The Race to Mount Juliet Irish PGA finale 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 this year 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 Irish Open next summer – which will remain in his native Kerry with a return to Killarney 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.
But having missed out in qualifying in Dundonald last September, Higgins faces a frustrating wait for another season before he can remedy that setback. But what was supposed to be consolation for David Mortimer and Barrie Trainor at Stage 2 in November in Southern Spain proved fruitless with only Damian Mooney reaching the Final Qualifying stage at the PGA Catalunya.
In the end Mooney saw his hopes of capitalising on a great season thwarted for another year at least.
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.
With Irish golf traditionally boxing above its weight there seems to be a gap opening up this season as Ireland failed to produce new graduates for the European Tour in 2011.
The last graduate, Simon Thornton, exemplified the progress that can be made from the Irish Region after winning the order of merit three times before he made the breakthrough. But it has also 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 - Michael Hoey getting through final stage in 2008 with Shane Lowry earning an exemption on winning the 3 Irish Open in 2009 at Baltray.
Undoubtedly Qualifying School brings a level of intensity that is alien to life on the Irish Region week in week out and so the step up to that level is not easy.
But golf is not always about fairy-tales either and such are the twists in the sport that the likes of Michael McGeady, Colm Moriarty, Gareth Shaw and Jonathan Caldwell still have not won their battle with Q School as of yet.
The most recent Walker Cup player to turn professional, Niall Kearney, however has come close two years in a row at the Final Stage and if he stays injury free - unlike this season - he could make the breakthrough this time next year.
At the 3 Irish Open in Killarney there were few happy tales either as many of the aspiring Irish players one by one succumbed to the competitive demands of the European Tour and the challenges of the Killeen Course - with the exception of Barrie Trainor of Team Ireland who just made the cut at level par.
On the Ladies European Tour Rebecca Coakley has been the most consistent Irish player this season with Hazel Kavanagh showing her talent at the ABN AMRO Ladies Open when she led the event after day one.
Martina Gillen is back at Final Q School this week in La Manga with Tara Delaney now card less for next year having failed to pass the pre-qualifying event a few weeks ago.
Team Ireland Grants
Race to Dubai – 136th;
No Tour Card 2011; Eligible for Challenge Tour 2011
€20,000
Martina Gillen
Henderson Money List – 105th,
LET Q School Final Qualifying [this week]
€20,000
Alison Walshe, USA
Re-declared for USA
Missed out at LPGA Q School 2010
[€20,000]
Tara Delaney
Henderson Money List 122nd
LET Pre-Qualifying - DNQ
No card for LET 2011
€20,000
Niall Kearney
ET Final Round Q School; Final round
Eliguble for Challenge Tour 2011 [Medical Exemption]
€15,000
Jonathan Caldwell
Challenge Tour Ranking 106th
Stage 2 Q School - DNQ
€15,000
Gareth Shaw
ET Qualifying School Stage 2 - DNQ
2009 Challenge Tour Rankings 143rd
EUROPRO Tour Rankings 32nd
€15,000
Rebecca Coakley
Henderson Money List 35th
LET Tour Card 2011
€15,000
Hazel Kavanagh
Henderson Money List 121st
LET Tour Card 2011
€15,000
Colm Moriarty
ET QS Final Stage – DNQ
2009 Challenge Tour Rankings 43
Open Championship 37th
Eligible for Challenge Tour 2011
€10,000
Michael McGeady
ET QS Stage 2 - DNQ
EUROPRO Tour Rankings 67th
€10,000
Brian McElhinney
Europro Tour Ranking 38th
€7,000
Peter O’Keeffe
ET QS Stage 1 - DNQ
€7,000
Richard Kilpatrick
Alps Tour Ranking 18th
ET QS Stage 1 - DNQ
€7,000
Niall Turner
ET QS Stage 2 – DNQ
PGA QS First Stage - DNQ
€7,000
Paul O’Hanlon
Europro Tour Ranking 27th
ET QS Stage 1 - DNQ
€7,000
Barrie Trainor
Europro Tour Ranking 61st
ET QS Stage 2 - DNQ
3 Irish Open 66th place
€7,000
