Ronan Mullarney would love to see more professional events played in Ireland as he gears up for the Irish Challenge at the K Club South Course.
The Irish Challenge is the second of back-to-back events in this country after Conor Purcell won the Black Desert NI Open in Galgorm Castle last week with the Women’s and Men’s Irish Opens set to take the number of professional events played in Ireland to four.
Last week LIV Golf’s Jon Rahm called for a links LIV event to be played in Ireland as part of a warm up for the Open Championship and Mullarney believes Ireland is underused as a professional golf destination.
“Even you see Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth came and played here after the Open. Ireland is wasted, it’s such a small country but there is so much good golf here. You would like to see more in the future but can’t do much about it at the moment,” said Mullarney who gets his Irish Challenge campaign underway at 07:30 alongside Marc Warren and Bryce Easton.
“Ireland is known for its links and we have some of the best links in the world but some of the parkland courses are phenomenal. K Club, Mount Juliet, Druids Glen, Adare. It really is a pity Ireland isn’t used more but hopefully in the future.”
Mullarney hasn’t had the season he would have hoped for stepping up from the Alps Tour to the Challenge Tour but there have been signs of life as he was one shot off the pace at the Euram Bank Open recently before fading over the weekend.
Ranked 169th in the Road to Mallorca Rankings with twelve events remaining before the Grand Final, the 28-year-old is still waiting patiently for his form to turn and hasn’t felt overawed by the step up in class from Alps to Challenge Tour.
“It’s OK. I haven’t had the best year so far, hopefully something will click. Each week something has cost me be it my iron play, driving, putting, something so patience.
“It’s different, the biggest difference is the golf courses it’s like a different skillset is needed. It takes me a bit of time to get used to it which is unbelievably irritating but it’s all part of it.
“The courses are more demanding. Alps Tour had short courses that were extremely penal off the tee. The Challenge Tour not so much they are bigger courses, more tour like courses so just a different skillset.”
The Irish Challenge would be the perfect place to establish a wave of momentum heading into the concluding period of the season and this week’s event is undoubtedly the best on the schedule.
“There are some great events on the Challenge Tour with great courses but everything included, this is the best. It’s a mini Irish Open, there’s no doubt about it.
“I know the course quite well, I would say outside of Galway, my home course, I probably play this most out of any other golf course. It’s in great condition, weather is lovely and I couldn’t ask for more.
“It’s nearly a pity that the other course is here because the South course is top quality, ask any of the lads they will say the same.”
Mullarney knows what it’s like to get a taste of the elite level having qualified for the 2022 Open Championship. He also played a practice round in Doonbeg with two-time US Open winner Bryson DeChambeau and he hitched a ride to St Andrews in DeChambeau’s private jet and the pair still exchange the occasional text.
“I would say I am friends with Bryson, whether he would say he is with me is a different matter. He was very good to me and he is probably one of the best players in the world at the moment so fair play to him.
“It was only a matter of time. The person I met at the Open I could not understand how he wasn’t more popular so it was only a matter of time. He couldn’t have been better to me and he has a lot of knowledge that he has to share.
“He’s great for LIV and it goes both ways there.”
Mullarney would dearly love to emulate Conor Purcell and clinch a season changing victory but he would also gladly settle for the Christy O’Connor Jnr trophy as leading Irishman and secure an Irish Open debut next month.
“That’s a great incentive. It’s been the case the last few years. The Irish Open is a great event I know it went through a lull a few years back but it’s a massive event so yeah it’s a great perk to play well this week.”
The Wednesday pro-am was sponsored by breast cancer charity Play in Pink of which Mullarney is a proud ambassador of.
“It’s a great cause and as soon as they asked me and it’s a pleasure. It’s a massive charity and a great cause, it’s huge.”