David Higgins currently leads the Lexus Race to Mount Juliet in association with PING as the season culminates at the famous Kilkenny venue next week with the final event.
Having won the Irish PGA Order of Merit last year Higgins will be favourite to retain the title based on his form during the season. But wisely, he is aware that the points differential is such that there are a handful of names that could also win the number one spot at Mount Juliet next Saturday.
Hailing from a golfing family and with his Father Liam currently playing on the European Senior Tour, it was no surprise that by the time David was twenty one he was the country's leading amateur.
Following match play victories over Pádraig Harrington in the finals of the South of Ireland and the Irish Amateur Close championships he decided to turn professional in 1994.
In his Rookie season in 1996 Higgins earned £67,000 finishing just inside the top 100 on the Order of Merit. The following year he broke his left wrist and right elbow in a horse riding accident and failed to rediscover his form on his return to the game dropping down to the Challenge Tour in 1999.
In 2000 Higgins won three times on the Challenge Tour and was ranked 2nd at the end of the season earning his playing rights back on the European Tour for the following season. Having been unable to make the breakthrough over a few years Higgins returned to the Challenge Tour in 2005 finishing 12th - earning playing rights for the European Tour once again. However he lost his card at the end of 2007.
In 2009 he qualified for The Open Championship in Turnberry and in winning the Irish PGA Order of Merit earned a place at the 3 Irish Open and the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth - failing to make the cut at all three events. At Stage of 3 of Q School last December at the PGA Catalunya the Waterville professional man also missed out on a return to the main Tour
This season David has been very consistent on the Irish PGA Region winning five times - including the Quinn Insurance Pro Am and a second place at the Southern Championship in Powerscourt behind Eamonn Darcy. However he failed to qualify for the 150th Open Championship at St Andrew's with a bigger disappointment to come in September when he failed to make it through European Tour Qualifying School Stage 1 at Dundonald Links.
Personal Fact File
DOB: December 1st 1972 in County Cork.
Attachment: Waterville GC
Career:
1989Irish Boys Championship
1994 Irish Amateur Closed Championship, South of Ireland Championship
Challenge Tour
2000 NCC Open;
Günther Hamburg Classic
Rolex Trophy
