Irish Golf News

Castlerock's Aaron Kearney has decided to try his luck in the professional ranks. Picture: Pat Cashman / www.cashmanphotography.ie

Castlerock's Aaron Kearney has decided to bite the bullet and pursue a career in the professional ranks.

The 27-year old Architectural Technology graduate could have been forgiven for waiting until the end of the summer before making the move as  the British Amateur Championship will played at his home track as well as Royal Portrush in June.

But with time marching on, the former Ireland international believes the time is right to take the plunge. And while some might consider him a veritable old hand, the UUJ graduate feels he is a young 27 having only started to take the game seriously during his university days.

“That's when it all properly kicked off for me," said Kearney, who reached the last 16 of the British Amateur last year when he lost to eventual champion Garrick Porteous.  

“Then I got introduced to the idea of regular coaching - playing university matches - and I got introduced to the competitive side of things by Johnny Foster.

“I actually think my golfing age is about three years younger than my actual age, if that makes any sense. The likes of Alan Dunbar and Paul Cutler have been playing golf from no age at all, winning representative honours at Boys level. 

"I never had any of that. I played no Boys, hardly any Youths and I had no coaching - none of that support."

While there are no golfers in his family, Kearney's father bought him his first set up clubs when he was 12 years old and he took his first steps in the game at Roe Park before moving to Castlerock during his college days.

He payed soccer at Senior level with Limavady United FC until he was 19 before the golfing bug bit hard and he got his handicap down to scratch at the age of 22.

Aaron Kearney studies the line of a putt on the final day of the 2013 Irish Amateur Open at Royal Dublin. Picture: Pat Cashman / www.cashmanphotography.ie

Within two years he was contending for top honours on the Irish amateur scene, winning scratch cups at Rosapenna, City of Derry and Roe Park before finishing joint runner up to Cutler in the 2011 Irish Amateur Close at Shannon, the first year of the strokeplay experiment.

He went on toe reach the semi-finals of that year's North of Ireland Championship, losing to eventual runner up Harry Diamond, and went on to win Interprovincial and International honours that season as well as a trip to Bethpage State Park in New York to take on the Metropolitan Golf Association.

He regained his place on the Ulster team last season having played brilliantly in the British Amateur Championship at Royal Cinque Ports, where he reached the last 16. Later last season he reached Local Final Qualifying for The Open Championship but while he missed out on a spot at Muirfield, his performance in the Amateur convinced him that he was good enough to give the professional game a go.

“If someone had said to me in 2010 that I would get to last 16 of the British Amateur, I'd have told them to catch themselves on," Kearney said this week. "It's now or never. I have that urge to try and make a living from the game.

“I was thinking of hanging on for the British Amateur at Royal Portrush and Portstewart because I was automatically into the field after doing well last year. 

"But I just thought there would be far too much expectation around your home track. I thought I had done well in the tournament last year, and I was content with what I got out of it. I was not prepared to wait around for one event.

"Reaching the last 16 last year gave me a lot of belief. It told me that I could compete against the best amateurs. I got beaten by the eventual winner, Garrick Porteous, so I think that was the moment I seriously thought about moving on to the next level.

“I also got to the final of Open Qualifying at The Musselburgh. I was playing with these professionals, nervous as hell, worried that my game would not stack up to theirs but after a couple of holes, I was scoring better than them."

While Kearney is currently without a regular coach, he is seeing the highly respected Seamus Duffy on and off and working regularly with "Mind Factor" coach Shaun McGonagle on his mental game.

“During the season I don't really see anyone apart from Shaun," he said. “I concentrate on playing golf rather than concentrate on swing thoughts and technique.

“I feel if my mind is in the right place, if I'm relaxed with no expectations, then I will play my best golf.”

Kearney will be affiliated to West Middlesex Golf Club from now on and has been lucky enough to secure some financial backing through his uncle, Michael McCormack, who has a connection with the club

"He has been a big help in my career to this stage and he has got together with a group of eight businessmen to give me some backing," Kearney said.

"I will head to Spain in February to play a few Evolve Tour events and then home for EuroPro Tour qualifying in March and April and then take it from there."

While there will be five Challenge Tour cards up for grabs for the top money winners on the EuroPro Tour, the Castlerock man has set his sights on the season-ending European Tour Q-School and a shot at the big time.

As he says himself, it's now or never.

Doonbeg Golf Resort. 

It turns out that the tail end of Hurricane Christine that lashed the west coast earlier this month wasn't the biggest threat to Doonbeg. The spectacular Co Clare resort went into receivership on Monday.

While the Greg Norman design has never met with the approval of golfing purists and the venue has built an image as a favourite for American high rollers looking for a base on their golfing tours of Ireland, the news is a blow to Irish golf.

According to RTE News:

"A statement from receivers, EY Ireland said it will continue to trade as normal and all employment will be maintained. It added that interest has already been expressed in the property and it is hopeful that the business can be sold as a going concern... Luke Charleton of EY Ireland said  "There will be no disruption to services as a result of the appointment, events booked will go ahead as scheduled, and all deposits and gift vouchers will be honoured."

The news comes just six months after Charlotte real estate investment firm South Street Partners acquired Kiawah Partners, developers of resorts such as Kiawah Island and Doonbeg, which opened in 2006 with an exhibition match between Norman and Pádraig Harrington.

The Charlotte Observer reported last June that the deal gave South Street Partners control of "the remaining developable residential inventory on Kiawah, as well as the members-only Kiawah Island Club, a real estate company, a utility company, a shopping center and resort properties in Ireland [Doonbeg] and the Caribbean.

The Lodge at Doonbeg 

"The Kiawah Island Club, described by developers as the anchor of the island, includes restaurants, a spa, a beach club and two golf courses: the River Course and the Cassique Course.

"Excluded from the deal was the Kiawah Island Golf Resort, home of the Ocean Course – site of the 2012 PGA Championship and the 1991 Ryder Cup matches – and four other golf courses. Also excluded: the Five-Star/Five-Diamond hotel, The Sanctuary."

The Observer went on to report:

The course. 

"The sale comes a year after a messy family feud between two cousins behind Kiawah Partners burst into public view. The dispute centred on Leonard Long, a former Kiawah Partners executive vice president, and his first cousin, Charles “Buddy” Darby, CEO of the firm.

"The two were part of a group that bought most of Kiawah Island from the Kuwaiti Investment Corp. in 1988 for $105 million.

"They built it into one of the more prestigious resorts in the Carolinas, if not the East Coast. U.S. Census Bureau estimates show more than 500 owner-occupied housing units on the island were valued at more than $1 million between 2007 and 2011.

"According to the Post and Courier, investors filed a lawsuit last June alleging that Darby tried to squeeze the smaller partners out of their ownership stakes.

"The minority partners also expressed concerns about projects Darby was pursuing beyond Kiawah. Kiawah Partners owned the Lodge at Doonbeg, a resort in Ireland, and the proposed Christophe Harbour resort on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts.

"Both resorts were included in the sale to South Street Partners."

Like many other courses on the west coast, Doonbeg suffered erosion damage in the high storms that lashed the west coast of Ireland in early January. 

Designer Norman was on the phone to the resort on January 6 for an update.

According to the club, the back tee at the 18th was lost as well as all fencing and a path behind the fifth green. There was also damage to the resort's feature hole, the short 14th.

Rory McIlroy at the 2013 Irish Open. Picture: Fran Caffrey / www.golffile.ie

World No 7 Rory McIlroy has hailed the decision to take the 2014 Irish Open to Fota Island in Cork from June 19-22.

Now all the European Tour needs is a title sponsor to take the pressure off Failte Ireland so that the Irish Open can become a force in European Tour golf again.

“I think it is great news that the Irish Open will be played at Fota Island,” said McIlroy who ended his 2013 season with victory in December's Emirates Australian Open.

“The country’s National Open should be moved around to give everyone an opportunity to see the event, and it also gives us the chance to show the world just how many amazing courses there are in Ireland.

“Fota Island will be an exciting venue for the Irish Open, and exactly the kind of place to showcase what Ireland has to offer as a golf destination.”

Fota Island Resort, which was recently purchased by Chinese investors The Kang Group Worldwide, will become an Official Sponsor along with civil engineer company BAM Contractors in conjunction with Cork City and County councils.

European Tour CEO George O’Grady said: “It has been a busy few days in Ireland and we are delighted to make this announcement regarding the support of Fota Island, Cork’s City and County Councils as well as BAM Contractors.

“Having hosted two Irish Opens at the Fota Island Resort, we know the Irish Open will have a fitting home at this superb venue.

“The new owners of the Fota Island Resort – The Kang Family - have impressive ambitions.  By securing the 2014 Irish Open they will now be able to showcase their resort and the beautiful surroundings of County Cork to the world via The European Tour’s global television network.”

While the prize fund, which was €2m in 2012 and 2013, will be announced in the coming weeks, it remains to be seen how long the event remains in Cork.

A move back to Northern Ireland has been mooted but with Royal Portrush happy to build on the success of 2012 for the next few years at least, it would appear logical that Fota Island will play host for at least another year, providing the Chinese investors are happy with 2014.

Fota Island

With Failte Ireland keen to reduce its financial contribution to the event, the next step is to find a title sponsor to work with a strong sponsorship portfolio that now comprises Fota Island Resort/The Kang Group Worldwide, Emirates, BMW, Rolex, Heineken, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Bam Contractors as well as Cork City and County Councils.

The Irish Open was last played in Cork in 2002 when Denmark’s Søren Hansen took the title at Fota Island following a four-way playoff involving Richard Bland, Niclas Fasth and Darren Fichardt.

The resort also hosted the Championship in 2001, when Colin Montgomerie won the last of his three Irish Opens and given the success of those tournaments as well as the unprecedented crowds of 15,000 that turned up to see Sam Torrance capture the 2006 Irish Seniors Open, there is no reason to believe it won't be a great success.

Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley, who was 48th at Fota in 2001 but pulled out of the 2002 edition complaining of exhaustion and loss of form, said: “I’m delighted that Fota Island is going to host the 2014 Irish Open. 

"The players will love the golf course and everyone involved with the tournament will also enjoy the craic on offer in nearby Cork, Ireland’s second largest city.”

Pádraig Harrington and Darren Clarke, who tied for second behind Montgomerie at Fota Island in 2001, have also welcomed the news while Graeme McDowell, who was 27th on his Irish Open debut at Fota Island in 2002 will have fond memories of the venue.

Jonathan Woods, Chief Executive Officer at Fota Island Resort, said: “Since the last two occasions Fota Island Resort hosted the Irish Open, back to back in 2001 and 2002, so many significant investments and developments have taken place at the Resort itself and with our golf courses and facilities.

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to reintroduce the players, the public and the world’s media to Fota Island Resort, and to what is now a world-class, international golf venue. The Irish Open will be an enormously important event for tourism in Cork and the surrounding area, which is not just an added bonus for Fota Island Resort but for the whole region too.”

Ireland’s Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar described the Irish Open as ‘a pivotal event for sport and tourism in Ireland’.

“Golf is one of Ireland’s most important tourist activities," he said. "Around 160,000 overseas visitors take part in golf during their visit to Ireland every year, contributing €202 million to the economy. 

"The Irish Open is a great advertisement for Irish golf, showcasing our beautiful scenery, world class courses and facilities and warm and friendly people. And this year we can look forward to watching the event at one of Ireland’s most beautiful golf courses in Fota,” Minister Varadkar said.

Minister of State for Tourism & Sport Michael Ring said: “Failte Ireland remains committed to the Irish Open and fully appreciates its value in terms of global advertising and exposure. 

"Both Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland are working together to promote the island of Ireland overseas as a golf destination, and as the home of golfing champions. 

"With the renaissance in Irish Golf over the last decade, the Irish Open is a superb opportunity to show just what Ireland can offer to golfers.”

The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Catherine Clancy, commented:  “Cork City Council is delighted to be associated with the securing of this event for Cork through the provision of financial support from the Council’s Economic Development fund. 

“The staging of the 2014 Irish Open in Fota Island will see significant short term and longer term tangible benefits to the city from the event itself and the strategic marketing messaging that will present Cork throughout the world as a place to visit through our association with the event."

Cllr. Noel O’Connor, Mayor of County Cork, expressed his delight at the announcement that Fota Island Golf Resort had secured the contract to host the Irish Open golf tournament next June.

“The 2012 event at Royal Portrush smashed European Tour attendance figures attracting 131,000 visitors and if the event in Fota can attract close to those figures, it will mean a massive spin off for the Cork region,” he said.

Cllr O’Connor said he was proud of the fact Cork County Council was in a position to support the staging of the event through its Economic Development Fund and added: “The Irish Open in Cork will provide a massive opportunity to showcase Cork as a place to visit to a global audience through worldwide television coverage over the four days of the tournament.”

As well as the support of Cork’s City and County Councils, there has been further investment in the tournament from the private sector through BAM Contractors.

Advance tickets for the 2014 Irish Open are on sale now at a special promotional price of €25 for Adult Day Tickets and €50 for Adult Season Tickets (concessions €15 and €30).

A limited number of tickets at those promotional prices – saving up to €10 for a day pass and €20 for a season – on the gate prices are currently available on a first come first served basis. Golf fans are encouraged to apply now for tickets on www.europeantour.com/tickets or www.irishopen.ie

About Fota Island Resort

Set in the heart of a peaceful island, surrounded by gorgeous scenery just eight miles from Cork City, Fota Island Resort, under new ownership since September 2013, is a unique combination of championship golf courses, a luxurious 5-star hotel with a stunning 1600 square metre destination spa, residential lodges, and a world class golf academy.

Catering equally superbly to business, leisure and corporate guests, Fota Island Resort is also the regular choice of national and international sportspeople and teams as a training venue before significant sporting events and a recuperation and relaxation centre afterwards, due to its excellent training and recovery facilities.

Fota Island Resort, twice previously host to the Irish Open, has 3 championship golf courses set in beautiful parkland scenery, supported by one of Ireland’s most sophisticated golf academies, using the latest high-tech video systems and computerised analysis and regular classes with PGA professionals to attract golfers of all ages and abilities.

For more information please visit www.fotaisland.ie

Kevin Phelan has secured his first major sponsor in FL Partners. Picture: David Lloyd / www.golffile.ie

Waterford rookie Kevin Phelan has landed a sponsorship deal with the same company that first backed Rory McIlroy - Dublin-based investment boutique, FL Partners.

The 23-year-old, who also impressed at last year’s US Open before winning two points out of three for Great Britain and Ireland at the Walker Cup, will wear the company logo on his left sleeve.

“I am delighted FL Partners has chosen to support me,” said Phelan, who finished 24th at the Alfred Dunhill Championship - his first tournament as a card-carrying Tour professional - and is in action at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship this week on a sponsor's invitation.

“I am determined to make my first season on the European Tour a success and hope to reward FL Partners’ faith in me with as many strong performances as possible.”

Managed by Chubby Chandler at ISM, Phelan received a glowing endorsement from FL Partners’ co-founder, Neill Hughes.

“The last few years have been incredibly successful for Irish golf and we believe Kevin is capable of reaching similarly lofty heights in due course,” said Hughes. “We wish him all the best in his rookie season on the European Tour.”

Pádraig Harrington walks quickly after his par putt at the 13th. "It's a bit like the end of last year - happy with how I am hitting the golf ball, but distraught with how I am putting."

You could cut the frustration with a knife but it was probably best to keep sharp objects well away from Pádraig Harrington after he finished three shots adrift of winner Louis Oosthuizen in the Volvo Golf Champions.

Going straight to the nub of the matter, he said: "It's a bit like the end of last year - happy with how I am hitting the golf ball, but distraught with how I am putting." 

A closing 67 for a share of fifth place has obvious positive connotations but Harrington could only reflect on how he missed a string of short putts and his three-putt at the 13th will haunt him for days.

Having knocked his birdie effort around eight feet past the hole, he struggled to pull the trigger and then made that yippy, snatch that has plagued him for the past two years and tugged his par-saver wide.

"I'll rue a lot of misses this week," he said after birdies at the 14th and 17th followed by a narrow miss at the last took some of the pain out of the miss at the 13th where a birdie would have left him a shot off the lead.

"I missed a lot of short putts through the week and when you add it all up...."

Just two shots off the lead with seven holes to pay, Harrington would go to the last just a shot behind Oosthuizen after holing a super 20 footer for birdie at the 17th.

Despite his aberration at the 13th, there was still an outside chance that he could set a 10 under par clubhouse target and dream of a play-off. But in his heart of hearts, Harrington knew that the game was up.

"I kind of had the feeling coming home that there were too many guys doing well that you weren't going to get away with winning this tournament with nine or even 10 under par," he said. "There were too many guys up there and somebody was going to finish well because 14 and 18 were downwind and very easy birdies." 

Sadly for the Dubliner, he failed to birdie the 18th despite trying hard to hole a greenside bunker shot for an eagle two. 

"I hit some good putts at times out there and really gave the bunker shot a go at the last. I felt like I gave it a good go. 

Louis Oosthuizen retained the title thanks to a closing 68. Picture © Volvo in Golf

"It's nice to be close at the end of the day and it was a nice feeling to be pushing there. I hit a really nice tee shot off 18 and birdied 17. So there were a lot of good signs there at the end. So it's a bit like the end of last year - happy with how I am hitting the golf ball, but distraught with how I am putting. 

"It was nice to feel like I had a chance coming down the stretch and that is always a nice place to be. The ball come out down the middle most of the day, which was nice. I got a few nice breaks, no doubt about it."

Six shots behind England's Tommy Fleetwood starting the day, Harrington birdied the par-five third, bogeyed the fifth but then birdied the seventh and eagled the par-five eighth to turn in 33.

At seven under par he would have needed to come home in 31 to match Oosthuizen and simply left himself too much to do despite getting some breaks.

"I hit a wedge out of the rough on 11 that went stone dead and any time you are hitting from the rough it is a big break," he said. "But I missed maybe five putts from five or six feet range and three-putted the 13th at a bad time. 

"It was nice to play well and we will keep ticking along and hopefully, as I said, the putting returns. 

"I hit some good putts at times out there and really gave the bunker shot a go at the last. I felt like I gave it a good go. I am disappointed that I missed the putt but not disappointed that I hit the bunker shot eight feet by for sure. 

"I hit a lovely tee shot and I was a bit disappointed to be in the bunker. There was a chance there if I could get to 11 under that maybe that would be good enough.

"I am disappointed that I missed the putt but not disappointed that I hit the bunker shot eight feet by for sure. I hit a lovely tee shot and I was a bit disappointed to be in the bunker. 

"There was a chance there if I could get to 11 under that maybe that would be good enough."

It all came down to putting in the end and while he used the blade just 28 times on Sunday, he was 21st out of 36 for putts per round and 10th for putts per green in regulation.

"Maybe things would have been different if I hadn't left a lot of shots out there every day," said Harrington, who earned €116,761 for his efforts. "I don't know about anyone else, but I just struggled on the greens and missed a lot of short putts." 

Branden Grace set the clubhouse target at 11 under par when he birdied the 16th and 18th but Oosthuizen was equal to the challenge as he retained the title in some style.

One off the pace with two to play, he hit his approach stone dead at the 17th to draw level with Grace and then chipped to two feet at the last to set up the winning birdie and a closing 68.

Darren Clarke failed to build on the promise of his opening rounds and ended up tied for 24th (€40,431) on one-over after a closing 77 featuring 33 putts.

Louis Oosthuizen celebrates his successful defence of the Volvo Golf Champions. © Volvo In Golf

Michael Hoey's 74 left him tied for 29th (€36,080) on four over while Simon Thornton shared 31st (€34,448) on five over after a birdie-birdie finish saw him card a closing 71 to outscore his final round playing partner José María Olazábal by two strokes.

Oosthuizen was suitably delighted with his win.

“It’s great to start the year with a win again,” he said. “It feels really good and hopefully I can defend next year.  Volvo is an unbelievable company, with what they do for golf on The European Tour and worldwide, so to defend the Volvo Golf Champions tournament is special, and hopefully I can go three in a row.

“It looks like proper rest, with no golf, is the key for me. It doesn’t work all of the time, but it has for the last few years.”

Oosthuizen, whose 2013 season was hampered by a back injury, had started the day two strokes behind overnight leader Tommy Fleetwood, and had a slow start to his final round, carding seven consecutive pars before sinking a 12 foot eagle putt on the eighth hole.

He then dropped a shot on the tenth before back-to-back birdies on the 13 and 14th holes pushed him into a share of the lead with Grace, who had posted a hat-trick of birdies from the sixth hole before his only bogey of the day on the 15th hole.

Grace’s birdie on the 16th, which Oosthuizen bogeyed, meant it was Grace who temporarily held the advantage, but Oosthuizen dug deep and produced the two closing birdies when it mattered most to retain his title.

“I knew Branden was going to make a charge and I saw him up there early. I really thought that you're going to see the South Africans coming through today, and Joost Luiten played really well but just missed a few putts.  He's a good player but Branden was the one that really spurred me on to finish well.”

Grace will rue his opening round 74 and some missed chances during his final round as he fell just short in his bid for a fifth European Tour victory, having won the title two years ago when he defeated fellow countrymen Ernie Els and Retief Goosen in a play-off at Fancourt.

“I let a couple slip out there which was unfortunate, but it was a good start to the year,” he said. “If you told me my first event, I’d start off with a second place, and coming this close, I would have taken it.  So I'm very pleased.  The winner at the end of this week is going to be the true champion, and Louis played well, so he deserves it.”

Englishman Fleetwood, who took a one stroke lead into the final round, carded a level par round of 72 to share third position on ten under par with Dutchman Luiten, who had a 71.

Harrington's 67 left him in a share of fifth position alongside French pair Victor Dubuisson (72) and Raphaël Jacquelin.

Complete final round scores from the Volvo Golf Champions at Durban Country Club (par 72)

276 L Oosthuizen  (RSA) 68 69 71 68

277 B Grace  (RSA) 74 67 68 68,

278 J Luiten (Ned) 70 67 70 71, T Fleetwood  (Eng) 70 67 69 72,

279 R Jacquelin (Fra) 67 73 70 69, V Dubuisson  (Fra) 69 69 69 72, P Harrington (Irl) 71 71 70 67,

281 T Aiken (RSA) 72 72 70 67, J Quesne  (Fra) 74 73 66 68,

283 M Manassero (Ita) 72 67 73 71, B Rumford (Aus) 73 70 68 72, T Björn (Den) 79 68 67 69,

284 J Donaldson (Wal) 71 71 68 74, M Madsen  (Den) 71 74 69 70,

285 C Schwartzel  (RSA) 74 69 68 74, M Siem  (Ger) 70 71 72 72, M Jiménez (Esp) 76 70 67 72,

286 C Wood  (Eng) 70 71 71 74,

287 P Casey  (Eng) 72 75 65 75, G Fdez-Castaño  (Esp) 74 73 71 69, M Ilonen  (Fin) 73 73 69 72,

288 J Jeong (Kor) 73 76 68 71, D Lynn (Eng) 71 74 72 71,

289 K Aphibarnrat (Tha) 75 74 71 69, D Clarke (Nir) 69 71 72 77, C Montgomerie  (Sco) 70 74 69 76, D Howell (Eng) 76 69 71 73,

291 R Sterne  (RSA) 72 73 73 73,

292 M Hoey  (Nir) 72 73 73 74, S Gallacher (Sco) 73 74 72 73,

293 S Thornton (Irl) 70 72 80 71,

294 R Karlsson (Swe) 74 72 73 75,

295 D Van Der Walt (RSA) 71 71 75 78,

296 P Uihlein  (USA) 70 78 70 78,

297 D Fichardt (RSA) 73 71 74 79,

300 J Olazábal (Esp) 73 77 77 73

Tommy Fleetwood leads in Durban. Picture © Getty Images

Pádraig Harrington and Darren Clarke stormed home in 33 to keep their slim chances of victory alive in the Volvo Golf Champions.

Having made mixed an eagle three at the third with three front nine bogeys, Harrington (reunited with caddie Ronan Flood who was fit for duty again following Friday's health scare) picked up three birdies coming home to post a 70 that left him tied for 10th with Clarke (72) on four under par.

The Irish pair are six shots adrift of Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, who did not play his best golf but still managed to battle his way to an impressive 69 that left him at the top of the leaderboard on 10 under par at Durban Country Club.

The 22-year old from Southport birdied the last to go into the final round one shot clear of Frenchman Victor Dubuisson, who also finished with a birdie for a round of 69, and Dutchman Joost Luiten, who posted a 70. 

Michael Hey posted a second successive 73 to find himself tied for 27th in the 36-man field. But it was a day to forget for Simon Thornton, who hit just four fairways and took 33 putts in a disappointing 80.

Every cloud has a silver lining, however, and Thornton make take some solace from the fact that while he is first off on Sunday, he will go out with two-time Masters champion José María Olazábal. 

Leader Tommy Fleetwood. Picture © Volvo in Golf

Fleetwood birdied the third, fourth and ninth holes before the turn, dropping his only shot of the day on the par five 14th before sinking a six foot birdie putt on the last for the outright lead.

“Three-under around this golf course, when you're not on your game, is an absolutely brilliant score," Fleetwood said. "And I think it’s showing that I'm maturing as a golfer and I can actually score when I'm playing bad, which is one of the most important parts of being a professional golfer."

Fleetwood is bidding for his second European Tour title having earned his place in the Volvo Golf Champions courtesy of his victory over the 2014 Ryder Cup course in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles last August.

A former amateur rival of Fleetwood, Dubuisson is also chasing his second European Tour victory following a superb end to the 2013 that included a maiden win in the Turkish Airlines Open by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Defending champion Louis Oosthuizen is a further shot back on eight under par following an up-and-down round of 71. The South African made seven birdies, but also had three bogeys on his card along with a triple bogey seven on the 16th, which meant he slipped from the top of the leaderboard.

“I had a good opportunity today to probably go to 12 under at least,” said the former Open Champion. “But a hole like 16 just gets you back into perspective in your mind, and I knew that 17, and 18 were important not to drop another shot.”

Clarke got off to an awful start with four bogeys in his first eight holes leaving him nine strokes off the lead.
But like Harrington, he found his scoring touch eventually and birdies at the ninth, 10th, 12th and 18th in a third successive round of sub-30 putts.

Volvo Golf Champions, Durban Country Club (Par 72) 

206 T Fleetwood (Eng) 70 67 69,

207 V Dubuisson (Fra) 69 69 69, J Luiten (Ned) 70 67 70,

208 L Oosthuizen (RSA) 68 69 71,

209 B Grace (RSA) 74 67 68,

210 J Donaldson (Wal) 71 71 68, R Jacquelin (Fra) 67 73 70,

211 B Rumford (Aus) 73 70 68, C Schwartzel (RSA) 74 69 68,

212 D Clarke (Nir) 69 71 72, P Harrington (Irl) 71 71 70, M Manassero (Ita) 72 67 73, C Wood (Eng) 70 71 71, P Casey (Eng) 72 75 65,

213 M Siem (Ger) 70 71 72, M Jiménez (Esp) 76 70 67, J Quesne (Fra) 74 73 66, C Montgomerie (Sco) 70 74 69,

214 T Björn (Den) 79 68 67, T Aiken (RSA) 72 72 70, M Madsen (Den) 71 74 69,

215 M Ilonen (Fin) 73 73 69,

216 D Howell (Eng) 76 69 71,

217 D Van Der Walt (RSA) 71 71 75, D Lynn (Eng) 71 74 72, J Jeong (Kor) 73 76 68,

218 P Uihlein (USA) 70 78 70, M Hoey (Nir) 72 73 73, G Fdez-Castaño (Esp) 74 73 71, R Sterne (RSA) 72 73 73, D Fichardt (RSA) 73 71 74,

219 R Karlsson (Swe) 74 72 73, S Gallacher (Sco) 73 74 72,

220 K Aphibarnrat (Tha) 75 74 71,

222 S Thornton (Irl) 70 72 80,

227 J Olazábal (Esp) 73 77 77.

Shane Lowry is back on the road for the next month. Beneath the laid-back exterior lurks a fierce competitor. Picture courtesy www.shanelowrygolf.com

It’s easy to dismiss Shane Lowry as the beefy country boy who’s so laid-back he’s almost horizontal. After all, it’s an image he’s done little to shoot down since he made headlines worldwide by winning the 2009 Irish Open as an amateur. Yes, he's fun-loving and relaxed and admits to being “borderline lazy.” Yet there’s far more to the 26-year old Offaly man than meets the eye. He has an inner steel and determination that are the hallmarks of a champion. In truth, he’s more grizzly bear than teddy bear.

After four and a half seasons on the European Tour, Lowry is waiting patiently at the crossroads that separates the European Tour herd from the elite that make up the world’s Top-50. Following a disappointing last few weeks of 2013, he heads to Abu Dhabi for his first start of 2014 as the 27th best golfer in Europe, patiently waiting for the chance to make move into the Top-50, which would open the doors to Augusta National and make a Ryder Cup debut a truly attainable goal.

Striking a balance between being a loveable but indolent European Tour “character” and an elite athlete capable of taking on the best in the world is the big challenge for Clara’s favourite son. He’s already taken steps to improve his fitness, not out of any desire to have a washboard stomach but because he’s suffered a few injury “niggles” this season and knows that longevity is key in this game. 

Shane Lowry in action during last year's Open Championship at Muirfield. Picture Fran Caffrey www.golffile.ie

“It is sort of like slow and steady wins the race,” he says of his progress as a professional when he met at last October's Portugal Masters. “I am very happy with the way I am going. I am a fairly easygoing type of fella and happy to be out here competing and I want to do well. I get frustrated at times that I could do better than I do but if I look at it in that sort of way, my four years have been four years of progression every year.”

You don’t win twice on the European Tour without being extraordinarily talented but Lowry, like every other top player, has enough competitive fire inside him to fuel his rise to the top. 

“That’s it exactly,” he says of the misconception that he somehow lacks grit. “I am never happy unless I win. Obviously you are happy if you shot 65 to finish fifth or something but the likes of the Alfred Dunhill Links, it’s a great buzz being up there but I was a bit down most of the week because I didn’t win. I was absolutely devastated that I didn’t even get a playoff

“People at home look at that week and say, ‘Well done Shane, great going.’ And it is great - I got a €200,000 pay cheque - but I don't look at it that way. I don’t really. The only good thing I look at is good world ranking points and Race to Dubai points.” 
 
Winning in your first European Tour start raises the bar but Lowry has welcomed the added expectation. He credits his inner circle - coach Neil Manchip, caddie Dermot Byrne and his agents at Horizon Sports Management - for keeping him focussed on his goals when times are tough. The rest comes from the competitive spark within him.

Shane Lowry signs an autograph for a young fan at the 2013 WGC Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club.
Picture: Eoin Clarke www.golffile.ie

“At the start it was tough with people’s expectations and I was only young and immature. You nearly remember the bad days more than the good days and I recall being in my hotel room in Firestone after shooting 16 over after two rounds in the Bridgestone and I remember asking myself, am I good enough at all. But you have to keep trucking on. 

“I was just very lucky that I had good people around me at the time and still do because they are the same people. I was very lucky that they were there to pull me through and give me a kick up the arse and say you are good enough, just keep at it and maybe work a little bit harder. 

“Even when I was playing amateur golf, I was never happy if I wasn’t doing well and contending. Playing for Ireland, I was never happy unless I was playing No 1. I remember playing Home Internationals at Muirfield and they played me at No 5 all week and I played awful because I just wanted to be at No 1. I wanted to play the best and I wanted to be the best. That’s the way I was and that is the type of person I am.”

Bridging the gap between his current status and the heady heights achieved by major winners Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell will require something special over the next few months if Lowry is to have a realistic chance of contending for a place in Paul McGinley’s Ryder Cup team. 

Comparing himself with McIlroy’s otherworldly talent is a recipe for constant disappointment but in World Cup partner McDowell, he sees a model professional who knows how to get the very best out of himself.

 Shane Lowry at the BMW International Open in Munich in his rookie season of 2010. Picture Fran Caffrey / www.golffile.ie

“I got Dermot on the bag nice and early and he wasn’t too long before telling me how good I was,” Lowry says, sipping a Diet Coke on a hotel couch ahead of what turned out to be an ill-fated defence of his Portugal Masters title [he missed the cut]. “Most golfers have egos as well and you just feed the ego. Dermot keeps telling me how good I am and I am not going to tell him to stop. I like hearing it. 

“It’s important to have people around you that put you in the right frame of mind. I see some people that are knocking around with other people and I feel like if they maybe knocked around with the right people they would do better. That’s why I like Graeme McDowell. I am not using Graeme for that but if you want to learn something as a pro golfer, you should look at Graeme McDowell. He is your pure professional golfer. 

“Graeme’s down time is his down time but when he gets to a tournament, he does his work. When he is at home he does a little bit of work as well. I think he has a life outside of golf too, so I think he’s just to me, he’s your model pro.”

Being around former stablemate McIlroy is also a plus though it is not always good for your ego, as Lowry discovered when he played practice rounds with the Holywood star before his 2011 US Open victory at Congressional.

“I couldn’t believe how good he was and I was playing well at the time,” Lowry recalls. “When I came off the course, I went back to the house and I remember saying to Graeme, ‘I have to stop playing practice rounds with him when he is playing well.’

"You walk off feeling inferior really and you are trying to play against him that week. He was just how long and straight he was hitting it and how under control he had his golf ball. He obviously doesn’t have that now. But as I have said to everyone, I have no doubt that he will come out all guns blazing next year.”

Lowry’s own game has improved year on year to the extent that he believes he’s now a far better player than he was when McIlroy sapped his confidence during those US Open practice rounds.

Shane Lowry at the 2013 DP World, Tour Championship, Dubai. Picture: Denise Cleary www.golffile.ie

“Absolutely chalk and cheese,” he says of the difference in his game. “I think from 18 months to two years ago it is chalk and cheese. For some reason, I don’t know where I got it from, maybe it is from continually playing and consistently getting better and better, but I have become 20 yards longer with the driver and probably 10 to 15 yards longer with each club. 

“This time last year my seven iron was going 170 yards, this year it is going 180. I can’t put my finger on where I got it but I think it is just from doing my own thing, going out and hitting balls when I need to, going to play golf when I need to and getting my set up right and getting confidence in my own ability as well. 

“But at the end of the day I just have to try and concentrate on the job in hand. The thing is, without getting ahead of myself, if you could sneak a win in the next few months, you are a long way there. 

“But I am not thinking about that. That was one of the things going through my head on the Sunday evening after the Dunhill. That was a lot of Ryder Cup points that I - not threw away - but didn’t make. I made a good few as well but to be honest, I need to be Top 50 in the world or to have a big finish in a huge tournament.”

Lowry recently relaunched his website, which was produced by award winning agency Atomic Sport. Lovingly designed, it features a selection of pictures of Lowry on a road trip with his closest friends - surfing off Doolin, playing hurling in Spiddal, driving bumper cars, laughing… It’s a tourism PR executive’s dream website.

The strap line reads: “Fiercely proud of where I come from. Grateful for the life I lead.”

Shane Lowry plays some pitch and putt with his friends. Picture via shanelowrygolf.com

“There is nothing artificial about it,” he says, though he does admit that he barely managed to stand upright for a split second on the surfboard. “It is exactly me and exactly the way I want to be portrayed. I am just one of the lads that likes doing different things that just happens to be good at golf. That’s the way I am. Simple and easy going.”

With career earnings on the European Tour of more than €3.2 million, Lowry makes a comfortable living at the game but says he is not in the least motivated by money or the trappings of wealth.

“Growing up we wouldn't have had much at all,” he explains. “My parents would have got loans out to look after me and allow me to play golf and I remember my first pay cheque was in France. I finished 50th and made sixteen grand (€16,800). I went home thinking I was a millionaire. 

“I don’t look at what my career earnings are but my first big pay cheque was in Japan and I won €90,000 at the Christmas of 09 and it was great. I was able to buy a couple of people nice presents and that’s the way I looked at it. I am still that sort of way. I am not a big money type of person. I don’t have expensive habits or expensive tastes. 

“I wouldn’t pay big money for a Ferrari, no. That’s one thing that’s good about me and I think I will go far in the game because I don't think of it that way. When I have a chance of winning a tournament, I am not thinking abut finishing second or the difference between second and third. I am thinking about winning. In a way, the odd day you might finish 10th because of a bogey but you will win more because of it.”

Twelve months ago Lowry decided he’d try and play a few events on the PGA Tour but having beaten McIlroy in the first round of the WGC-Accenture Matchplay, eventually going down to McDowell in the third round, he played another four events on invitations but made just one cut.

America is not for him and he prefers the camaraderie of the European Tour to the loneliness of the US circuit. Instead - buoyed by good performances in The Open, the Bridgestone Invitational and the US PGA - he sees a future for himself as a European Tour player with a global schedule. 

As he said after the final major of the season at Oak Hill: ““I am not blowing my own trumpet here or anything but there are not many players in that Top-50 in the world I feel like are better than me. I just need a couple of breaks here and there and get myself in there and I guarantee you I won’t be moving out of it.”

It’s a view he still holds. 

“I don’t know how this is going to come out but I don’t think they have got anything more than I have got,” he says of the Top-50 brigade. “I think I am good enough and I will stay patient and wait for it to happen. That’s the one thing I have to do. It’s when I try to force it and try and do it is when it won’t happen. Maybe when I least expect it is when it will happen.”

As for Europe v America, he says: “When I was over there, I wasn’t playing any tournaments with Rory or Graeme. You go down to Puerto Rico or New Orleans and there is no one there that you know. It is a lonely old place and there’s a different vibe. I am sure I will do it again in the future. I am really happy playing in Europe and as I’ve said, I’ve said it before and I will say it again, Europe is crying out for someone to take it over and do well and win multiple times each year. 

“Mr Europe? Yes. Monty was the ultimate Mr European Tour. Thomas Bjorn is kind of in that role now but it seems to me - and I was guilty of doing it this year - any young guy that does well in Europe straight away wants to go to America. It’s not for everyone.”

Shane Lowry. Picture via shanelowrygolf.com

Lowry’s great appeal is that he is immensely likeable - a home town boy who came good. Like Darren Clarke, he is popular because he’s no different to any other 26-year old you might meet on a night out in Tullamore or Dungannon, or Mullingar. As the touring professional for Carton House, he’s almost as happy playing his best friend Dara Lernihan for the price of breakfast as he is teeing it up in majors. That said, he loves the big stage and the limelight. And he’s not afraid to dream big.

“I definitely think my game is good enough to compete at the highest level. I have no doubt about myself tht way. I think it is more because I love the feel of playing at the highest level, playing in front of big crowds. I think that’s why I feel like I can excel in those big tournaments.

“Augusta? That’s a dream and I know I will play in the Masters some day. As I say, if I stay patient, it will happen and hopefully that will be next year.”

Grinning as he contemplates the scene, he says: “I’d love to put on the green jacket. I’d take that.” 

“My good golf is so much better now than my good golf was and my bad golf is so much better too. Better misses. I read Hank Haney’s book ‘The Big Miss’, and that was what Tiger always talked about. It’s not about how good your good golf is, it’s about how good your bad golf is.” 
 
Had Lowry’s third place finish in the Alfred Dunhill Links come a week earlier, he might have put himself in the spotlight by playing in the Seve Trophy. Instead, he ended up missing out by one spot on both the European and World Points qualifying lists. It was a disappointment but if results go his way, he could have an outside chance of challenging for a Ryder Cup place in 2014, eight years after he first experiencing the biennial event’s unique atmosphere as a fan at The K Club.

“I was there on the Friday,’ he says. “I remember the bad weather. I remember it was mental. I remember going to stand by the back of the fourth green after everyone had teed off. It was wild. I was there when [Darren] Clarke[y] went onto the first tee. When I went home I had a sore throat that evening from roaring. 

“I wasn’t standing there thinking, one day I could be playing in one of these. Even watching Medinah last year, again I wasn’t sitting there thinking about Gleneagles. I was just delighted that they were winning that one. 

“Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to play in a Ryder Cup. I get on well with Paul McGinley and have played with him quite a bit recently. He just says to me, ‘Shane, just keep playing well.’ That’s all you need to do. He’s not trying to put any pressure on me. I’d love to play on that team. I’d love to make it and to be an Irish person on that team would be great. He’d be a great captain. He’d be brilliant. He’s fiery and you would get up for it with him. 

Shane Lowry tries his hand at surfing. He wasn't upright for long. Picture courtesy www.shanelowrygolf.com

Shane Lowry sat down with us in Portugal last year to try the Proust Questionnaire. One thing is clear, he's not a Westmeath fan. He also confesses that he's "borderline lazy."

What’s your idea of perfect happiness?

Having a good,healthy family when I am older. People think golf is the be all and end all but it actually isn’t. if I am happy when I am 35 or 40 with a nice family and everyone’s happy and healthy, I’ll be happy.

What’s your greatest fear?

Westmeath winning an All Ireland. Or death.

Which living person do you most admire?

My girlfriend Wendy’s sister Melissa had a kidney transplant recently and her other sister, Alison, donated one of her kidneys. So I admire them immensely.

What personal trait do you most dislike in yourself?

I suppose I’m borderline lazy. If there is something to be done, I sometime sit back and forget to do it. Before you know it, it’s too late. 

What trait do you most dislike in other people?

I can’t stand people that are tight. 

What’s your greatest extravagance?

I bought a nice car last year - a Nissan GT-R. But I think I deserved that.

Greatest achievement? "Winning the Irish Open as an amateur." Picture courtesy www.shanelowrygolf.com

What’s your favourite journey? 

I love the drive into Baltray up to the clubhouse. Before I won the Irish Open, I always loved that. I’ve always had a good feeling driving in there. 

On what occasion do you lie?

To keep people happy.

Which words do you most over use?

‘You know.’ I think everyone knows that. I say that in interviews a lot, you know.

When and where were you happiest?

Standing on that putting green in Portugal last year when Fish (Ross Fisher) missed that putt on 18. (Laughs).

Who or what is the greatest love of your life?

My girlfriend Wendy.

What talent would you most like to have?

I’d love to be able to play the guitar.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Winning the Irish Open as an amateur. 

If you were to do and come back as a person or a thing, what do you think it would be?

I’d love to come back as a rock star. I saw The Script in the Aviva last year and Danny, the lead singer, opened up his jacket and held his arms out wide and he had a tricolour underneath. And I just thought, ‘I’d loooove to be a rock star.’

What’s your most treasured possession (apart from the car)?

I don’t have much, apart from my car. It’s the only thing I really own. I never won anything playing football when I was a kid, we were always beaten in the county final.

What’s your most marked characteristic?

I’m laid back.

Old friends are best. Picture courtesy www.shanelowrygolf.com

What do you most value in your friends?

Trust. The group of friends are have are all very trustworthy and reliable. 

Who is your favourite hero of fiction?

I was never a big Superman or Batman fan so I’d have to say Nidge from Love/Hate. 

Who are your heroes in real life?

When I was a kid, Tiger Woods was always up there. Henry Shefflin and Colm Cooper too.

How would you like to die?

Happy.

What’s your motto?

Here for a good time, not a long time. 

Photographer Pat Cashman stepped into the breach to caddie when Ronan Flood fell ill in Durban. Picture via twitter.com/european_tour

Padraig Harrington is making plenty of headlines this week but not quite the way he had hoped.

On Wednesday, he was telling reporters how his wife Caroline had banned him from trying the world's tallest swing at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Following his opening 71, which featured some indifferent putting over the opening holes, he explained how his caddie Ronan Flood gave him an early wake up call.

"I was getting some early lectures off my caddie," he told the Irish Independent. "Like, 'it's early in the year to be starting this'."

On Friday he shot another 71 but this time Flood lasted just six holes before collapsing due to dehydration and possible food poisoning. 

He was replaced by former Irish Press photographer Pat Cashman, a regular visitor to South Africa and currently a freelance with contracts with the GUI and the ILGU, who just happened to be spectating.

The 65-year old took over from his fellow Hermitage clubman and according to Harrington, did a sterling job.

Pádraig Harrington carries out some caddying duties for Jamie Donaldson on the 18th.

"Ronan felt like he needed to throw up and as he went out on the course he thought it would clear a bit but it got worse and worse and for him to give up," Harrington explained. "I don't think I have ever seen him do that in any circumstances.

"He felt like he was getting in the way and when we finally said goodbye he could not physically stand up. I really did feel bad because he was lying there but thankfully there was a friend of ours out there who holidays down here and he took over.

"He started off like he was carrying bows and arrows but by the end he had the double-strap going (on the bag) and was using all the lingo.

"It's amazing how much caddies do for you and it gives you a new appreciation for what they do out there. I know now why we pay them the big bucks!"

Flood was taken to the clubhouse to be treated by a doctor and is expected to be fit to resume his duties on Saturday, although stand-in Cashman has offered his services if required.

"The bag was lighter than I expected," Pat said. "It was very comfortable. I saw Ronan on the range and he looked awful. I said if you need help, call me. 

"They sent out a replacement caddie but Padraig asked if I would be happy to continue and I was. I told him I wouldn't give him a line or a club but he was so easy to work for.

"I've given him my phone number if he needs me but hopefully Ronan will be okay."

Harrington revealed how Cashman quickly realised that he doesn't like to hear his caddie "talking to my golf ball."

When the subject turned to his golf, Harrington was not quite as enthusiastic as he was about his "new" caddie. His confidence in his chipping and putting remains at a low ebb.

A double bogey seven at the eighth erased two early birdies and while he came home in one under thanks to a birdie at the 18th, he had two bogeys to go with his three back-nine birdies.

Darren Clarke made this fine up and down to save par on the 18th

Five strokes behind leaders Joost Luiten, Louis Oosthuizen and Tommy Fleetwood on two under par, he assessed the state of his game with a sigh and a deep breath and said: "I see some bright sparks at times.

"This week is about putting it all together and I was very happy with the way I was hitting the ball at the end of last year. I'd be happy if at the end of this week I am hitting it like I was hitting it at the end of last year, just with a better short game.

"Putting and chipping - I just need to have a bit more confidence in it."

As Luiten made an albatross two at the 10th - he holed a four-iron from 248 yards  en route to a 67 and a share of the lead - Darren Clarke failed to build on a fast start, though a 71 left him just three strokes off the pace in a share of sixth on four under.

Three birdies in the first four holes and another at the eighth following a bogey at the sixth gave the Dungannon native a share of the lead on six under.

But the now slimline 45-year old played his last eight holes in two over par, dropping shots at the 11th and 14th before doing well to save par at the last.

His three-wood ended up left of the green, leaving him a tough pitch over the greenside bunker.

Joost Luiten in action at Durban Country Club. Picture © Volvo in Golf

Opting to play a a high, cut up shot, he came up short and plugged in the sand but did well to hole a six footer for his par-four.

Simon Thornton is tied for 11th with Harrington on two under after a level par 72 with Michael Hoey's bogey-bogey finish for a 73 leaving him joint 20th in the 36-man field on one-over.

As for Luiten's albatross, the Dutchman said: “I hit a four‑iron and basically went straight at it, and it just pitched exactly where I wanted.

“I wanted it just to the front of the green, and then hopefully to release up the slope and that's what it did.  It went straight at the pin and it went in.  It was a good feeling.

“At seven under for the tournament, I’m in a great position for the weekend and I just need to keep on playing.  It's very tough out there.  You just need to make pars and sometimes you have to sneak in a birdie or an albatross - that will help.”

Home favourite Oosthuizen carded four birdies and one bogey over the first ten holes before ending with eight consecutive pars as the former Open Champion signed for a three under par 69 to boost his hopes of retaining the title he won at the same venue 12 months ago.

Fleetwood, who earned his place in the 36-man field for the European Tour’s ‘tournament of champions’ by winning the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles last August, posted a round of 67.

Frenchman Victor Dubuisson is a shot behind the leading trio on six under par following a an up and down round of 69.

Italian Matteo Manassero also moved into contention in fifth position on five under par with a round of 67, while former Open champion Clarke (71) and joint overnight leader Raphaël Jacquelin of France (73) share sixth on four under par.  

Volvo Golf Champions at Durban Country Club (par 72)

137 J Luiten (Ned) 70 67, T Fleetwood  (Eng) 70 67, L Oosthuizen  (RSA) 68 69,

138 V Dubuisson  (Fra) 69 69,

139 M Manassero (Ita) 72 67,

140 D Clarke (Nir) 69 71, R Jacquelin (Fra) 67 73,

141 B Grace  (RSA) 74 67, M Siem  (Ger) 70 71, C Wood  (Eng) 70 71,

142 D Van Der Walt (RSA) 71 71, J Donaldson (Wal) 71 71, P Harrington (Irl) 71 71, S Thornton (Irl) 70 72,

143 C Schwartzel  (RSA) 74 69, B Rumford (Aus) 73 70,

144 D Fichardt (RSA) 73 71, T Aiken (RSA) 72 72, C Montgomerie  (Sco) 70 74,

145 D Howell (Eng) 76 69, M Hoey  (Nir) 72 73, R Sterne  (RSA) 72 73, D Lynn (Eng) 71 74, M Madsen  (Den) 71 74,

146 M Jiménez (Esp) 76 70, R Karlsson (Swe) 74 72, M Ilonen  (Fin) 73 73,

147 T Björn (Den) 79 68, J Quesne  (Fra) 74 73, G Fernandez-Castaño  (Esp) 74 73, S Gallacher (Sco) 73 74, P Casey  (Eng) 72 75,

148 P Uihlein  (USA) 70 78,

149 K Aphibarnrat (Tha) 75 74, J Jeong (Kor) 73 76,

150 J Olazábal (Esp) 73 77.

Darren Clarke enjoyed the opening round of the Volvo Golf Champions. Picture © Volvo in Golf

Wind specialists Darren Clarke and Simon Thornton flourished on a blustery opening day to keep leader Raphaël Jacquelin in their sights at the Volvo Golf Champions in South Africa.

As Jacquelin finished with back-to-back birdies to card a five under 67 for a one-stroke lead over defending champion Louis Oosthuizen at Durban Country Club, slimline Clarke shot a 69 to share third place with Thornton tied for fifth after a 70.

Pádraig Harrington came back from two over after five holes to post a one under 71 as Michael Hoey shot a level par 72 thanks to three birdies in his last five holes.

But Clarke and Thornton were easily the happiest of the Irish quartet after battling testing breezes in the opening European Tour event of 2014.

Pádraig Harrington studies his birdie putt at the 18th.

"It was good," said Clarke, who has shed more than 40lbs since undertaking a strict fitness regime last October.

"I have played here a lot over the years. It might be my 13th tournament here so I know what the course is like and how difficult it plays in conditions like this. 

"It was a case of minimising any poor shots and keeping it in play and I did that today. I have had good and bad here but it is a tough golf course and when you get a breeze like this it makes it even more so." 

Unsurprised by his fast start to the year, Clarke said: "I've been working hard at home as much as weather conditions have permitted and my ball striking has been okay. Early in the season your timing is going to be a little bit suspect but all in all I hit a lot of really good shots."

As for his new physique, he said: "I'm feeling strong. I reached the 10th today into the wind - hit it 300 off the tee and driver off the fairway from 285 to 12 feet. I couldn't have reached that green five or six months ago so hopefully it will pay off. But it's still early in the season." 

Asked how much weight he'd lost, he said: "Enough. But a little more won't do any harm. I took a look at myself in October and thought I was too fat and that it was time for a change."

As Clarke made five birdies and just two bogeys, Thornton was just as pleased to erase three bogeys with three birdies and an eagle three at the par-five 14th.

"If you take the wind away, you take the course's defence away," said the Co Down resident. "But it was good with the breeze today. It suited my game and I'm pretty pleased with two under. 

"It was hard to judge a two-club wind, especially when you are sheltered on tees. Coming from Royal County Down, where I play when I am not at tournaments, it suits my game down to the ground. 

"Course management is key and you can shoot just as well not hitting driver anywhere. So if you hit it in the right places on the fairway you can score."

Thornton played just 27 holes in practice at home during his three-and-a-half-week winter break and could not have been more pleased with his start to 2014, especially in such august company.

"It was a great year for me and everything has continued on an upward curve," he said in an interview with European Tour Radio's Nick Dye, clearly delighted to find himself in an elite, 36-man field with no cut to worry about.

"It would be nice to have one of these every month. You can relax, knowing you can compete with these guys.

"They are all names - and all big names - but you have earned your place here and you can compete with them so there is nothing to lose really."

Like Thornton, Harrington found himself two over par early in his round but fought back with birdies at the sixth, eighth and ninth to turn in 35.

A bogey at the par-three 12th was countered with a birdie four at the 14th but he failed to pick up shots coming home, misreading a 12 foot birdie chance from the edge of the 273-yard 18th having bunkered his tee shot just left of the green.

The Dubliner ended the day tied for 12th with Hoey joint 17th thanks to a fine finish to a testing round.

The Belfast man had five bogeys and two birdies in his first 12 holes before finishing with birdies at the 14th, 15th and 18th.

Jacquelin, who earned his place in the 36-man ‘tournament of champions’ field by winning the 2013 Open de España after an epic nine-hole play-off, showed few signs of rust in his game following the winter break.

After opening with five straight pars, he birdied the sixth and eighth holes before the turn, then picked up further shots on the 14th, 17th and 18th holes for a five under par round of 67.

“I managed to get everything right today,” he said. “It was a bogey‑free round, and that was the key - to go every round bogey‑free on this course. It's a new year and it is pretty good way for me to start, so that's great.”

Oosthuizen took a little longer to get back into the swing, dropping a shot on the first hole, but the South African hit back with five birdies for a round of 68, as he attempts to become the first player to successfully defend the Volvo Golf Champions title.

“It was a rough start, and it’s not the easiest five holes to start the day with in that wind, but, I got into a rhythm quickly at about the third, or fourth hole and felt comfortable in the wind,” he said.

“I think level par, or one under, for me would have been a nice start just to get the tournament going. But once I turned, when I got to the 10th, I really felt comfortable out there. I still left quite a few birdies out there, and I didn’t really make any putts, but, I feel good.”

Clarke shares third position with Frenchman Victor Dubuisson while Thornton was joined in a six-way tie for fifth by Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie and the European Tour’s 2013 Rookie of the Year, American Peter Uihlein, who recovered from a triple bogey seven on the first hole.

Volvo Golf Champions at Durban Country Club (par 72)

Round one

67 R Jacquelin (Fra), 

68 L Oosthuizen (RSA), 

69 V Dubuisson (Fra), D Clarke (Nir), 

70 C Wood (Eng), J Luiten (Ned), P Uihlein (USA), S Thornton (Irl), T Fleetwood (Eng), M Siem (Ger), C Montgomerie (Sco), 

71 P Harrington (Irl), J Donaldson (Wal), D Van Der Walt (RSA), D Lynn (Eng), M Madsen (Den), 

72 M Hoey (Nir), T Aiken (RSA), P Casey (Eng), R Sterne (RSA), M Manassero (Ita), 

73 J Olazábal (Esp), M Ilonen (Fin), S Gallacher (Sco), D Fichardt (RSA), J Jeong (Kor), B Rumford (Aus), 

74 R Karlsson (Swe), J Quesne (Fra), B Grace (RSA), G Fdez-Castaño (Esp), C Schwartzel (RSA), 

75 K Aphibarnrat (Tha), 

76 M Jiménez (Esp), D Howell (Eng), 

79 T Björn (Den).

A slimline Darren Clarke tees off in practice in Durban this week. Picture © Volvo In Golf

Darren Clarke has shed more than 40 lbs according to reports from the Volvo Golf Champions in Durban.
A new fitness regime with Dublin-based Jamie Myerscough is the cause but if past efforts are anything to go by, we can't help wondering how long Big D will remain on the low sugar, low fat regime.

Darren Clarke tees off in the Volvo Golf Champions Pro-Am.

When he beat Tiger Woods in the final of the 2000 WGC-Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship at La Costa Resort and Spa, the loser left a note in his locker:. “Enjoy it, you fat f***!”

His Guinness fuelled waistline was an easy hook for audiences keen to buy into the 'broth of a boy' image that sells so well. But it didn't help much at the start of the Tiger Woods era, especially in physically demanding conditions.

In the rain-sodden 2003 Masters, Clarke raced out of the blocks with a 66 that gave him a three-stroke lead over Ricky Barnes and Sergio Garcia.

He didn't complete his 66 until Friday and forced to head straight back out, he added rounds of 76, 78 and 74 to end up a tired 28th, 13 strokes adrift of winner Mike Weir.

It was a wake up call for the Ulsterman, who vowed to go on a fitness drive straight away and won that year's WGC-NEC Invitational at Firestone.

"I'm pretty strong now," he said in Akron more than a decade ago. "I don't need to do that much. I've just got to lose a little bit of weight basically and get myself a little bit fitter so maybe coming down the stretch I won't make mistakes because of not being out of shape and not mentally alert and sharp as I should be."

When he returned to Augusta in 2004, he was fitter, lighter and determined that whatever the course threw at him, he would not be beaten by fatigue.

Darren Clarke as he was nearly 12 months ago in Abu Dhabi. Picture: Fran Caffrey / www.golffile.ie

"Not an excuse for the next three rounds after my first round last year, but something I came up with at the end of it," he said at the time. "Hopefully I'll be in better shape. If I can shoot 66 on Thursday, I'll be very pleased, to be able to cope with the hills.

"I've been in the gym six days a week, two hours a day, basically. No beer. I'm very careful about what I'm eating. That's basically what I've done. I haven't embraced [fitness] for about 17 years. So took me a while to get around to it. I thought I could get by with what I had. 

"But I think if you take a look at all of the guys on the top of the world ranking, they are all very fit, and that is something that eventually got into my head. It takes a lot to push me sometimes, and this was reality, something that I had to do to try and improve."

Still, he was wary of losing too much weight and, as a consequence, altering the way he swung the club.

"I have found that out, yes," he said of the dangers of going too far and losing too much weight. "I think I am okay where I'm at at the moment, and hopefully this is where I plan to stay, at the size where I am at the minute. But a few people have gone too far and it has had an effect on their game. I think some of my play early this year has been because of that change in shape a little bit and trying to adapt my swing to it, but I'm starting to feel more comfortable again.

"Butch has been fantastic. I was with him in Vegas earlier in the year, and we worked on a few different things. But he was one of the main guys that kept on in my ear all the time, you have to lose weight and get in better shape and stuff. He's pleased with the work I've done and working very hard at the moment."

Asked what difference the weight loss had made, he said: "A bit of everything. Balance is one, obviously because there isn't as much. There isn't three cases of beer in front of me when I'm swinging . But obviously balance and feel have just changed.

"Yes, I was [surprised about the scale of the change]. I've given all my old clothes away, so I have none to go back to. I have to stay the same size as I am (Laughter)."

Clarke's weight loss drive didn't last for long and when he won the 2011 Open Championship at Royal St George's he joked that his plan to go to Weight Watchers could safely be put on hold for a few days so he could celebrate.

 Darren Clarke en route to victory in the final round of the 2011 Open Championship. Picture Credit / Phil Inglis / www.golffile.ie

Asked at the hungover Monday morning press conference how much weight he planned to lose, Clarke said: No idea, we'll see. I'll probably get bored with it in a week and give up. (Laughter.) I think this could probably be a bad week for me to try and start. I think every time there's five points in a pint of Guinness, I think it's a real bad week for me to start. With Chubby doing it, I can't get away from listening about him doing it."

He eventually got round to his fitness at the end of 2011, working hard with personal trainer Jonny Bloomfield in an attempt to extend his career into his late forties.

Six months later and the trainer had gone - the travelling proved too much - and the then 43-year Clarke, was back to his old weight as he gave an interview before his defence of The Open title.

He’d still do some fitness work, he said - “light bits to keep ticking over. I’m not going to be Westwood."

But he also insisted that he’d always punched better in the heavyweight division.

“People say yes you should be fitter, you should be in better shape, yes it’s supposed to be better for you mentally and all of that sort of crap,” Clarke explained. “But if I look back at some of my best golf, I’ve always been a little bit on the big side. Would I like to be on the lighter side and play my best? Of course I would. But it hasn’t really worked for me before.”

Set to play on both the European Tour and the US PGA Tour this year, Clarke told reporters in South Africa: "I was getting too big and too tired. I actually played nicely at the Dunhill but made mistakes in the final five holes. It was the same old thing. That's what I've been doing for a few years.

"There have been a few poor swings or whatever but, obviously, a certain degree of that would point towards fatigue, so a lot of what I've been doing was just to get me stronger and fitter."

How long the new fitness regime remains in place remains to be seen but Clarke's battle of the bulge is part of his everyman charm. At the age of 45, he's far to young to just fade away.

Three-time Major champion Pádraig Harrington, defending champion Louis Oosthuizen and 2012 winner Branden Grace took part is some target practice with a difference inside Durban’s spectacular Moses Mabhida Stadium ahead of this week’s Volvo Golf Champions, writes the European Tour.

The trio, who were also joined by former South African cricketer Shaun Pollock, hit shots from the top tier of the 2010 football World Cup stadium to a bull’s-eye target 155 yards away, approximately 65 yards below on the pitch. 

All three players are taking part in the US$4million ‘tournament of champions’ at Durban Country Club, where they will be hoping to start the 2014 calendar year with a victory.

Louis Ooshuizen tries his luck at Mabhida Stadium in Durban.  Picture © Getty Images.

The 54,000 capacity Moses Mabhida Stadium, which overlooks the course, hosted seven matches during the World Cup and provided the stunning backdrop for the fun challenge, with all three players successfully hitting the target.

Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open Champion, said: “I actually felt quite nervous in front of everybody. It was good fun but it was difficult because you didn’t know what the wind was doing.

“The conditions were completely different to what we are used to but that made it fun. I like the way Volvo try different things. It makes it very interesting. It didn’t quite get the rust off though – I think I need another practice round.”

Compatriot Grace also enjoyed the contest ahead of the real challenge of trying to regain the Volvo Golf Champions title from Oosthuizen.

“That was great fun,” he said. “Hitting between two Major Champions – I will take that as a warm up any day. It was fantastic to be in this spectacular stadium where so much history was made, and to hit at the target under completely different circumstances.”

Grace will be looking to continue his fine record in Volvo sponsored events, having won this title two years ago when the event was played at Fancourt and also the Volvo China Open the same year.

He finished tied seventh at Durban Country Club 12 months ago and is looking for another strong performance this week.

“I don't know what it is, but Volvo keep choosing golf courses I like playing,” said Grace. “And when they choose courses I haven’t played, I like them by the end of the week.

“This event is a great way to start the year, and I had a good week last year. This year with the heat, it's going to play a lot firmer and faster and I'm sure by Thursday, it's going to be something completely different to what we expect.”

 Graeme McDowell speaks to the media after the first round at the Irish Open at Carton House last year. Picture: Fran Caffrey / www.golffile.ie

No matter how much you might have irritated him during the year, Graeme McDowell will invariably put any lingering ill-feeling aside to offer another revealing insight into his world.

It's no surprise then that he has been named by the Golf Writers Association of America as the recipient of the ASAP Sports / Jim Murray Award for being accommodating to the media.

Graeme McDowell

Ken Duke and Rhonda Glen were also recognised by the GWAA for their achievements.

Duke, who made it to the PGA Tour at age 35 - 20 years after a metal rod was inserted in his back to treat scoliosis - won the Ben Hogan Award Presented by ISPS Handa for remaining active in golf despite a physical disability.

Glenn, considered the foremost authority on women's golf in America, was named winner of the William D. Richardson Award for consistently making outstanding contributions to golf.

Duke, Glenn and McDowell will be honoured at the annual GWAA Awards Dinner in Augusta, Ga., on April 9.

 Padraig Harrington lines up a putt on the 17th green during the final round of the 2012 US Open at Olympic Club. He holed it but it was still a year of putting yips. Photo Eoin Clarke/ www.golffile.ie

Pádraig Harrington will resume his bid to get back into the game's elite when he tees it up alongside Jaime Donaldson, the man who outputted him to win the 2012 Irish Open, in the Volvo Golf Champions in Durban this week. The Dubliner insists that he did not have the yips last season but it remains to be seen if he is fully cured.

As he explained to Newstalk's Joe Molloy in a Christmas interview, the feeling of panic he experienced as he realised as he was taking the putter away that he had no idea what he was trying to do, is something he never wants to experience again.

Having spoken to yips expert Bernhard Langer at the 2012 Masters, Harrington would love to sit down with the German maestro for another chat. Doing it at Augusta this year will require Harrington - down three place to 134th in the first world ranking of 2014 - getting back into the world's Top-50 or winning a PGA Tour event by April. 

That he has a handle on what was going wrong is encouraging, as he told Newstalk:

"It ultimately came down to [the fact that] I was struggling reading the greens. And as I am doing my preparation, as I am over the ball - all the way through - I am still deciding on what I am trying to do. And ultimately, when I went to hit the putt, I had no decision made. I had no preparation done and all of a sudden anything could come out. I had no concept of what I was trying to do and as a consequence, you fear what is going to happen. It was just a simple, routine, process thing. I know that if I do X, Y and Z it doesn't appear. So it is all about having that decision made early so that I can do my preparation properly. 

"I did talk to Bernhard Langer at the Masters in 2012 but I'd like to go back now and talk to him again. From his point of view, he had to just get it in his head that he could miss. The clarity for him was knowing, I can miss. It didn't have to be 100 percent. I putted okay at that Masters that year and I was in contention - the one where I missed all those putts on the back nine. I didn't hole that many putts but I didn't putt badly in the sense that I hit really bad putts. I've found that I'd be feeling great on the greens and just hit a putt like that. 

"[How does it feel over the ball?] It didn't feel so bad at all until I took the putter away. Then it was just panic. I couldn't get the putter back to the ball quick enough. It was just horrible for a good putter to feel like that and for me it was the lack of understanding why. I'd be walking in to the putt feeling pretty positive and then it would just jump out of nowhere. 

"I used a long putter this year and it was fine. The long putter was part of the solution to it but it was only in the last three months that I truly realised, even though I wasn't having the yips this year (2013), that that is where it was coming from. I hit a few putts like that out of the blue and it came back to not having made a decision and questioning my reading of the greens. I wouldn't be nervous all the way up until I pulled the putter away and all of a sudden, it was like an electric eel in my hand."

Harrington is joined in the 36-man field in Durban by Russian Open winner Michael Hoey, Saint Omer champion Simon Thornton and former Open winner Darren Clarke

Greg Norman on the design visit to Doonbeg. Picture via Doonbeg Lodge

Course designer Greg Norman was straight on the phone to investigate as Doonbeg denied "rumours" that several holes had been lost to the massive storms that have lashed the west coast of Ireland in recent days.

The 14th at Doonbeg has so far survived the ravages of the Atlantic storms, according to the club.

Head professional Brian Shaw was forced to cut short a phone call explaining the extent of the damage with a phrase that makes your ears prick up: "Sorry, I have to take this. Greg Norman is on the other line."

That Norman was on the phone to get a first hand report is perturbing, though not necessarily confirmation that the County Clare course has fallen to the wild Atlantic waves.

And while Shaw revised up last Saturday's storm damage update of "sand deposit" and fencing loss to report more serious damage to the links, he vehemently denied rumours that several of the holes lovingly created by the Great White Shark had been lost to the ocean.

"We've taken a real hammering in the past few days," Shaw confessed. "We've heard the rumours that are out there but the story is that while the storms have taken the back tee at the 18th, it is still too soon to assess the full extent of the damage and the undercutting.

"We got lucky last night because the storm hit to the south of us but I can report that all of our fencing is gone and we have lost a path behind the fifth green.

"The 14th [the iconic par-three featuring a green cut into the top of a lone dune] is still intact but it's clear with the steepness of the slope there that we are going to have to take steps [regarding anti-erosion measures] there."

We await further reports on the fate of the links and the jobs that go with one of County Clare's biggest tourist attractions. 

Doughmore Beach at Doonbeg. Picture via Doonbeg Lodge

Though nowhere near the 960,134 that visited the Cliffs of Moher - up 10 percent on 2012 figures - or the droves of overseas golfers travelling to take on mighty Lahinch, Doonbeg is a significant local employer.

Lahinch Golf Club, incidentally, reported flooding to low-lying areas and superficial damage to tees and greens following last week's storms.

The town itself suffered severe damage to its promenade.

Other links courses, such as County Sligo at Rosses Point, also suffered erosion damage.

Irish PGA champion Michael McGeady needs a sponsor to help fund his 2014 season. Pictured en route to victory in the Irish PGA at Roganstown Gofl & Country Club last year by Thos Caffrey / www.golffile.ie

Concra Wood will play its part in the race for five Challenge Tour places awarded to the leading money winners on the 2014 PGA EuroPro Tour.  But it remains to be seen if Irish PGA champion Michael McGeady will be there as he desperately seeks financial backing that will allow him to continue chasing his tour dream.

The Derry professional, who lost the backing of a local sponsor during the economic downturn, was seriously thinking of hanging up his spikes before he claimed the Irish PGA Championship at Roganstown in October.

Now, like every other Irish player on the smaller tours, he's hoping he can find someone willing to help fund his 2014 season so he can build on some excellent play in 2013.

"It’s tough at the minute and for me it is very difficult to get sponsorship together to be able to make a schedule to play next year," said the 35-year old father of one who finished 26th in the Order of Merit in 2013 with winnings of £6,463. "I just don’t know what I am doing yet and the ball is up in the air, so to speak. 

"For me, since I ran my [five-year] course with Team Ireland, it’s a financial thing. I need to have a certain amount of funds to make sure there is a roof over my head. I don’t expect someone to play my mortgage but as long as I know that I can go and play golf without having to worry about money, I can concentrate on my golf and from there play better golf."

 Michael McGeady hits to the 18th during the final round of the Cassidy Golf 103rd Irish PGA Championship in Roganstown Golf Club on Sunday 13th October 2013. Picture: Thos Caffrey / www.golffile.ie

McGeady, who won the Challenge Tour in 2008, has struggled to get back onto the second tier circuit despite playing some excellent golf on the EuroPro Tour in recent years.

The EuroPro Tour, where the winner takes home £10,000 every week, is the only show in town for him and while it keeps him competitively sharp, its set-up is far from ideal.

"I’ve been at it seven years and I have had snippets of success," McGeady explained.  "I’ve won on the Challenge Tour, which is a fairly good level and been runner up too. So I know I am good enough to compete at that level. I’ve become more consistent over the last few years but haven’t been able to get back onto the Challenge Tour to prove it. 

"The EuroPro is a race to get to 10 under par over three days, that’s basically what it is. It’s not a test of consistency and the way it is broken down is awful.

"I could finish third every week for six weeks in a row and someone could miss five cuts and then win an event and go ahead of me in the Order of Merit. To me, that’s not the way Order of Merits should be structured. It’s so top heavy and while they call it a development tour, I don’t think it is.

"It costs me £700-£800 a wee to play so competing in 15 events costs me £12,000 which covers entry fees, travel and accommodation. That doesn’t come close to what you are paying to cover the costs of seeing a coach, a mind psychologist or any medical expenses. That’s another €4,000 at least.

"At our level, club manufacturers are not looking after you so you have to buy that as well. It’s a catch 22 situation. You are at the bottom and you need the help, nobody wants to help you. But when you are at the top and you don’t need the help, everyone wants to give it to you.

"It is difficult to keep going and I have come close the last two years to coming off the EuroPro Tour. But I have kept chasing it and chasing it. I didn’t stick to my set out schedule and goals and when you are playing well you keep chasing it and chasing it rather than stepping back and being professional about it - taking the week off and preparing better for the following week."

Giving up satellite tour life to do a three-year PGA training course would leave McGeady in an equally difficult position financially. He would not qualify until he was almost 40 and given the economic situation, there is no guarantee he would find a club job at the end of his training.

"It’s something I’ve looked at and perhaps I might still do it," he said. "Ideally, I’d like to keep playing. I said last year I’d give myself another two years at it if I was able to get a sponsor. So I need another sponsor to give me another crack at it.

"I’ll work through the winter and try to save enough money to play one or two events at the beginning of the season and hopefully get a cash injection that way.

"Winning the Irish PGA gave me a whole new lease of life. I had thought that if at the end of the season I have nothing to show for it, I will just gracefully bow out. But now I have just another glimmer of hope and go and try and secure some kind of sponsorship and play."

If McGeady does decide to play again on the EuroPro Tour, he will have several Irish players for company - Tim Rice, Paul Cutler, Neil O Briain, David Rawluk, Rick Weldon and Mark Staunton all played regularly in 2013 while Ruaidhri McGee played four round at the Final Stage of Q-School and earned a Challenge Tour card.

No doubt, most of them will be at Conra Wood when the Castleblayney venue stages the 10th tournament of the third-tier tour's 15 event season from July 23-25.

The tour will visit some of the best courses across England, Scotland and Ireland, starting on the Brabazon at The Belfry from April 15-17.

As part of a new strategic partnership with De Vere, the tour will also bring Europe’s best young golfers to The Carrick on Loch Lomond (July 9-11) and Slaley Hall (August 13-15).
 
After starting at The Belfry the tour returns to Montrose Golf Links. The historic course made a successful debut on the PGA EuroPro Tour in 2013 and will again welcome the tour to Scotland’s east coast from April 29-May 1.
 
Longhirst Hall stages event number three from May 21-23, and for the first time the tour will play on the Dawson Course at the Northumberland venue.
 
The tour then heads to long-standing host Burhill (May 29-31), where the New Course is often praised as one of the best on tour.
 
Event five sees a return to KK Downing’s The Astbury in Shropshire from June 11-13. The course earned rave reviews from players after making its EuroPro debut last season.
 
From Shropshire the tour travels to Wiltshire for a maiden appearance at Cumberwell Park, described as one of southern England’s best new courses.

Tim Rice on the 15th tee during round the of the Cassidy Golf 103rd Irish PGA Championship in Roganstown Golf Club. Picture: Thos Caffrey / www.golffile.ie

The tournament will take place from June 18-20. The short trip to Frilford Heath’s Blue Course in Oxfordshire follows from June 25-27.
 
The tour stays in Scotland after its week at The Carrick to play at Royal Burgess - The Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh from July 16-18.
 
The final event of July sees a trip to Ireland and the third consecutive visit to the stunning and popular Concra Wood from July 23-25.
 
Moor Allerton was rated as one of 2013’s best new events and the tour returns to the Leeds club from August 6-8, before heading to Northumberland to play Slaley Hall’s Priestman Course.
 
Last year’s Tour Championship hosts Prince’s stages event number 13 from August 19-21 on their Shores and Dunes course, before the tour heads to The Oxfordshire from August 27-29.
 
The regular season concludes back in Scotland, where Mar Hall will host the tour for a third successive year following which the top 60 on the Order of Merit will be invited to play the Tour Championship.
 
A two-hour highlights package from every event will be broadcast on Sky Sports HD four times within two weeks of the tournament, and will later be available on the tour’s YouTube channel.
 
Details of the 2014 Tour Championship will be announced in the spring.

Entries for the 2014 PGA EuroPro Tour Qualifying School have now opened.
 
Qualifying School takes place over two stages, with players choosing from De Vere Slaley Hall, Formby Hall, Woldingham and The Players Club for their 36-hole first stage before successful golfers progress to second stage, with 54 holes played over the Red and Blue Courses at Frilford Heath. Further details can be found www.europrotour.com

PGA EuroPro Tour Schedule 2014

1. April 15-17 The Belfry 
2. April 29 - May 1 Montrose Links 
3. May 21-23 Longhirst Hall
4. May 29-32 Burhill 
5. June 11-13 The Astbury 
6. June 18-20 Cumberwell Park 
7. June 25-27 Frilford Heath 
8. July 9-11 The Carrick of Loch Lomond
9. July 16-18 Royal Burgess 
10. July 23-25 Concra Wood 
11. August 6-8 Moor Allerton 
12. August 13-15 Slaley Hall 
13. August 19-21 Prince’s 
14. August 27-29 The Oxfordshire 
15. September 3-5 Mar Hall 

Paul McGinley is creating his own golfing legacy in Ghana and other places around the world but his favourite courses are on more traditional golfing terrain.

Paul McGinley might be the European Ryder Cup captain but he is also a golfer with a passion for design and the qualities that go into making a course a great test of golf.

His upbringing at the James Braid designed Grange in the foothills of the Dublin mountains defined him as a player - a straight hitter with an ability to move the ball at will.

Asking a man who has already taken his first steps in golf design to pick his three favourite courses is almost cruel, but he gave it his best shot when we caught up with him last season.

Sunningdale New, Berkshire, England

Sunningdale New. Picture via http://www.sunningdale-golfclub.co.uk

"It’s an old Harry Colt design and he’s right up there as one of my favourite course designers. It’s partly because he has such great green designs but also because there is a high premium on working the ball around the golf course, forcing you to shape it both ways, which is something I love. I live on the course so I play it an awful lot and it’s just fantastic golf course, a real gem. Picking out a favourite hole is very tough but the par-five sixth is right up there. It’s only about 510 yards but it’s a special hole because not just from a design point of view but also because it is so aesthetically beautiful. You tee off high on a hill in the middle of gorse and heather and drive down to a fairway that’s cut out of the heather. Then you have a tough, uphill shot to a two-tiered green that’s heavily protected on the front right and left with bunkers. It’s just a beautiful, stunning hole and I’m just so lucky to live right on the course and that the club are very good in allowing me to play." 

 Portmarnock Golf Club, Portmarnock, Co. Dublin, Ireland

The 18th green at Portmarnock Golf Club. Picture via http://www.portmarnockgolfclub.ie

"As links golf courses go I think it is probably the fairest links golf course I have ever played and right up there on a par with Muirfield as two of the best links courses in the world. You can chase the ball into the greens and no matter which way the wind is blowing, it is always playable. There is always a way into the greens. The par-three 15th is obviously one of the most famous par-threes in the world and that’s the stand out thing about Portmarnock - the par threes are all very strong. Personally, I love the 12th which plays 177 yards from the very back tee to just 129 yards from the forward tee. It just shows you that par-threes don’t have to be 200-plus yards in order to be a great test. It just has a very well-designed green with a number of pin positions and playing out towards the sea, the views are just magnificent. It’s a shot that requires skill rather than strength. Then there’s a great finish to the course with that wonderful 18th, which is a great finishing hole. Even though we didn’t win, I have great memories of playing in the Walker Cup there in 1991."

 Cypress Point Club, Pebble Beach, California, United States

The eighth fairway at Cypress Point. Picture via Cypress Point Club

"There are so many great courses in America so I think my third course would have to be Cypress Point. It’s just a magnificent golf course, particularly the finishing holes down by the sea with the par-three 16th with that big carry over the Pacific Ocean. That has to be one of the most iconic holes in golf. I just love courses by the sea and you get the feeling of being somewhere really special when you play at Cypress Point. You are at one with nature there and there is such a great variety of holes too from the inland holes with the dunes and the cypress trees and the wonderful bunkering to the spectacular holes down by the ocean. It’s just a really special place to be and a course I played many times in the AT&T National Pro-Am. You would never tire of playing Cypress Point. "

Padraig Harrington during his final event of 2013, the Turkish Airlines Open. Picture: Fran Caffrey www.golffile.ie

Judging Pádraig Harrington by normal standards makes little sense. These guys are different, which is why he will hit a few balls after dinner today “to relax” while the rest of us are sleeping off the Christmas pudding in front of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Kevin Phelan. Picture: David Lloyd / www.golffile.ie

Waterford’s Kevin Phelan - known as King Kev to his former amateur friends - produced one of the performances of the season to win his European Tour card at the Qualifying School Final Stage. His manger Chubby Chandler believes he could become Ireland’s answer to Luke Donald. It’s little wonder. 

Picture via http://holidaysireland.blogspot.ie

A ruling made by the Upper Tribunal of the European Court of Justice on Friday could lead to a VAT refund bonanza for hundreds of Irish golf clubs worth millions of euro. It could also mean some pain for others.