour.
Wedge play and distance control.
Extremely positive and looking forward to getting out there and playing some tournament golf.
Tartan Pro Tour, Europro Tour.
European Tour Q-School.
: Just be more consistent.
High point - Playing my first European Tour event. Low point - My form. I didn't play well at all, but that's golf.
Pro-am in Portugal at the end of February.
: Long game as I am making a swing change.
Looking forward to it, but you're always a bit nervous thinking about how it will pan out. That all disappears once you start playing.
: PGA Europro Tour; Clutch Pro Tour; Challenge Tour.
The Irish Challenge.
: Top 5 on the Europro Tour in the Order of Merit.
High points were getting my first win, albeit in the small event on the Toro Tour and getting to play Challenge Tour and compete well. Low points were getting sick during the season (not covid) and missing a few Challenge Tour invites, which killed my chances of gaining status for this season. I also suffered a badly sprained right ankle in early December, which I'm still recovering from .
: Spain, early-mid Feb (ankle dependent).
: Training in the gym, getting stronger and fitter for the season and lots of putting.
: Excited and confident.
Alps, Challenge.
The Open.
: Top 5 on the Alps Tour.
: High point - gaining tremendous experience. Low point - the season finishing. I would love to have kept playing.
: Portuguese Pro Tour.
All aspects, leaving no stone unturned with my game.
It can't come quick enough. I can't wait to compete.
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