The Irish PGA finale at Mount Juliet last weekend brought the 2010 season to a close and thanks to Lexus, PING, Failte Ireland, Mount Juliet and indeed the PGA, the event proved a fine way to finish the golfing part of things this season – with a worthy winner in David Higgins.
On the day the Waterville man secured not only the win but also the Order of Merit and perhaps also a pathway back to the big time once again wing a spot at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth next and the 3 Irish Open next summer – which appears will remain in his native Kerry with a return to Killarney forecast in 2011.
Clearly firing a 7 under par 65 at the Kilkenny venue is a promise of better things to come for Higgins as Mount Juliet was no give away on the day with few of the twenty seven Irish PGA players breaking par at the final event. With Higgins having dominated the Lexus Race to Mount Juliet all season it was a fitting reward for his consistency and hard work all season on the region. More importantly, after two successive wins it shows that his game and ability need to be tested on a higher plain.
But having missed out on a place at Stage 2 in qualifying in Dundonald last month September, Higgins faces a frustrating wait for another season before he can remedy that setback.
With a few other players fast on the Kerryman’s trail it is perhaps consolation for Damian Mooney, David Mortimer and Barrie Trainor that they have more business ahead in late November in Southern Spain as they search for a place at Final Qualifying in December at the PGA Catalunya. This year one hopes that they can capitalise on the great quality of the domestic season with a reward on the European Tour for next year - maintaining the high profile Irish golf has obtained worldwide this season.
Indeed the momentum of the newer generation of Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Graeme McDowell has certainly take the game further on the foot of the pioneering work done by Padraig Harrington with his three Majors and a supporting cast of Paul McGinley and Darren Clarke over the years.
Not forgetting of course the legends of our game who ploughed the furrow decades earlier when money was minimal, travel not done by private jet and the hard work even harder.
Nevertheless Christy O'Connor Snr, Eamonn Darcy, Des Smyth, Philip Walton, David Ferherty, Ronan Rafferty, Christy O'Connor Jnr - to name only some of them - all did more than their bit for Irish golf - including winning Ryder Cup's.
In those days they would argue it was just as hard to get a Tour Card – maybe even harder – although the truth perhaps is that the competition from Sweden, Spain, France and Germany was somewhat less then.
These days Stephen Grant, Mervyn Owens, Michael Collins, David Mortimer, Barrie Trainor, Niall Turner, Michael McGeady, Gareth Shaw, David Mortimer and Damian Mooney will be pitching their skills against a host of international hotshots all chasing their places on the European Tour. This year though it is vital that the Irish representation improves as in 2009 only Simon Thornton and Gary Murphy were the ones to get through.
As it stands today they are both destined to return to Stage 3 of Qualifying School as Thornton is currently 142nd in the Race to Dubai with Murphy in 245th – well below the cut-off point of 115th place - to be sure of automatic rights for next season. If this happens then it puts a premium on those final 30 places on offer in Catalunya on December 9th.
In the case of Simon Thornton he exemplifies the progress that can be made from the Irish Region even though having won the order of merit three times he had to wait until 2009 to make the breakthrough. For the Bradford born it also proved an important year on a personal level with the sad passing of his Father in January – the very start of his Rookie season – which contrasted with the birth of his first child Katie in April and making the adjustments to the demands of the life on the Tour throughout the year.
But it has also been proved possible by Damien McGrane, who broke through in 2003, by Gareth Maybin who made it from the Challenge our in 2008 - having finished in fourth place - albeit 44th the previous year; Michael Hoey getting through final stage in 2008 with Shane Lowry not looking out of place in the big time after earning an exemption on winning the 3 Irish Open in 2009 at Baltray – despite finishing 33rd at Stage 2 in Sherry Golf in 2008.
Undoubtedly though Qualifying School brings players to a level of intensity that is alien to the daily life on the Irish Region week in week out. So the step up to that level is not easy and requires a discipline and focus that perhaps can only be matched by seasons on the Challenge Tour. And for David Higgins that maybe the fastest way back - given there is no Stage 2 this year for him – especially if he could secure enough events in 2011 to finish in the top 20.
The Challenge Tour winner last year was Edoardo Molinari who has become a household name this year in a season that also saw him play a pivotal role in the Ryder Cup – with the Italian having a 2010 that many players would dream about.
In fairness amongst those who joined him from last year’s Challenge Tour have also been successful with names such as Jose Felipe Lima, Nicolas Colsaerts, Rhys Davies and Peter Whiteford coming to mind. None more successful than Davies who is currently 15th in the Race to Dubai, also spending five days driving 2010 Ryder Cup Captain, Colin Montgomerie, around Celtic Manor. In June he also came close to beating Graeme McDowell to win his home event at the Wales Open.
However golf is not a fairy-tale for everyone and such are the twists in the sport that the likes of Michael McGeady, Colm Moriarty and Gareth Shaw will tell you that it is not that easy at all - as all three face Q School again later this year in order to fulfil their ambitions of playing on the European Tour. Other irish players, such as Stephen Browne and Alan Murray have made the decision to pursue other careers off the course to bring more certainty to their lives given the odyssey Tour school can become.
Perhaps amongst the toughest mental and physical challenges there is in the sport of golf.
The career of Philip Walton epitomises what that odyssey can become having made the Q school pilgrimage first in 1999 only to follow it in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004* - when he regained his card only to lose it again - then in 2005 and finally in 2006. Today he plays the Irish region making plans for the Senior Tour - where he automatically qualifies in Europe - with an eye on qualifying for the more lucrative Champions Tour as well.
Reviewing the success of David Higgins this season it is clear that the quality of the Waterville golfer's game in winning the Irish order of merit at Mount Juliet last weekend suggests he could do well at Q School this season. But it is not to be this year.
The calibre of David Mortimer's win at the Glenmuir PGA Championship at The Oxfordshire in September and the Irish PGA Championship at Seapoint also bodes well for Tour School it seems. As it would for those who emerged from the four day battle with the elements at Dundonald Links that saw Barrie Trainor, Gareth Shaw, Michael Collins and Damian Mooney through and must prepare them for anything that can come their way in Spain at Stage 2.
With just over a month to go before the Irish nine play in Stage 2 in Spain the future could be good for Irish golf - with a bit of luck.
It would be great to see a few more Irish PGA Region players earn their keep on the European Tour next year and based on this season’s Lexus Race to Mount Juliet we know that the potential exists. It is now a matter of delivering the performances on the day at the dreaded Q School.
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