For Irish golf the tour meat grinder has been the ultimate numbers game for fledgling Irish professionals and 2024 was no different.
The women’s game shows signs of encouragement and come Monday morning we may be rejoicing more success but the numbers in the men’s game for Irish golf remain grim.
Max Kennedy aside – who was an amateur at the time – last month’s DP World Tour Q-School was a shambles. In fact the entire Qualifying process was a disaster.
For the second successive season, no Irish player secured a DP World Tour card as they fell by the wayside, succumbing to the unrelenting pressure that is the annual torture fest at Infinitum Golf.
Just three players progressed to the Final Stage, two professionals and one amateur. This is down three on last year where six players reached the Final Stage of DP World Tour Q-School, none were successful in obtaining tour cards.
Of the €16.8 million given to Golf Ireland in grants over the last decade, €2,365,000 has been allocated to the Golf Ireland Professional Scheme which was established in 1999 under the guidance of Padraig O’hUiginn to assist Irish professional golfers, both male and female, in the early stages of their careers.
It is clear by the plight in Irish men’s professional golf that this programme had become outdated and Golf Ireland have moved to address this issue.
Introducing the Professional Pathway Programme which coincidentally includes no professionals… But nevertheless it seems a good idea.
The Professional Pathway Programme will sit alongside the HP squad, and will be tailored for players who intend on turning professional in the following two years, and who have either achieved Golf Ireland Professional programme amateur criteria, or are on track to do so.
Players who are selected for the programme will have priority access to professional tournament invitations, Tour School support, mentorship from existing or former Tour players and logistical support from Golf Ireland.
This is a significant and important initiative following a period of detailed consultation with aspiring, current and former professional players, as to how Golf Ireland might greater assist our amateur golfers as they prepare for the challenges of life on tour. Notable former Tour players and Irish champions Peter Lawrie and Lisa Maguire have helped to guide the initial framework and will be part of the consultation group going forward.
As it stands, amateur hotshots Beth Coulter and Aine Donegan are part of the programme as they are expected to enter the paid ranks in the near future.
This is a welcome initiative as Golf Ireland both A: looks to capitalise on a nucleus of young female talent coming through and B: catch up on the rest of Europe in terms of producing tour standard professionals.
Heading into 2025 Portmarnock’s Conor Purcell will be Ireland’s only regular DP World Tour player, replacing Tom McKibbin who secured dual membership on the PGA TOUR.
Even on the Challenge Tour, three Irish made the Grand Final with only Purcell sealing promotion as three Danes and three Swedes earned promotion, two nations Ireland has fallen behind.
There are many questions that have cropped up over the years as to why Irish golf is experiencing a plight at professional level with the exploits of Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Padraig Harrington and Séamus Power papering over the cracks.
Is Irish amateur golf tailored towards developing players for the pro ranks? Do links courses serve as the best preparation for the low scoring nature of tour golf?
In a sport that is becoming increasingly built around power and speed, are Irish parklands built for power hitting or is accuracy off the tee and shot shaping positional play becoming a thing of the past?
Complaints have been made in the past about a lack of mentoring within Irish golf but the hope is that the Professional Pathway Programme will amend this issue.
In Denmark for example, legendary golfer Thomas Bjorn acts as a mentor for a lot of younger professionals while recently turned pros are afforded the opportunity to continue training with the amateur national team as well as availing of the same coaching and training camps.
A question for Golf Ireland would be, why are professionals not able to avail of the Professional Player Pathway scheme, why is it for amateurs? Will they be able to avail of this scheme?
Three of Ireland’s four Walker Cup stars from 2023 have turned professional to much difficulty in their fledgling careers while some of our brightest prospects have fallen off the tours completely recently.
The Professional Pathway Programme will hopefully bridge the gap at the top and in a sport where it is incredibly easy to turn professional, make players more equipped for the harsh reality of pro life.
90 Irish men and nine Irish women have turned professional over the past 17 years.
Of those 90, just 15 made it into the top 100 in the world as amateur golfers, and only six made the top 10.
While a top amateur career doesn’t guarantee success it is important that the likes of Coulter and Donegan are given the tools to hit the ground running when they turn pro because we have seen that it’s very hard to wrestle back the momentum when you lose it.