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In time Niall would go on to represent Irish and European teams at both Junior and Senior levels from 2004-2009, enjoying success along the way also captaining the GB&I Boys Team at the Jacque Leglise Trophy in 2006.
There were also individual achievements most notably the Nassau Invitational win in 2007 and the South of Ireland title at Lahinch in 2008.
However 2009 was when Kearney really made his mark by winning the Brabazon Trophy - the national amateur stroke play golf championship in England – a victory that proved instrumental in Kearney being selected as the only Irish representative on the 2009 GB&I Walker Cup Team.
Although the team lost to their stronger American counterparts, Niall’s individual contribution was 2 points from a possible 4, including a singles win on the final Sunday.
Shortly after his Walker Cup experience, Niall turned professional, and came close to securing his European Tour card at the first attempt in European Tour Qualifying School – finishing 49th at the PGA Catalunya.
The result at Tour School gave Kearney a full Challenge Tour category for the 2010 season , in addition to a low ranking European Tour category.
In 2010 Kearney played in seven events in total and missed the cut on six occasions – except at the Madeira Open de Portugal BPI on the European Tour schedule - where he finished in 69th place. In the other main tour events, South Africa Open and Jo'burg Open Kearney missed the cut.
After the Turkish Airlines Challenge hosted by Caraya Golf Club in May he took a break from the game - in order to get treatment for a shoulder injury - returning in October to play two more Challenge Tour events in Toulouse and Rome.
In only his second year at European Tour Qualifying School Kearney again reached the final stage after carding a second round 65 at Costa Ballena in round 3 for a share of 11th place – guaranteeing him a place at the PGA Catalunya in early December.
However in the end he missed out.
Niall returned in 2011 after a season on the Challenge Tour with no top ten finishes and unable to reach beyond Stage 2 of Q School.
In 2012 with rights on the Challenge Tour Kearney finished 11th in the Fred Olsen Challenge Espana and 21st at the Norwegian Challenge. However missed six cuts throughout the season. At the PGA Catalunya in the final stage of Qualifying School the Royal Dublin Pro failed to make the cut and had to settle for 92nd place.
This season Kearney has missed only two cuts and finished 12th at the Kärnten Golf Open presented by Mazda. Later in the year at Galgorm Castle for the Northern Ireland Challenge presented by Clannah and XJet he was 43rd.
He now returns to Q School next month for Stage 2
Career Highlights
2009 Walker Cup Team Member
2009 Winner Brabazon Trophy
2008 Winner European Team Championships
2008 Winner South of Ireland Championship (Lahinch)
2007 Winner Nassau Invitational
2006 Captained GB&I Boys Team
Fact file
Date of Birth: March 10th, 1988
Place of Birth: Dublin
Attachment: Royal Dublin / Team Ireland
Attachment: Royal Dublin / Team Ireland
Turned Professional – November 2009 (+ 4)
Qualifying School: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
