Win a title, miss the Walker Cup, make a pro debut at Doonbeg: Meet Ireland’s latest pro

Thomas Higgins. Pic: Ben Brady/Inpho

The infuriating business that is golf. To win his first major title, Thomas Higgins required a play-off and a par on the third extra hole. Within 36 hours, the phone brought him crashing back to earth as he was left off the Walker Cup team.

The 23-year-old Roscommon golfer capped an excellent summer with a sudden-death win over Dylan Holmes at Portumna last month. This sport has a cruel way of ensuring each triumph is short-lived, though.

“It was bittersweet, for sure,” he says, speaking from Trump International Doonbeg ahead of the Amgen Irish Open.

“Obviously it was amazing to watch the drama of the final day and how they won it, but hard to watch at the same time. You would like to be there, obviously. It was a weird one.” 

Captain Dean Robertson selected US Amateur champion Jack Whaley instead, with Higgins named as first reserve. For the Clemson graduate, it means swallowing it and moving on to his pro debut. Higgins is one of ten Irish players in the 138-strong field.

“Day to day it doesn’t really change my life at all; my prep and my mentality stay the same. The only thing that will change is if I start to do well,” he says with a smile.

That is a vital part of this monumental week. He is absolutely determined to drink it in. Before his final-day charge at the Irish Amateur Close, his coach Michael Kennelly had encouraged him to make sure he enjoyed his last tournament as an amateur. On Monday, he joined a practice round with Shane Lowry and Pádraig Harrington. A day later, his partners were Tom McKibbin and Jon Rahm.

Higgins is part of a generation that inherited the golden generation. They watched Irish golfers routinely compete at the top of the game. It showed what was possible; as a result, they transformed the national perception of the sport.

To be in the presence of that royalty is heady, for sure. At the same time, there is limited value in course-side conversations during a frenetic week like this. Everyone has their own priorities pre-tournament. The true value is simply being exposed to this rarefied air.

“It is not so much conversations, just observing really,” he explains.

“That is how I learn anyway. You can see the shots they hit, how they approach a practice round, what way they are thinking about the week.

“It was really nice to play with them. I’ve been here a few times over the last while, but this week it starts to feel real. It is mad, I’d say I went to nine or ten Irish Opens in a row growing up and now I’ve this to look forward to. I’m really grateful to Golf Ireland for the invite as well.” This is a marquee title on the DP World Tour. Weekend tickets are long sold out. The Ryder Cup in Adare is over a year away, and already the sense of anticipation is palpable locally. The next few days in West Clare will showcase once more what Irish golf has become.

Higgins grew up near Roscommon town. He has two cousins who played for the football minor and U20 Connacht-winning Roscommon sides. Last year he was awarded honorary life membership of his local club.

“I still remember being in school and having friends who had no interest in golf; they would joke that it wasn’t a sport. Now loads of them are playing. It has been unbelievable really to see that growth.” 

The broader point is that the sport on this island needs a new wave to emerge. He needs to believe that he can be part of that. 

The long-hitter should be suited to the course this week. He wants to be competitive here. That is a byproduct of the company he has kept already. Sure, he once trekked to this tournament as a fan. Not anymore.

“I mean, I’m not pinching myself either. Of course I am happy to be here and to be doing this, but I feel like I belong as well. This week is a good opportunity to show that.” 

Irish players in the field: Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Pádraig Harrington, Tom McKibbin, Séamus Power, Max Kennedy, Liam Nolan, Mark Power, Cormac Sharvin, Thomas Higgins.