2020: Irish golf’s Annus Horribilis.

We had so much to look forward to and it all came crashing down around us. The Covid 19 pandemic put a spanner in Rory McIlroy’s April attempt to claim the Grand Slam, delayed Padraig Harrington’s Ryder Cup captaincy, postponed Shane Lowry’s defence of the Open Championship at Royal St. Georges and club golfers were prevented from playing golf for a substantial period during the year, most notably the best part of the season March, April and May. However if that wasn’t bad enough, this disastrous year for golf can be summed up by the fact that the biggest golfing story of the year didn’t even happen on a golf course. 

A dinner function that took place in contravention of the “private gathering” Covid 19 guidelines in a hotel in Co. Galway catapulted golf onto the front pages of every national newspaper causing debate not only in the Oireachtas but also on our national television and radio stations for weeks. Regretfully I can say with some certainty that the topic will be raised again during 2021. In years to come I can only hope that the public will realise that golfgate had as much to do with golf as watergate had to do with water. The lack of leadership within the domestic industry facilitated this non-golfing story to go unchallenged and one can only hope that irreparable damage has not been caused to the already weak standing golf’s image has amongst the sporting public.

The Majors schedule was rearranged during the year with the biggest disappointment of course been the cancellation of the Open Championship. Many Irish fans (me included) haven’t unpacked yet and availed of keeping our tickets for next year when we’ll assemble in the stands on the first tee on the 15th of July to hear that heavenly phrase “on the tee from Ireland, the defending champion, Shane Lowry; can’t wait! Colin Morikawa won the PGA Championship with two shots to spare over one of England’s nearly men, Paul Casey and Bryson DeChambeau was a pillar to post victor at the US Open. For the record and somebody definitely to keep an eye on next year, Matthew Wolff had a top 4 and a runner up sport respectively at both the aforementioned Major tournaments.   

McIlroy would get a stay of execution on his attempt at golfing immortality when the good people at the Augusta National Golf Club deemed it viable that the Masters could be facilitated by them at the tail end of the season. It was a brave decision which nearly paid off in full. The course looked as it always does and the lack of patrons allowed the television networks of ESPN and CBS to provide unique and never seen before footage of various parts of the course. Whereas the lack of spectators was a blessing for the host broadcasters the same cannot be said for Bryson DeChambeau who lost his ball in the semi rough on the third hole on the Friday. He was never comfortable during the Masters and the US Open Champion may just keep his own council prior to future trips to the venue. Dustin Johnson was a very popular winner but his winning score may cause the championship committee to readdress the terms and conditions of future invitations.   

It’s hard to understand why that outside our marquee players we simply have nobody capable of challenging week in week out on the premier tour this side of the Atlantic Ocean.   

The further decline of our professional representation on the men’s European Tour continues and this issue must be addressed as a matter of urgency by Golf Ireland within the first 100 days of taking over the stewardship of the industry which starts on January 1st next. I’m delighted to confirm that the same certainly can’t be said for our professional ladies. Both Stephanie Meadow and Leona Maguire will be looking to establish themselves firmly on the LPGA Tour next year with Maguire most recently only narrowly missing out on her debut US Open appearance last weekend.

As mentioned earlier in my opening comments local golfers here in Mayo have paid a heavy price this year because of the health circumstances they found themselves in. Many will have felt aggrieved at the measures clubs have had to implement to event manage their daily timesheet but I would encourage them to look at the bigger picture and to look forward to their new playing season. I am delighted to leave the last word to incoming Gent’s Captain of Castlebar Golf Club Michael Kilcourse – “There’s no doubting that 2020 was a strange year for all golfers but we must look forward in hope for a better 2021. It’s with that hope that I would like to wish all golfers across the region the very best for the season ahead. To my fellow Captains, club officers and committee members throughout the land, let’s hope the coming year is a year where the club diary goes to schedule and we get to meet our fellow competitors on the fairways up and down the county. Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a safe and peaceful New Year.”