Peter O'Keeffe: Irish amateurs would 'get serious wake-up call' if put into American events

Peter O'Keeffe (Douglas) Winner of the Flogas Irish Amateur Open Championship, European Club, Brittas Bay, Wicklow (© Golffile | Fran Caffrey)

Reigning champion Peter O’Keeffe heads into the 2022 Flogas Irish Men's Amateur Open at The Island with low expectations for his title defence but strong opinions on the state of elite golf on these shores outside of the professional ranks.

The former pro from Douglas Golf Club in Cork won the title for the second time since returning to the amateur ranks when he joint-topped the field at the European Club and then beat Switzerland’s Nicola Gerhardsen in a three-hole play-off. It completed a rare double, the first amateur to win both the Irish Amateur Close and Open titles in the same year since Padraig Harrington in 1995.

After a winter occupied by business and personal training commitments, O’Keeffe, 40, is not betting against his game clicking once more at The Island but neither is his form so far this year any indication he is trending towards a successful defence this weekend.

Yet if O’Keeffe could choose another title to win it would be the Irish Amateur Open and the fact it is a 72-hole strokeplay event, with a 54-hole cut after Saturday’s third round, makes it all the more appealing to the Corkman, who believes Irish amateurs are asked to play too much matchplay in the most prestigious home championships compared to the American circuit that hones the talents of potential rivals in the professional ranks.

Asked to assess how much the amateur scene has changed since he returned to it at the end of 2016, O’Keeffe said: “There are two arguments, you could say there is an absence of Irish players on Tour at the moment. There’s obviously something there but talent comes in waves as well.

“I think it is strong, the level is decent. I would love to see the Irish events if I was asked personally what I would change, I would love to see them all go to strokeplay to get bigger and more competitive fields into this country and that would give us a taste of what’s out there a little bit more and it’s good to see guys travelling to some of the bigger events.

“It’s a funny one, the level is good, it’s decent, (but) if you put the Irish field into American events we would get a serious wake-up call as to what the levels are and for me to become a professional golfer to be aware of what the level is, is massive and that might be missing a bit.

“But look, it’s a case of guys going further afield and seeing how they are going.” O’Keeffe thinks there is much merit in Irish youngsters attempting to follow the US college route on golf scholarships if they harbour ambitions of turning pro because the style of golf “might be more conducive to the PGA or European Tour”.

“It’s a debate that can go a lot of different directions. We have a decent level in this country but there is a bigger level to be sought out for those who want to be professional.” “If Ireland had a Lytham Trophy equivalent where we were going to get the best field every year it would really stand to us and hopefully Portrush (the North of Ireland) does achieve that. I think the East is a great event, it lends itself to amateur golfers and it is a short duration of time. It’s a tough one, scheduling is so difficult and in an ideal world nothing would clash and we would get the best fields for every event but for me the start is removing the matchplay, 64 is too much.

“I thought Sligo had a good balance because if you get to the final you are there five days anyway. 64 into matchplay is a lot I don’t think it is necessary to bring out the best player or to produce a good winner of an event. We are currently in a matchplay overload that needs to be trimmed a little bit.

O’Keeffe was also asked to consider whether the Flogas Irish Amateur Open was already on a par with the prestigious Lytham Trophy event on the Lancashire coast at a links on The Open Championship rotation.

“It should be and it is,” he replied, “when I won in 2017 that was an unbelievable field. But all the ducks were in a row that year with scheduling being a Walker Cup year on a superb golf course, that produced a blue riband event.

“Not taking anything away from The Island, it is hard to argue with an Open golf course on an Open rota holding an amateur event. In the right time with the right format they are on a winner there. Once we get the fields they will go from strength to strength.

“I was looking at the field this week I am surprised more GB&I players aren’t playing. Maybe it is a scheduling issue. Guys have other options but there is nothing to take away from the event, but I don’t think it gets the fields it deserves."