Full Transcript for Mullingar Masterclass, Portumna Close Drama, and Packing Bags for the NCAA (Dylan Holmes)

obviously having someone like Paul Dunn to kind of look up to. 00:04:17.439 --> 00:04:20.000 I heard stories about Paul Dunn from being around the area. 00:04:20.079 --> 00:04:32.879 You know, you always heard stories about Paul Dunn and you know he'd be in the golf club from let's say six o'clock until eight o'clock in the morning, then head off to school, and then he'd come straight back after school and he'd be in the golf club and from five o'clock until nine o'clock that night. 00:04:33.040 --> 00:04:40.879 You know, is that is that something that you would have like looked at and then you know, that would have helped you to understand the grind that's required to be the best. 00:04:41.199 --> 00:04:42.160 Yeah, absolutely. 00:04:42.319 --> 00:04:50.879 Like, yeah, even when I was growing up, he'd be around the golf club a little bit, and yeah, you'd just you'd be I'd almost be in awe of him. 00:04:50.959 --> 00:05:01.360 Uh, and just like how how good he was at the game, and just the dream of I suppose getting to that level one day was kind of he kind of propelled that forward definitely. 00:05:01.519 --> 00:05:07.519 The stories were probably true, you heard like he's was proper, would practice all day every day. 00:05:07.759 --> 00:05:09.519 The short he's a short game wizard. 00:05:09.839 --> 00:05:13.199 He's still still one of the best short games of all time, I'd say. 00:05:13.360 --> 00:05:23.360 Even talking to Neil Manship at the Wicklow Boys, his son was playing, and he was saying he's best shipper of the ball he's ever seen, and he's seen a lot of uh a lot of good chippers now. 00:05:23.439 --> 00:05:27.199 So yeah, no, it was it's he was brilliant to have as someone to look up to. 00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:35.920 And even recently enough, up until a few years ago, I'd have been talking to him a bit uh about like the game and stuff and getting a little bit of advice here and there. 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:37.279 So yeah, that was lovely. 00:05:37.519 --> 00:05:46.639 Here's a question for you Do you ever think that obviously someone like him that you were looking like okay, you're 19 years of age, it's not like you're not like 30, but you're not also 14? 00:05:46.720 --> 00:05:50.079 You know, you're in that age now where you're heading off to college. 00:05:50.399 --> 00:05:56.000 He has been an inspiration to you, and you have you know followed your own path and turned into an exceptional golfer. 00:05:56.319 --> 00:06:15.279 Do you ever think about the other side of it now that you were an inspiration, uh he was an inspiration to you, and that you now might be the inspiration for some young guy or girl, you know, whilst you're out practicing on that little and annoyingly awkward chipping green in Graystones, that some young lad or young girl might be looking at you going, Oh my god, there's Dylan Holmes. 00:06:15.360 --> 00:06:17.199 I can't believe oh my god, what an inspiration. 00:06:17.439 --> 00:06:25.439 Yeah, well, yeah, I

I do try and uh as much as I can, I'll ask any of the juniors around if they want a chip in conference. 00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:30.319 So I I hope someone maybe thinks that thinks of me that way. 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:31.040 It'd be nice. 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:41.279 But uh yeah, obviously he's gone on to do huge things in the game, and uh yeah, like he he inspired me to kind of start getting really into it. 00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:42.639 Him and my dad, definitely. 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:46.399 So uh if I can do the same for someone, it would be it would be lovely. 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:48.399 54 handicap, right? 00:06:48.560 --> 00:06:51.439 At the age of whatever, 10 or whatever it might have been. 00:06:51.839 --> 00:06:53.439 How fast did that come down? 00:06:53.519 --> 00:06:58.639 Like, I mean, what sorry, just out of interest, do you know what do you even know what handicap you are now? 00:06:59.040 --> 00:07:05.759 Uh I think I'm me and uh another lad in our club will always are competing for who's lower. 00:07:05.839 --> 00:07:09.920 I think I'm 0.2 lower than him now, on plus 3.9 or something. 00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:11.680 I came down quite quickly. 00:07:11.759 --> 00:07:14.079 I I think uh I don't know what age. 00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:18.480 I won the Leinster under 13s, I believe, when I was 12. 00:07:18.720 --> 00:07:28.240 And I think I was off four maybe, and then yeah, I think it's a steady decline handicap since then. 00:07:28.319 --> 00:07:33.199 I think uh but yeah, I got quite I think when I was around 12, I was off about four. 00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:38.160 So that's I think that that's pretty standard for these lads that nowadays. 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:56.160 Um, there's but yeah, I remember there's a few lads who are off plus one when I was that age, and I was kind of going, geez, I need to sort myself out a bit, but yeah, I wouldn't say it it matters too much what you do when 12 and 13 now, but yeah, it's it's good fun. 00:07:56.399 --> 00:08:09.920 When I was growing up, I uh you know, I think I mentioned this beforehand is that my dad was a fairly handy golfer in Woodbrook, and you know, whenever I used to go out there, not really as a golfer, I used to stand on the first team, I used to get awful nervous because I used to think that people were like, Can you hit it as far as his dad? 00:08:10.079 --> 00:08:10.639 You know. 00:08:10.959 --> 00:08:28.879 I I ask you, like, because you kind of grew up, you know, with your dad being the head pro in Greystones, did you think of that as a great thing being a child, or did you wonder, were people kind of watching you going, Oh my god, is he gonna be as good as his dad? 00:08:29.920 --> 00:08:32.720 Uh you say that as if my dad was ever that good. 00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:34.320 Brilliant. 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:36.240 Uh I hope he I hope he listens to this now. 00:08:36.320 --> 00:08:39.679 But uh yeah, no, he yeah, in fact, I I thought it was brilliant. 00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:46.399 Like I always got loads of lessons and stuff, and I got some free drinks in the pro shop and stuff because he was working there. 00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:50.960 Really good for me, and I have no complaints about everything that happened when I was younger. 00:08:51.120 --> 00:08:57.600 I remember getting my first set of uh titles clubs when I was, I think it was my 12th birthday or 11th birthday and stuff. 00:08:57.679 --> 00:09:03.759 So, and there's not very many people who would have been able to, you know, get their hands on such golf clubs at that age. 00:09:03.919 --> 00:09:05.600 So, like, yeah, it was brilliant. 00:09:05.759 --> 00:09:09.200 Like, he supported me uh literally from the from the start. 00:09:09.360 --> 00:09:11.200 I couldn't ask for any more of him, to be fair. 00:09:11.440 --> 00:09:12.240 Yeah, that's pretty cool. 00:09:12.320 --> 00:09:13.919 It's a nice way to be able to speak about your dad. 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:26.639 So you mentioned obviously that there was other guys around the age of 12 or 13 or whatever it might have been who were plus one, you know, and you were four, and you kind of said that maybe you weren't as far on developed as some of these other guys. 00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:29.039 Did it not come to you as easily? 00:09:29.440 --> 00:09:32.559 Forgive me for saying this because like four is a really good handicap. 00:09:32.639 --> 00:09:41.200 Anyone out there who's playing on four, please don't mind me when I say did you not think you were good, you know, at that stage, or did golf not come to you as quickly back then? 00:09:41.279 --> 00:09:45.279 Because obviously you've turned into an unbelievable winner and a champion now. 00:09:45.440 --> 00:09:46.799 Um, what was it like back then? 00:09:46.960 --> 00:09:47.919 Was it a struggle? 00:09:48.159 --> 00:09:49.600 No, I wouldn't say that. 00:09:49.759 --> 00:09:53.120 I I mean people develop a lot different when they're that age. 00:09:53.200 --> 00:09:54.720 Uh, some people hit it a lot further. 00:09:54.799 --> 00:10:00.480 I was quite small until I was maybe in third or second year, uh, and then grow a lot grew a lot. 00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:02.320 Me personally, I'm very competitive. 00:10:02.399 --> 00:10:04.399 I I don't like people being better than me. 00:10:04.639 --> 00:10:10.080 I don't want some 12-year-old in the great sense to listen to this now and go, geez, I'm not off that handicap. 00:10:10.159 --> 00:10:10.879 I'm fucked. 00:10:11.039 --> 00:10:15.919 Or well, sorry, I shouldn't curse, but uh literally, it does not matter what you do at that age. 00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:23.120 I just I'm a bit of a perfectionist, I suppose, with that kind of stuff, and I don't like seeing people be better than me. 00:10:23.519 --> 00:10:24.639 And what did it look like? 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:36.240 You know, so just out of interest for someone who is 12 or 13, you know, and they are growing up, whether they be in Gravestones or whether

they be in, you know, bloody portumna or wherever it might be, you know, what does it look like? 00:10:36.399 --> 00:10:41.759 I know you should be having fun, but what would you be saying to them to be doing at that age to kind of improve their game of golf? 00:10:42.080 --> 00:10:44.000 Pretty much what you just said, have fun. 00:10:44.159 --> 00:10:48.320 Like when I was that age, I was playing 14 hours a day, I'd say. 00:10:48.399 --> 00:10:49.679 Uh, I'd come down. 00:10:49.919 --> 00:10:57.360 Me, my cousin Jamie and Will, we're we were all really good friends for the last, well, pretty much my whole life now. 00:10:57.519 --> 00:11:00.399 And uh, we'd be coming down at half seven every morning. 00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:08.879 We'd play, I don't know, 36 holes at least, and just have enjoying ourselves, having a bit of crack, I suppose. 00:11:08.960 --> 00:11:11.279 And that's kind of all you can do at that age, I think. 00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:14.399 There's no point in getting too technical or anything like that. 00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:27.039 I see a lot of like you see it a little bit when you I don't know if you've ever watched the short game, but you see all the the parents, the pushy parents pushing their kids into I don't know, doing God knows what and swing drills and stuff. 00:11:27.120 --> 00:11:30.799 You just want to have fun, I think, at that age and see where it takes you. 00:11:30.879 --> 00:11:35.759 Because uh, if once you start loving the game and you're playing that much, you're gonna get better. 00:11:35.919 --> 00:11:38.480 And uh I think yeah, that's all you can do. 00:11:38.639 --> 00:11:42.639 That's what I'd tell anyone that age to be doing anyway. 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:48.399 And you mentioned a couple of gentlemen there who obviously are very, very strong golfers in their own right. 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:51.279 Uh, I believe Jamie Jamie Anderson and Will Are Eardon. 00:11:51.360 --> 00:11:51.519 Yeah. 00:11:51.759 --> 00:11:59.679 What was it like from a competitive point of view, growing up with two guys who are also, you know, growing up and getting better and better and better? 00:11:59.840 --> 00:12:03.200 Was it like a real like gritty matches all the time? 00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:07.759 Like competitive, no one wants to lose, like from the age of like seven until still now. 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:10.879 I see them too way too much, like way too much. 00:12:10.960 --> 00:12:16.639 Uh, and have for the last I don't know, 10 years, I suppose. 00:12:16.879 --> 00:12:24.720 Yeah, every day we'd be we'd be down, we'd be playing matches, we'd have all sorts of stuff going on, putting comps, chipping comps, everything. 00:12:25.039 --> 00:12:30.720 It's always I I'd say, yeah, every day it'd be something a different competitive thing. 00:12:30.799 --> 00:12:33.039 And that's kind of that's what you need really. 00:12:33.200 --> 00:12:34.960 You need people to kind of push you forward. 00:12:35.039 --> 00:12:37.440 Like we were all on a gap here this year. 00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:45.519 We went to uh we went to like Spain together, and like we were properly practicing hard, like we're all pushing each other to get better. 00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:47.840 And like I love seeing them both do well. 00:12:47.919 --> 00:12:52.080 And anyone around Greatstones, I I obviously want to beat them. 00:12:52.159 --> 00:12:55.279 Uh, but uh yeah, no, it's brilliant to have them. 00:12:55.360 --> 00:13:01.600 And I'm going to with uh Will to uh college in America, which is going to be an exciting little adventure for us now. 00:13:01.679 --> 00:13:02.960 We'll see, we'll see. 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:26.320 Uh I don't know about sharing a dorm room with them now, but uh yeah, he there, yeah, it's brilliant to have people like that around and just to have because you need to you need people pushing you, I think, and getting you better, and even just to have friends playing golf is is brilliant because uh like you'll have that forever, I suppose, and you'll always be able to play golf with them until you're practically dead, you know. 00:13:26.799 --> 00:13:35.759 Yeah, it's one of those sports that like it's it's it's it's hilarious when you think when you get to a point where your friends are it doesn't matter what age they are, you know. 00:13:35.840 --> 00:13:46.080 Are they you know, I've uh some of my friends are 70-year-old men, you know, and you're going out playing golf with them, like you know, it's like you're just and still you all you want to do is beat this person for two years. 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:51.440 Yeah, it's the most important thing in the world is to beat this 70-year-old man for two euro. 00:13:52.639 --> 00:13:54.159 What other sport would you get that in? 00:13:54.240 --> 00:13:54.799 You know, yeah. 00:13:54.879 --> 00:13:56.879 I mean there's ups and downs. 00:13:56.960 --> 00:14:02.799 Maybe I'm catching you at uh a good time to ask this question, having had heartbreak at the weekend. 00:14:02.960 --> 00:14:06.480 But you know, do you actually love golf? 00:14:06.799 --> 00:14:08.240 Yeah, I would say so. 00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:10.559 Yeah, no, I love I love playing golf. 00:14:10.639 --> 00:14:15.840 Uh it's obviously it's really easy to say that when you're playing decent golf. 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:29.360 Yeah, I love the love trying to get better and I love playing in tournaments and I love the pressure of it all and feeling nervous and stuff, even though it's sometimes you're going, geez, this isn't very much fun when you think about it. 00:14:29.440 --> 00:14:37.039 But when you really you are like I do really enjoy uh enjoy it all and trying to get better and practicing and stuff. 00:14:37.279 --> 00:14:38.879 So yeah, I I love stuff. 00:14:39.039 --> 00:14:43.120 I love it, I love playing and you mentioned uh nerves there. 00:14:43.200 --> 00:14:44.559 Uh and I'm just interested. 00:14:44.720 --> 00:14:46.080 I'm always fascinated by

nerves, right? 00:14:46.159 --> 00:14:53.600 Because we all suffer from nerves, doesn't matter, like some it's a question of how do you deal with them and how do you transfer nerves into performance? 00:14:53.679 --> 00:14:55.600 Okay, that's what I'm always fascinated by, right? 00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:58.159 So you mentioned nerves and we all get them. 00:14:58.320 --> 00:15:01.360 So, what does that look like to you? 00:15:01.679 --> 00:15:05.120 What does it feel like, or how does it manifest itself in your body? 00:15:05.279 --> 00:15:10.720 And then how do you then transfer that once you're aware of it into performance? 00:15:11.039 --> 00:15:12.080 That's a good question. 00:15:12.559 --> 00:15:16.240 Yeah, it's one of those, it's hard to kind of describe, I suppose. 00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:27.919 The more you you get yourself like I remember uh like years ago playing like under 15 matches, and I was three up with four to play and stuff, and I'd I lost the match and was absolutely devastated at the time. 00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:31.039 Obviously, looking back, I what didn't matter that much, did it? 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:41.679 But uh um it's just putting yourself in the situation uh like it um you just get so much better in getting on in pressure situations if you've been in them. 00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:43.600 Uh you kind of learn how to deal with them. 00:15:43.759 --> 00:15:50.320 I I wouldn't even know how to like describe how I deal, like I try and deal with nerves and stuff. 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:53.919 Like uh I do a bit of work with uh Donald Scott, who's very good. 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:55.679 He's um a performance coach. 00:15:55.759 --> 00:16:00.159 Uh he works a lot with some of the European Tour players, like the Hoyguards and stuff. 00:16:00.320 --> 00:16:12.480 And uh I'm kinda recently that's something before the Mull and Gar, maybe a day or two before I was kind of talking to him because I I've had it, I had a quite frustrating year, like feeling like I'm not playing that badly. 00:16:12.559 --> 00:16:23.360 Like it wasn't hitting it great uh up until recently enough and uh maybe two months ago, and I was kind of but I still felt like I should be playing a lot better and scoring a lot better. 00:16:23.600 --> 00:16:44.559 And uh I had a really good conversation with him and it kind of I think it helped it definitely helped me a lot where I was just trying to stay in my process, like just keep with my process and uh almost just telling myself that and just that kind of helped me, I think, a lot with uh like when I got down the stretch in Mullangar and uh people coming up behind me and stuff. 00:16:44.720 --> 00:17:12.079 Um and even in uh Port Umna, like I had a few disasters in Port Humna now uh and came uh came back quite well just because I'm just trying to stay and keep my process and uh just kind of stay with my own self and like keep my own game because it's very easy to get caught up in all the championship golf and it gets quite nerve-wracking at times, especially when you're in contention or you're on the cut line or whatever. 00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:15.359 Uh, but yeah, no, he's definitely helped me a lot with that kind of stuff. 00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:17.680 I've heard process being used so often. 00:17:17.839 --> 00:17:40.720 Yeah, I think that's the big thing for you know amateurs like myself or for someone else who's a mid-amateur handicap, is that to get a process, like to understand what you have to do and then stick to it, and it'll help you to take your mind away from thinking about losing, winning, yeah, yeah, birdie, bogey, and just think about hitting that shot and staying in that moment. 00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:41.519 Yeah, yeah. 00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:43.119 No, because it is very easy. 00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:55.839 Like, I find myself even uh like I don't know, you I'm sure everyone else does, but uh like I don't know, like imagining what I'd say in a speech or something, and I'm going like I have to snap out of this straight away. 00:17:56.000 --> 00:18:05.279 But uh I've gotten a lot better at kind of getting myself back into like a place where I'm not like just mind wandering or whatever. 00:18:05.839 --> 00:18:07.680 Uh I think that's definitely helped me. 00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:08.480 That's amazing. 00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:11.839 It's like at least you're having positive thoughts about the speeches and winning. 00:18:12.640 --> 00:18:15.920 I'm standing on the T going, just don't double bogey, just don't double bogey. 00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:17.759 I I have those thoughts as well. 00:18:17.839 --> 00:18:22.480 Uh obviously, I think everyone does, but um, yeah, it's it's all the same, really. 00:18:22.640 --> 00:18:27.039 Anything, anything like that is you just have to learn how to how to deal with it. 00:18:27.119 --> 00:18:31.920 And that's what I think a lot of golf comes down to, is it's not who has the most ability. 00:18:32.240 --> 00:18:39.119 Uh well, it obviously does at the to get to the highest level, you need to have a ridiculous ability. 00:18:39.200 --> 00:18:53.440 But it's even at like like especially at like amateur Irish golf, is you don't actually have to like there's such a wide range of um abilities that perform quite similarly, which sounds bad a little bit, if you know what I mean. 00:18:53.680 --> 00:19:05.200 But it's it's just some people their mental game is so strong and it carries them so well, and uh like they're the people who win these things and go on to do very well. 00:19:05.359 --> 00:19:13.279 And I found myself kind of being in the other end of the spectrum uh where I have a lot of ability for how I was playing, I suppose. 00:19:13.440 --> 00:19:42.880 And uh I wasn't making the most out of my ability because of my head, I suppose, and dealing with emotions, and I get quite angry and I get quite caught up, and I wasn't pulling very I I tend to get quite uh technical about things, and I think I've

gotten a lot better at almost bridging the gap between like my practice and playing uh tournament golf and stuff like that, because I don't yeah, I don't think I've gotten that much better at golf over the last three years. 00:19:43.039 --> 00:19:44.319 I well, I take that back. 00:19:44.400 --> 00:20:05.200 I've gotten much better, but uh I've gotten much more of a benefit from my mental game than I have with my physical game, uh getting better and helping my myself win these uh championships and being in contention because like yeah, playing my like my last year of boys golf, I I think I like I was we were talking about it today, actually. 00:20:05.359 --> 00:20:05.920 We were laughing. 00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:15.039 Like I was our fifth man on our Fred Daly team for uh quite a little bit of time in my final years of uh boys golf, which was only two years ago. 00:20:15.119 --> 00:20:20.640 Like I went back up to like 2.5 handicap or something, and I was going, like, what am I doing here? 00:20:20.720 --> 00:20:22.799 You know, like I'm awful. 00:20:23.119 --> 00:20:24.640 That's what I was telling myself. 00:20:24.799 --> 00:20:39.680 Uh and I played all the boys' events, and I I'd make the cut, but I'd never be able to kind of push into even like I'd come 30th all the time and stuff, and I was going, I'd feel like I come off the golf course and I go, I I shouldn't have shot that score. 00:20:39.759 --> 00:20:42.559 And I think it always it's always in your head. 00:20:42.640 --> 00:20:52.480 And golf is such a mental game, and there's so many books on it, obviously, because that's all the best players in the world, and anyone who does anything in this score, you have to be so mentally strong. 00:20:52.559 --> 00:20:55.279 And if you're not, you're you're not gonna do anything. 00:20:55.759 --> 00:20:57.680 Yeah, the mental side of it is is so important. 00:20:57.759 --> 00:21:11.759 I've often said it to anyone who listened to me is this when you get to the elite pro level or elite amateur level, there's look at all the handicaps, you know, look at it's all plus four, plus five, plus you know, but there's nothing really in it. 00:21:12.480 --> 00:21:20.319 So what differentiates someone from making the cut and missing the cut, winning, losing? 00:21:20.480 --> 00:21:22.799 You know, it's minor, it's minor things. 00:21:22.880 --> 00:21:36.960 It's and you get to the pro level, it's a case that everyone can hit the ball well, everyone can drive the ball over 300 yards, everyone can hit a bloody wedge to ten foot, you know, and they can all make those putts, but when it counts, yeah, yeah, that's the big difference. 00:21:37.599 --> 00:21:39.599 It's who who's the who's the best. 00:21:39.759 --> 00:21:45.279 Like that's like a to that's why Tiger and even like all the lads who are at the very, very top. 00:21:45.359 --> 00:21:49.119 Like they're some of the mentally strongest people in the world, really. 00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:51.519 I think uh

anyone at the top of their sport. 00:21:51.680 --> 00:22:22.799 Yeah, you just have to be so good in and out every week, and like even when your game's off, you can't you have to figure out a way to kind of get it around and that's where your your mental side comes into things a lot and I think that's uh it I think that's the best part of our sport is it's not a reaction sport you you there's not someone throwing a ball at you it's you you have have a lot of time to mess things up you know and yeah that's yeah I think that's what makes golf so brilliant is it's so difficult and the mental side is so important. 00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:37.839 Imagine playing golf and it happens to people and I don't know what it feels like because it's never happened to me thankfully but you just you you mentioned it there like it's not a reaction sport insofar as it's not someone like a baseball like throwing a ball at you at 100 miles an hour or someone serving a ball like at you in tennis. 00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:41.759 But imagine being over the ball and not being able to pull the trigger. 00:22:42.079 --> 00:22:54.319 How painful must that be in someone's soul for a game that they love so much and they're so good at to then all of a sudden not be able to hit the ball yeah no it's uh it's a cruel sport. 00:22:54.799 --> 00:22:56.079 It's a cruel sport. 00:22:56.319 --> 00:22:59.440 Anyway I appreciate everything you said there and your honesty and your openness. 00:22:59.519 --> 00:23:22.160 You know it's uh it doesn't matter what age you are it doesn't matter who you are we all have the same kind of thoughts from time to time and it's a case of just trying to I suppose learn how to embrace them and as you said the more times you're in the final group the more times you're giving yourself that opportunity to win or to lose or whatever it might be you get you get more experience and better at them then. 00:23:22.400 --> 00:23:59.599 Yeah a hundred percent the only way to win is to almost lose and you you have to lose a lot in golf and uh I mean I've just experienced that a little bit last few days uh in Port Tumna but uh I think that's a brilliant learning experience so hopefully go on and do more important things in golf hopefully uh we'll see but uh like it's experiences like that you can't you can't replicate unless you're in the situation and uh yeah um even losing is a really nice experience I think is that that's how I'm looking at it anyway. 00:23:59.759 --> 00:24:01.200 Maybe that's just me coping. 00:24:01.759 --> 00:24:04.640 Well listen whatever way listen you have to cope some way. 00:24:04.720 --> 00:24:17.119 Yeah if you can spin it in your head and say that it's it's a great experience well then let's go with that you know because like losing is hard you know so um however people deal with it is how they deal with it. 00:24:17.359 --> 00:24:36.079 Um let's turn it around and we'll come to Portund in a while um let's turn it around and talk about something maybe positive in a way although I have made this very dramatic over time you've got one game of golf left in your life okay only one game of golf where are you playing it this is your dream scenario. 00:24:36.400 --> 00:25:02.559 Okay like it's hard not to say Augusta it's such a special place in in golf and uh it's where everyone would want to play I think if if they had the chance what would be your favourite hole if you had the opportunity to play only one hole in Augusta let's narrow it down just once to it has to be the uh the power three twelve that that's the I think that's the cool just the amount of things that have gone on in that hole is just brilliant. 00:25:02.799 --> 00:26:00.799 Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah for good and bad like if you think about like Jordan Speath putting in the water three times but then Rory hitting an amazing shot I know yeah yeah no it's not there's been good and bad uh it's just such a cool hole that's it it's a joke that place anyway I'd love to play it one day hopefully yeah well fingers crossed you're and you're at least you're giving yourself half a chance you know you've got more of a chance of playing it than I do you know um but on this day when you're playing Augusta you get to bring three people with you for the dream four ball now yeah it can be friends family golfers dead alive anyone you want it's your dream day uh I I have to say my dad I have to say my cousin Jamie and then I'll say I'll say Will as well I feel like I feel like I'd love I'd rather spend it with them than uh I don't know some feckin' celebrity or something I don't I don't really I don't mind that much that would that would be I'll I'd love to experience something like that with them rather than some celebrity that's nice that's a lovely answer. 00:26:00.960 --> 00:26:11.279 And on the day you get to bring a caddy with you now it doesn't necessarily have to be a caddy but someone to help you around the golf course or just someone to be in a a support function to help you beat the lads. 00:26:11.839 --> 00:26:14.480 I'll bring my mum my mum's gonna be on my back. 00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:15.119 Yeah. 00:26:15.519 --> 00:26:16.640 What's your mum's name? 00:26:16.880 --> 00:26:57.519 Sarah very very welcome to the dream scenario no she actually in Portumna after uh I made a mess of the final few holes in the third round and her I was sulking to be honest is how I'd put it lightly in the middle of the fourth round I made a missed a short put on maybe the fourth hole and yeah I I actually think she'd be she's very good at on almost getting me out of my little sulk I think and uh yeah she'd actually be a good caddy so I'll bring her does she say anything in particular to help you out of it or is it just her presence as your mother I think her presence as my mother uh I find her quite entertaining and uh it's hard to be annoyed around her. 00:26:57.839 --> 00:26:58.640 Isn't that lovely? 00:26:58.880 --> 00:27:06.079 Jesus Christ

that's a lovely thing to be able to say about your mother very Sarah you're very that's a lovely thing now um and that's that's that's class. 00:27:06.160 --> 00:28:43.359 Okay so you've got that's an unbelievable day Augusta your dad will Jamie and then your mum cadene that's class very good okay so let's move on so junior golf I you know obviously you played in in Greystones you know growing up through the ages you mentioned briefly that you were Fred Daly you know that you were on the Fred Daly team but what you haven't mentioned is the fact that you know you in 2024 you won the Fred Daly the all Ireland with the dream team from what I remember like a team of Irish internationals to beat yeah our our yeah that was a brilliant experience we lost in the final to Port Rush the previous year in 2023 uh which was really really not fun uh which was just quite hard we uh we did so well to get there and then we're all very young now but yeah and then to go and win we beat them in the final the next year was just is a brilliant experience we had beat port rush did you yeah yeah that we were in the final yeah so uh no that was one of the that was one of the highlights of my golfing life I'd say just uh with the great bunch of lads as well Toby uh I think the team me Milo Doyle Toby Murphy Jamie Anderson and Will yeah and we were all very like we're all so close those lads uh and uh it was a great experience because there's a lot of you know there's a lot of teams that wouldn't have that bond I suppose or like a lot of teams that would have a lot of players who are from other clubs and stuff and we'd all come from greystones and we'd all been friends for a very long time and it was a it was a very special thing I think for all of us to to have with each other. 00:28:43.519 --> 00:29:04.720 Something I'll remember for my life I suppose well no one can take it away from you you know to have your name on the the Fred Daly trophy is isn't a great achievement and again it's a box ticked I always hear about this box ticking that you have to be doing as you're getting older through golf you know is that you should be winning and winning becomes a habit and therefore you know you're putting yourself in those situations. 00:29:04.880 --> 00:30:11.839 So at a young age like you know you're you're playing match play at a young age and you're getting to all Ireland finals and you're losing and then winning you know subsequently you're you're getting other opportunities as as an older man so to speak you know to play match play and to succeed you know do you think that the grounding at that young age in the Fred Daly helped you to I suppose be better at match play did you learn certain things from playing in finals losing in finals winning in finals that as a boy that helped you as a a man so to speak uh yeah from the age of maybe 12 I've been playing match play for Greystones and stuff like there's a nice uh like different levels of of match play and uh I think that's one of the best things in Ireland for club golf I don't know what it's like in other countries I don't think it's as good now but like this we the under 15s and you're I'm playing like I don't know Metro which is like the seven and a half handicappers and over and stuff and that's me. 00:30:12.240 --> 00:30:55.920 Yeah the amount of losing we did as a club uh up until uh winning that Fred Daly was it was a lot to be honest but it like it it it helps you you get so much better from from it all and uh if I didn't have those kind of things those match play events I maybe I don't know wouldn't be the same golfer I am today uh just because you you get so much experience and learning from such a young age and losing and learning how to like deal with losing and stuff like that which was brilliant and yeah we we've we're still losing a lot we've lost three senior cup finals in a row now in great sands or two senior cup and a Barton Shields still looking for the senior cup win. 00:30:56.160 --> 00:31:00.240 Yeah I think the match play in Ireland's brilliant and it's a great learning experience. 00:31:00.559 --> 00:31:31.039 You mentioned obviously um the senior cup like obviously did you notice much of a transition going up from boys to men so to speak or the one thing I noticed is that these people who are playing senior cup are getting younger and younger these days so it's kind of like you're literally playing Fred Daly against them one day and then the next day or the next year you're going out playing against them senior cup it's not like maybe what it used to be I know you guys have a couple of like Alan Condren playing on your team and some of that who is a seat playing on the seniors and most recently just won the seniors in Ennis Gorthy. 00:31:32.160 --> 00:31:34.400 So did you notice much of a transition? 00:31:34.559 --> 00:32:16.480 Does it change does the pressures change is is it the same I know obviously unfortunately got beaten by Carton House there having beaten Edmundstown like what a great win against Edmondstown and then obviously it came down to the wire in in Will's match against Carton House like I mean yeah uh the depth I'd say is the main thing and there's just so many good golfers at the seniors level uh like yeah it's the the top junior golfers are all really good but like when you're playing men's championships there's so many so many really good players and uh it's the same with senior cup like we had the Carton House team was a ridiculous team to be honest. 00:32:16.720 --> 00:32:58.559 They're all incredible players and uh you have to you all have to be playing well to to win one of those pennants uh we just barely beat Edmondstown in the in the morning it came down to Will's match on 18 and was very tight for a long time and it's just one of those things we've come out of the wrong side of a few of them we lost in a a playoff hole in um Barton Shield this year as well against Dunleary and last year we lost to Bray

in the final of senior cup I'm hoping we can get it done before I uh part my ways with uh golf they're great experiences and it's great to have a team like Greystones and the clubs all this sport you get in Greystones is brilliant. 00:32:58.720 --> 00:33:11.680 Like uh they're all very good to us especially the younger juniors and the junior section there is is probably one of the best in Ireland I think uh maybe the best I uh so it's yeah it's it's great. 00:33:12.000 --> 00:33:46.160 Last year you got your first call up to the senior interprovincials I think I hope you're correct there uh to play for Leinster you know so what does it feel like you know when you're playing with someone at an interpro level you get a great relationship with someone you know or with some of the team and then you're going out playing them against senior cup you know does it does it change how you I know like I'm not trying to say that there's animosity or you know any of that kind of stuff but you know would you be chatting to them the same way that you would be chatting to them if you were playing with them in interpros, playing against them in Senior Cup? 00:33:46.319 --> 00:34:03.119 Uh for example I played Keith Egan in the final senior cup and played with him in foursomes in Interprose and I played Forsomes with him in the Kerry Cup which is uh like it's like a Metropolitan team from New York and it was in Port Marnock last year. 00:34:03.279 --> 00:34:08.320 And that was good fun we we lost our match there but you can't really talk to them the same way. 00:34:08.559 --> 00:35:14.400 Like you have to keep your uh you have to keep your game face on I suppose but uh yeah it's it's a great experience to play against all these people and like the Irish amateur circuit you you you get a lot of you get close to a lot of people because you're playing a lot of golf with uh everyone but you still you still want to beat them every week uh so it is a weird a bit of it's a bit of a weird situation sometimes but uh I know it's great fun and the competitiveness of it all is is brilliant I think interpro so like what was that like getting your first call up as a senior interpro was it a you know a massive deal for you like to to represent Leinster it's a great week the Leinster team was all brilliant uh all the lads are great lads yeah it was great fun you we got we won as well which was nice uh that's all in a row yeah we I think they lost this year now but uh it was uh a great run and uh yeah it's it's a gr it's a great week I think and uh everyone's very chatty and uh stuff and it's it's a weird environment not uh there's it's it's competitive but almost like in a friendly way I think which is but I think that's a good thing. 00:35:14.480 --> 00:35:19.119 I think that's the way it could should always be that you can all you can be competitive yet friendly. 00:35:19.360 --> 00:35:43.360 I think that's you know that can be a nice atmosphere to be in because it brings out the best in everyone it's not as intense maybe as uh I don't know like if I play someone in the south I'm so or the best or something I want to kill them but in the Enterprise it's like a weird like kind of almost middle ground or you I don't know it's a weird one I think for me anyway but yeah it's a brilliant fun I think. 00:35:43.760 --> 00:36:16.320 And speaking of killing people right let's move on to the West of Ireland okay so I see I've read all this kind of stuff you know that you're the first you know the youngest winner you know of the West of Ireland since Rory McElroy you know you're being likened to Rory McElroy in a way um when you win the West of Ireland one thing I'll say about the West of Ireland is and I don't care who listens to me it's hell on earth every year with regards to weather I was there last year I was there this year I caddied for Dave Shield both times and I swear to God it is horrible. 00:36:16.480 --> 00:36:21.440 I mean the weather he said to me after 2025 it can't get any worse and it did in 2025. 00:36:21.679 --> 00:36:58.079 Yeah it was terrible this year the second it was unplayable but listen 2025 you go down to the west of Ireland okay what are your so you've had time now it's been two years nearly since you you won this give or take a year and a half maybe yeah so looking back on it now and when you've had a reflect a time to reflect on everything and hopefully you've had time to reflect on it you know when you go to these events in April the golf season only starting what are your thoughts or what are your expectations going along to a competition are you like Tiger Woods where you expect to win everything you put your name into uh well I mean going into that I didn't really know what to expect. 00:36:58.159 --> 00:38:08.880 It was my first men's event uh so I I I kind of I hadn't really I don't know I didn't really like to be honest when I was going there and everything I I I don't really remember thinking about like winning or anything and you're kind of it's a weird one those match play events because you're just trying to get into the top 64 and once you get into them I find it's almost you're just you're just trying to play your match you're not thinking ahead really it's not like for me anyway in stroke play you're kind of almost I get a lot more caught up in I don't know your score and if you make a mistake it feels so much more costly but once you get into the match play in uh the like those events you're it's just it's just hole by hole and until maybe the last few holes in the final I I hadn't really it nothing really processed in my brain of winning or anything like that which was I think it was a really good thing for me because uh that was kind of something I struggled with after the West and throughout my golfing career I suppose is it it's come to a bit of a halt now recently after Mullungar I feel like I've become a much better stroke play golfer. 00:38:08.960 --> 00:38:20.719 But uh it

was the same in Fred Daly I I play much better golf and in senior cup and match play in the West because it's match play and there's less emphasis on score. 00:38:20.960 --> 00:38:35.760 So I think that it really suited me the West as my first event to almost like be doing well in because it is match play and you you you don't have the opportunity to kind of think about making a quad or something. 00:38:35.840 --> 00:38:47.920 It doesn't matter it's just you move on and you're you're going again you're trying to trying to beat them on this hill you're only you only have to beat what's the other person you know uh which is a less daunting task to me anyway. 00:38:48.159 --> 00:39:12.400 So it was a brilliant week it was best one of the best weeks of my life uh and all my family were up there like it was I it was a brilliant experience and nothing's propelled helped me more in the game I think than that week and uh like the learning I got from it and the experience and every everyone around it was it was a brilliant week it was a brilliant week. 00:39:12.719 --> 00:40:27.039 No disrespect to anyone else that you played I don't have the details in front of me with regards to 64 32 168 four but obviously in the final you're coming up against one of you know one of the best finishers I suppose is what you might classify him in Irish golf Colli Campbell you know um a a very very good match play player you know has represented Ireland you know senior cups Barton Shields to beat the band with Warren Point you probably don't have scar tissue from playing him like did you know much about him when you were playing him in the final uh not really to be honest a little bit uh like I kind of I was kind of going in there blind really into the into the West uh like I didn't know anyone at all I knew obviously yeah well well it was at the time I kind of felt like no one expected me to win at all because it's it was real random to be fair uh no one had really knew who I was which I kind of think played into my advantage definitely for me anyway uh because I I hadn't a clue who anyone really was and what I knew he was a brilliant golfer uh but uh yeah I I didn't feel intimidated in any way by anyone I think is how I put it because I didn't really know. 00:40:28.320 --> 00:40:31.760 And did your dad start caddying for you from the get-go? 00:40:31.920 --> 00:40:33.760 Was he there on the for the West? 00:40:34.159 --> 00:41:15.519 Yeah he caddied for me up until the final day he slipped on the third hole uh in the in against David Kitt in the round of 16 did something in his knee and uh like he had to get surgery a few weeks later so uh my cousin Jamie stepped in the last two matches and uh yeah he they were both brilliant like my dad's brilliant on the bag and Jamie was uh obviously really good and yeah he there they were the the two cat lads on the bag that week so it was nice to have both of them on the bag actually because uh it was a brilliant experience for for

everyone involved I think and uh yeah we'll all look back and kind of remember that week as something that was quite quite cool. 00:41:16.000 --> 00:42:58.400 Well we talk about the weather you know and we saw videos like you know obviously Gary Murphy is very very good at providing videos and stuff like that at the time you know and you know having been there I know how bad the weather can get you see people hiding behind umbrellas you know what is the what is the function of a caddy in your opinion in those situations because like everything goes out the window with regards to you know yardages etc etc or does it like you know are you playing completely by feel when it comes to those terrible conditions I I wouldn't say completely but like I mean yeah it's very it gets very difficult like the even the first stroke play round which is like in the final to be honest the weather was kind of blown out of proportion a little bit because it was fine reasonably windy it was really windy but it was like wasn't raining until like the 11th or 12th half uh and then it got like a hurricane then it got like terrible but like for the majority of the week it was like really windy but like not that like it wasn't bucketing rain bar the first round of the stroke play which was like a hurricane and so it was raining and that was like one of the hardest rounds of golf I've ever played I I shot six over and I was like it was just played absolutely flawless flawlessly uh and that's where kind of the caddying is so important because keeping yourself dry and everything is so hard and you need someone there like I don't know how you would have managed if you didn't have a caddy that day and same with the final obviously like the last few holes like if you didn't have someone on the bag I don't know how you'd be able to grip the club with the with the rain and weather and stuff if you aren't able to hold an umbrella properly or your hands would freeze. 00:42:58.559 --> 00:43:13.679 So like it's so important and for any week of the year for a caddy to be important it is the West like like it's the most needed caddy ever I'd say in golf uh just because of how hard the conditions can get. 00:43:13.840 --> 00:43:32.480 And with the wind as well you obviously need to really think hard about clubs and stuff which was brilliant uh because both those two my dad and Jamie know my game probably as well as I know my game it's just great to have someone like like them to talk to and kind of like uh I suppose make decisions and stuff. 00:43:32.639 --> 00:43:37.679 So yeah the caddying was so important that week and I couldn't have won without the two lads. 00:43:37.920 --> 00:44:03.039 You grew up in Greystones not exactly renowned as being the windiest golf course in the I'm not saying it's not windy, but Parkland golf courses, you know, they're not renowned for being particularly windy compared to Lynx golf courses like County Sligo or for example you know other Lynx golf courses

like Lehinch South Ireland etc etc you know but yet you seem to have a great game for Bad weather uh for wind, rain, stuff like that. 00:44:03.199 --> 00:44:06.159 You know, how do you think that's come about for someone so young? 00:44:06.320 --> 00:44:09.840 Is it just a case of like, well, it is what it is, or have you developed a game? 00:44:10.159 --> 00:44:25.039 I'm very good at hitting small, like iron shots and stuff and knocking clubs down, which I I even playing with like some of the more experienced players and stuff, they hit shots that I'm I like not bad shots, but I wouldn't play them the way they're playing it, like a lot higher. 00:44:25.199 --> 00:44:35.280 Like I'm quite good at maybe like having, I don't know, 130 and I'll hit like a seven iron or something if it's really into wind and I'll be able to really take all the spin off it and everything. 00:44:35.440 --> 00:44:39.119 I think that really suit like I'm quite a good wind player. 00:44:39.360 --> 00:44:41.199 I think I I've just I don't know why. 00:44:41.360 --> 00:44:48.480 It's maybe I think I've just got kind of a more I I've like quite an imaginative imaginative golf brain, maybe a little bit. 00:44:48.559 --> 00:44:52.639 I don't know, with that kind of stuff and being able to flight clubs and and stuff. 00:44:52.719 --> 00:44:54.239 I I think it kind of suits me. 00:44:54.400 --> 00:44:56.320 Like it suits my eye, definitely. 00:44:56.639 --> 00:45:07.760 Well, it's a great thing to have in your arsenal, especially around Ireland, considering the fact that a lot of the major competitions are played in Lynx, uh in Lynx golf course where the the wind blows quite heavily. 00:45:07.920 --> 00:45:19.760 So, you know, looking back on it now, okay, a year later, the West of Ireland, you know, youngest person since Rory, you know, another competition has been and gone in the West. 00:45:20.800 --> 00:45:28.719 Did you ever hold any nerves or expectations going down as the reigning champion where there was a lot of people dragging out of you? 00:45:28.800 --> 00:45:32.000 Oh my god, here's you know, here's the next Rory coming. 00:45:32.239 --> 00:45:39.119 Did that ever does that does that get into your psyche where you're actually bringing those kind of nerves or expectations to the T? 00:45:39.679 --> 00:45:50.400 I mean, the whole Rory thing, like uh it's so far-fetched that I was kind of like, uh it's Rory McEroy, like leave like leave him out of this, to be honest. 00:45:50.559 --> 00:45:52.639 I yeah, going back was it's a weird feeling. 00:45:52.719 --> 00:45:57.360 I I didn't find it that difficult to kind of play the next year nerve-wracking or anything. 00:45:57.440 --> 00:46:04.320 I I I I lost in the round of 32, which was uh hard, but like I didn't play, it wasn't like I played badly. 00:46:04.400 --> 00:46:08.159 I played uh Robert Abernathy, who played like Tiger Woods that day. 00:46:08.320 --> 00:46:10.320 Uh and I lost on 15, I think. 00:46:10.480 --> 00:46:12.639 And I was kind of going, Fair enough, you've beaten me. 00:46:12.719 --> 00:46:13.519 I I don't mind. 00:46:13.679 --> 00:46:20.719 Uh but yeah, look, it I I I'll always have a special that place will always have a special place in my heart. 00:46:20.880 --> 00:46:23.599 It was brilliant going up after we went up. 00:46:23.760 --> 00:46:29.599 Me and a few friends went up and played it a couple times and stayed in Sliga, uh, which is a lovely town. 00:46:29.760 --> 00:46:42.480 And uh yeah, it's I love I love it up there, and it's such a welcoming place and a brilliant golf club, and all the members are love the they love the West and they love their champions and stuff, and yeah, it's it's one of my favorite places. 00:46:42.800 --> 00:46:50.079 I don't really have that same opinion because of the fact that I've only been there twice and I've been literally pissed on for four days. 00:46:50.320 --> 00:46:53.360 I've never gone up there, I've never had a nice day of weather up there either. 00:46:53.519 --> 00:46:54.400 It'd be no longer. 00:46:54.639 --> 00:46:55.599 At least you won. 00:46:55.840 --> 00:46:56.880 Yeah, yeah. 00:46:57.119 --> 00:47:01.119 Yeah, it'd be it'd be some golf, but I'd love to play it when it's calm. 00:47:01.840 --> 00:47:12.320 Yeah, it's it's someone has said to me it's a it's a so different during this like if you see it during the you know when it's on in the west in a April time, and then you come back in July or August, it's like so different of a golf. 00:47:13.199 --> 00:47:14.719 I know I'd love to, I'd love to see actually. 00:47:14.800 --> 00:47:17.119 I've never been up there in the summer, so yeah. 00:47:17.360 --> 00:47:18.639 Maybe you should do it at some stage. 00:47:18.880 --> 00:47:20.639 Even though I'll take him for two euro. 00:47:21.519 --> 00:47:24.239 Yeah, I'll take 20 shots of you, no problem. 00:47:25.280 --> 00:47:29.440 Um, so listen, um then obviously Mull and Girl. 00:47:29.599 --> 00:47:42.880 So you I seem to have a little bit of a love affair for growing for for Mull and Gar, although you know, obviously last year may not have gone to your favour, but you came second in the Scratch Cup um last year in 2025. 00:47:43.599 --> 00:47:48.480 The weather, if I remember correctly, the weather on the last day was awful, right? 00:47:48.719 --> 00:47:57.519 And yet, you shot a 67 compared to uh Finn's like 74, I think it was. 00:47:58.000 --> 00:48:07.519 Yeah, I was um I was eight back going into the final round, I shot six over in the morning, which was it sounds like a terrible score, but like the weather was a joke. 00:48:07.679 --> 00:48:23.679 Like I I remember watching uh one lad almost like I think he like five or six put one hole because you just couldn't like it the ball rolled the whole way off the front of the green, and it some of the pins were like unfair. 00:48:23.840 --> 00:48:29.039 Uh it wasn't their fault, it was just the fact that the wind was just too strong.

00:48:29.280 --> 00:48:37.360 Uh so like I came second and it was a second where it wasn't like I felt like I could have got any more out of that round of golf. 00:48:37.599 --> 00:48:47.760 It was one of the best golf I've ever played, to be honest, because it was I don't know, eight seventy kilometre an hour wins or something stupid, and I was five under. 00:48:48.079 --> 00:49:04.079 It's it's brilliant to have gotten revenge on on on and come first this year, but like yeah, I I had no expectations going into that final round uh last year, uh being eight back, and I kind of played my way into the tournament really well. 00:49:04.239 --> 00:49:07.840 But uh yeah, it's it's it's a special golf course to me. 00:49:07.920 --> 00:49:10.960 I love the I love the golf course that suits my game very well. 00:49:11.280 --> 00:49:18.159 I can hit driver a lot, and I drive the ball, I think is one of my strong points in my game, so it suits me very well. 00:49:18.320 --> 00:49:24.559 But yeah, yeah, no, I would say it it's uh it was lovely to get the win there this year, anyway. 00:49:24.960 --> 00:49:26.400 Yeah, we're gonna talk about that now. 00:49:26.559 --> 00:49:30.079 I'm just relieved about the driver, because like you're quite a tall guy now, aren't you? 00:49:30.239 --> 00:49:32.000 You're 6'2, would you be 6'2? 00:49:32.239 --> 00:49:33.119 I'm 6'3, yeah. 00:49:33.360 --> 00:49:34.239 Excuse me, 6'3. 00:49:34.719 --> 00:49:38.239 So you said you were quite small as a younger guy, right? 00:49:38.400 --> 00:49:50.239 Now I'm very small still, but I'm interested to know when you obviously went from being, let's say, five foot seven, let's say up to six three, which might have happened in the summertime for all, you know, it may have happened in one year. 00:49:50.559 --> 00:49:55.360 Did you noticeably get a massive difference in your driver distance? 00:49:55.760 --> 00:50:00.480 When I went into first year, I think I was five foot tall, uh, which is kind of a mad little thing. 00:50:00.639 --> 00:50:02.159 I I grew very quick. 00:50:02.320 --> 00:50:05.519 And I think that might be why I struggled a little bit with my golf. 00:50:05.599 --> 00:50:11.920 I'm gonna put it down to it a tiny bit because your swing changes a lot and you get a lot stronger and stuff. 00:50:12.079 --> 00:50:24.880 But yeah, I I think I I put on a lot of speed over the last two years from my height, is obviously a huge advantage because you've just got such a much wider arc, I suppose. 00:50:25.039 --> 00:50:37.280 But yeah, I think I could still even get a lot quicker, and that's something I hope to kind of do over the next few years in college and going to the gym a bit more because like I'm still very lanky and I'm quite skinny. 00:50:37.360 --> 00:50:55.119 So I think if I could put on a bit of muscle, I could use it even more to my advantage, which is something uh hopefully I can kind of tap into because uh it is a huge advantage being longer than people off the

tee, and uh because you're just hitting less clubbing, and you can it's just it just makes the game a little bit easier. 00:50:55.360 --> 00:51:00.159 One of my strong points in my game, and uh I I kind of hope to even get better at it. 00:51:00.239 --> 00:51:07.760 So that's something I think is definitely one of the strong points in uh helping me get better at golf, I guess. 00:51:08.079 --> 00:51:08.719 It's class. 00:51:08.800 --> 00:51:14.400 I mean, I keep I always have to keep on remembering when I'm talking to people like yourself is that you're only at the beginning of your journey. 00:51:14.639 --> 00:51:25.119 Like you're only 19 years of age, you're only heading off to college, like you're literally at the beginning of a hopefully a wonderful journey associated with golf and just life in general, you know. 00:51:25.199 --> 00:51:30.159 So, like I have to keep on re bringing myself back and remembering that you can do this. 00:51:30.400 --> 00:51:30.960 Do you know what I mean? 00:51:31.119 --> 00:51:37.599 Like everything you're saying is true, you know, that like you literally can add more speed and all that kind of stuff, which is fantastic. 00:51:37.679 --> 00:51:51.360 Like you're already at such a level that incrementally a percentage or like one percent better, two percent better, like that can turn you from already a lethal winner into the next level. 00:51:51.679 --> 00:51:52.400 Yeah, yeah. 00:51:52.639 --> 00:51:55.119 No, it that that's kind of what you need to. 00:51:55.280 --> 00:52:06.800 I mean, you have to be so good at golf, everyone's so good, uh, to like I suppose be anything like pro-wise, uh, and you need to kind of get everything out of yourself. 00:52:06.960 --> 00:52:11.280 And I think that's something I I need to I have still a long way to go. 00:52:11.360 --> 00:52:21.920 I I still feel like I've a lot I can get out of my golf game, and I've I've I've still a lot to improve on, which is brilliant, because if it wasn't the case, then I mean that that's not great. 00:52:22.400 --> 00:52:28.719 I feel like I have still a lot to to give and get better at, so which is which is exciting, I suppose. 00:52:29.119 --> 00:52:35.519 You say obviously the driver is the best thing in the well, sorry, in your own opinion, you said this driver is probably one of your strongests. 00:52:35.679 --> 00:52:44.480 Yeah, what would you think going over to America now, okay, uh, where you're gonna be, you know, having the best of equipment, the best of like facilities. 00:52:44.639 --> 00:52:48.719 Like I've been reading up about like the golf lab facility that they have over here. 00:52:48.880 --> 00:52:56.480 You know, what's what's one thing that you're hopeful that you can improve on the most going over to America? 00:52:56.559 --> 00:52:59.840 Not that it's your weakness, but that what the one thing that you can improve the most. 00:53:00.079 --> 00:53:05.840 I I I wouldn't say any specific top part of my game, and I don't think I I do anything necessarily that bad. 00:53:05.920 --> 00:53:16.719 I think I can get like a tiny bit better at everything, a tiny little bit, but I think it will help like that's it's all tiny little gains, really, when you get to a certain level. 00:53:16.880 --> 00:53:33.599 But the for America, really, what I think is gonna help me the most is is the competitive golf the whole year, which is something like on this gap year, I I kind of struggled a little bit in times where I'm going, like I've nothing to play in, and I'm the weather's terrible, the golf courses are closed. 00:53:33.760 --> 00:53:35.760 I got to go away a lot, which was brilliant. 00:53:35.920 --> 00:53:43.599 Uh I went to um Argentina, I went to uh Spain, Italy, Portugal a decent bit. 00:53:43.679 --> 00:53:44.400 So it was brilliant. 00:53:44.480 --> 00:53:54.719 But like the thing with America is there's such a great structure around events and practice and going to the gym and stuff, which is I think gonna help me a lot. 00:53:54.800 --> 00:54:16.800 And I think I'm really looking forward to it because uh you get to play such brilliant golf courses with such great fields and against people who are like in a similar situation to you, and uh yeah, that's what I think was gonna really help me improve and get to the next level is the uh the events and the structure behind uh the college system. 00:54:17.199 --> 00:54:21.679 So just briefly to go back to Mullingar, where you got your win this year. 00:54:22.000 --> 00:54:29.199 Golf must have felt very easy for 54, 58, 54 holes, maybe. 00:54:29.360 --> 00:54:34.079 You know, I mean you were zipping along 66, 68, you were like having a blast, you know. 00:54:34.239 --> 00:54:35.679 Like, see you later, guys. 00:54:35.840 --> 00:54:36.639 See you later. 00:54:36.880 --> 00:54:39.440 I'm running, I'm running this, I'm taking it wire to wire. 00:54:39.519 --> 00:54:39.920 I don't care. 00:54:40.000 --> 00:54:41.920 It was you're seeing not seeing you for dust. 00:54:42.000 --> 00:54:44.559 And you had what, like an eight-shot lead going into the final round? 00:54:44.639 --> 00:54:45.039 Is that correct? 00:54:45.119 --> 00:54:46.719 Uh it was a seven-shot lead, yeah. 00:54:46.880 --> 00:54:47.360 I think. 00:54:47.519 --> 00:54:51.760 And uh yeah, uh let's take it from there. 00:54:51.840 --> 00:54:53.599 Uh I suppose a lot went on that day. 00:54:53.920 --> 00:54:57.039 I played really good golf throughout that week. 00:54:57.199 --> 00:54:59.039 Like I I made a lot of birdies. 00:54:59.119 --> 00:55:03.280 I think I had like over the week I had 23 birdies and four eagles. 00:55:03.519 --> 00:55:04.000 Wow. 00:55:04.239 --> 00:55:06.239 I don't think I've done that in my life. 00:55:06.880 --> 00:55:14.320 So like it wasn't like I I felt like I probably could have been a lot more under par, to be honest. 00:55:14.480 --> 00:55:22.159 But in saying that, I've felt like I dealt with the pressure incredibly well for how I

because I've never been in that position before. 00:55:22.400 --> 00:55:23.360 It's very weird. 00:55:23.440 --> 00:55:41.679 Like seven shots to like an untrained eye kind of sounds like you can't lose until you're like seven shots, but you've bogeied the first two holes and the other lad's a few holes ahead and is already like four under, and you're going, Well, it's no longer seven shots, it's one, which is kind of what happened. 00:55:41.840 --> 00:55:44.159 Like, I bogeied the first two holes. 00:55:44.320 --> 00:55:49.599 I hit a terrible T-shot on one mate bogey, and then like the second hole's a really difficult part three. 00:55:49.679 --> 00:55:58.079 So, like on all of a sudden, you kind of you're still miles ahead, but your your head's not really your head doesn't feel miles ahead, you know. 00:55:58.159 --> 00:56:02.880 You're it's very hard to stay, um stay in that positive mindset. 00:56:03.119 --> 00:56:20.639 And that's something like even the the week prior talking to Donald Scott, we had a conversation where we were literally, I think we c had the conversation where he said, I was about to hit, like we visualize hitting a shot, I suppose, uh, like on the driving range. 00:56:20.719 --> 00:56:27.039 And he he said something along the lines of you are 12 under par, you've just bogied three holes in a row. 00:56:27.199 --> 00:56:31.679 I think it was the exact words he said, and you have to hit this tea shot down the fairway. 00:56:31.840 --> 00:56:36.239 It was literally that situation where you have to learn how to kind of deal with these things. 00:56:36.400 --> 00:56:46.159 And uh I mean, yeah, you just that's where the process and things like that kind of you have to stick with your own game and really stay present in the moment. 00:56:46.239 --> 00:56:51.679 And because otherwise, I mean, a seven-shot swing can can go very quickly. 00:56:51.920 --> 00:56:54.960 It doesn't sound like it can until it does. 00:56:55.280 --> 00:57:00.400 Yeah, I was really proud of of myself and how I how I played the the rest of that round. 00:57:00.559 --> 00:57:06.400 Like um, I finished two under for the final round, which was uh like it was good golf. 00:57:06.480 --> 00:57:09.679 I had five bogeys that day each as well. 00:57:09.760 --> 00:57:11.039 Like I had seven birdies. 00:57:11.199 --> 00:57:21.920 So like there's a lot of mistakes, obviously, and I'm putting a lot of that down to pressure and things, but I was able to definitely bounce back from the mistakes and make birdies. 00:57:22.079 --> 00:57:27.199 And I I was only one shot ahead or something with four or five holes to play. 00:57:27.280 --> 00:57:30.079 And and granted, like the finish in one on guard is quite easy. 00:57:30.320 --> 00:57:38.639 You've three part fives, so but it's still when you're seven shots ahead and all of a sudden you're not, it's it feels quite weird. 00:57:38.800 --> 00:57:40.159 It's like you're getting chased. 00:57:40.400 --> 00:57:49.760 I did it

to Fjund Dobin last year, uh, and it's one of those golf courses where you can kind of make a few birdies and get a low score going, and that's what Paulo Hamlin did. 00:57:49.840 --> 00:57:52.239 He played the final two rounds in 12 under. 00:57:52.880 --> 00:58:02.239 I almost think that was more for myself and how much it's kind of um like for my like how proud I am of how I dealt with the situation. 00:58:02.480 --> 00:58:12.800 I'm more proud of how I played and everything for that than I would have been for like the West, for example, and not taking away from my win at the West. 00:58:12.960 --> 00:58:25.440 It's just for myself and how I thought I'd be able to, how I thought I was gonna deal with the uh everything, from like thinking and like thinking about the position prior to it's hard. 00:58:25.519 --> 00:58:34.000 I'm sorry, I'm explaining this badly, but me almost thinking about how I would deal with the pressure of that situation versus how I actually dealt with the situation. 00:58:34.159 --> 00:58:37.199 Kind of uh I was very proud with how I how I dealt with it. 00:58:37.360 --> 00:58:55.920 And uh yeah, that I think that was something that I kind of take away from that and and it kind of helped me pushing forward la last week in uh Port Tumna, where I'm not as uh afraid or anything going into these um stroke play events as I kind of would have been maybe a few months ago or so. 00:58:56.320 --> 00:58:58.239 No, it's a big deal, and I get what you're saying. 00:58:58.400 --> 00:59:06.800 I think particularly you said a little bit earlier on uh in the interview, I think you said that you know that week in Mulling Gar was massive because it was the first strokes win. 00:59:07.039 --> 00:59:07.679 Yeah. 00:59:08.000 --> 00:59:08.800 That's a big deal. 00:59:08.880 --> 00:59:11.920 Like you're going into a world of winning by strokes, not match play. 00:59:12.079 --> 00:59:16.480 You know, there's only the only matchplay you're gonna play as a pro if you go pro is that you're gonna play in the Ryder Cup, you know. 00:59:17.920 --> 00:59:18.320 Yeah, yeah. 00:59:18.400 --> 00:59:20.880 But apart from that, it's four rounds of strokes every week, you know. 00:59:21.119 --> 00:59:24.960 So in that scenario, you have to get used to winning in strokes competition. 00:59:25.199 --> 00:59:33.440 I've met someone on in Woodbrook, um, I think I mentioned it to you when I met you in Woodbrook that he was like, Oh my god, you see Dylan Holmes won Mulligar by like 12 shots, like what a dawdle. 00:59:33.519 --> 00:59:34.800 And I was like, Whoa, hang on a second. 00:59:34.960 --> 00:59:40.079 I don't think you realize, but at one stage in the last round, he was only one shot ahead, and your mom was like, I never realized that. 00:59:40.320 --> 00:59:42.159 Like, did you realize it? 00:59:42.239 --> 00:59:42.800 Is the question. 00:59:42.960 --> 00:59:44.400 Do you did you know the scores? 00:59:44.559 --> 00:59:45.679 Do you watch the scores? 00:59:45.840 --> 00:59:47.039 I told the scores. 00:59:47.440 --> 00:59:49.519 I tried to stay away from it as much as possible. 00:59:49.679 --> 00:59:54.400 I knew on 16 that uh someone was gonna get to 12, or Paul was 12. 00:59:54.639 --> 00:59:56.800 And I was 13 at the time. 00:59:57.039 --> 00:59:58.639 Yeah, 13 at the time. 00:59:58.800 --> 01:00:03.360 That was the only time I knew of the score, and I actually hit a terrible second shot. 01:00:03.440 --> 01:00:18.400 But I managed to kind of I held I chipped it up to like 20 feet and held a putt, which was huge for the tournament and just for myself, as like, okay, I can deal with the pressure of these situations, and I'm able to I'm able to do this, you know. 01:00:18.480 --> 01:00:22.000 And uh I but I tried to stay away from the leaderboard as much as possible. 01:00:22.079 --> 01:00:28.400 It can only negatively affect you, I think, personally, unless it's coming down to the wire and you need to know what you need to do. 01:00:28.559 --> 01:00:31.440 But yeah, I tried to stay away from it as much as I could. 01:00:31.760 --> 01:00:36.239 With the grace of respect, you know, you win once someone might say it's luck, yeah. 01:00:36.639 --> 01:00:41.679 And people go, Oh, I was lucky first out, didn't know what he was doing, blah blah blah blah blah. 01:00:41.840 --> 01:00:42.880 The usual bullshit. 01:00:42.960 --> 01:00:45.920 There's always gonna be people who will who will say negative things. 01:00:46.320 --> 01:00:54.960 But by winning Mulling Gar, did that help you to I suppose, you know, cement in your own mind that you were good? 01:00:55.039 --> 01:00:58.960 Like, forgive me for saying good, but like yeah, we have doubts, we all have doubts. 01:00:59.119 --> 01:00:59.519 Am I good? 01:01:00.000 --> 01:01:01.039 Am I good enough at this game? 01:01:01.119 --> 01:01:04.239 Like, you know, did that help you that having a second win? 01:01:04.559 --> 01:01:05.360 Yeah, 100%. 01:01:05.679 --> 01:01:08.800 Like, I'm sure I always I'm quite a negative person. 01:01:08.880 --> 01:01:10.239 Uh people would tell. 01:01:10.400 --> 01:01:20.880 Well, it's I probably haven't come across as negative as I am, but about um like myself and my game and uh how I like perceive myself. 01:01:21.119 --> 01:01:29.599 Not I'm very confident in my ability, but it's more like I'm always saying I'm hitting it shit or I'm playing or sorry, I shouldn't care, so I'm playing bad. 01:01:29.760 --> 01:01:38.320 It does kind of puts it puts something in my head, kind of that I I am good enough to compete and play in at a very high level. 01:01:38.480 --> 01:01:43.840 And yeah, I think that kind of cemented things for me a little bit more, definitely. 01:01:44.159 --> 01:01:46.559 So, congratulations, obviously, on winning Mulling Gard this year. 01:01:46.639 --> 01:01:48.880 You know, congratulations on winning the West of Ireland. 01:01:49.119 --> 01:01:53.119 Now, I will ask you though, like, does it do you

notice these little things? 01:01:53.280 --> 01:01:55.199 Okay, what I mean by little things is the draws. 01:01:55.360 --> 01:01:56.559 Do you notice the draws, right? 01:01:56.639 --> 01:02:03.519 So, what I mean by that is that you know, all of a sudden then, you know, you're going down to Portumna and there's an open draw. 01:02:03.679 --> 01:02:11.840 I don't know if there is or there isn't, but funnily enough, you end up alongside Dylan Keating and David Kitt, who've had absolutely unbelievable years this year so far. 01:02:12.000 --> 01:02:16.960 So it's like you're the golden draw for the morning, you know, or for for that side of the draw. 01:02:17.199 --> 01:02:26.159 Do you ever notice those things as you're developing as a golfer, you know, that you're getting better and all of a sudden you've got a win or whatever, that then all of a sudden you're put into those positions. 01:02:26.320 --> 01:02:27.840 Does that ever something you notice? 01:02:28.079 --> 01:02:29.599 Yeah, a little bit maybe. 01:02:29.760 --> 01:02:32.960 I don't think the draws are very uh like they're not open draws. 01:02:34.000 --> 01:02:36.880 But uh, like yeah, no, it's it's lovely. 01:02:36.960 --> 01:02:47.840 It's great to play again with uh good players, and but everyone's a very good player, but two lads have obviously won events this year and stuff, and maybe a tiny bit you notice some things like that. 01:02:48.000 --> 01:02:48.639 It's always good. 01:02:48.719 --> 01:02:50.400 It's a good thing to notice, I suppose. 01:02:50.880 --> 01:02:53.199 I mean it means you're doing something right. 01:02:53.440 --> 01:02:57.199 But it's like it's like you know, when they when you talk about in your own local club, right? 01:02:57.280 --> 01:03:01.679 And I love playing with people who are friends of mine, and it doesn't matter to me what handicapped people are, right? 01:03:01.760 --> 01:03:05.119 They could be 25 handicapped, as long as I have good fun with them, it doesn't matter. 01:03:05.199 --> 01:03:15.199 But then there will always be the people who turn around and go, Well, when it comes to the medals or the captain's prize or something like that, you kind of really want to be playing with people your own handicapped because they'll help to drive you on that little bit better. 01:03:15.360 --> 01:03:18.559 You know, you'll want to try and beat them or they'll be hitting better shots, etc. 01:03:18.719 --> 01:03:19.039 etc. 01:03:19.280 --> 01:03:28.159 You know, do you find that when you're playing with guys who are at the top level and playing the best that season or whatever, does that help to drive you on rather than playing with someone who's having an absolute nightmare? 01:03:28.480 --> 01:03:33.920 Unless they're having an absolute nightmare where it's almost impacting your game or they're getting quite angry or whatever. 01:03:34.159 --> 01:03:37.280 So everyone I think is very good to play with. 01:03:37.440 --> 01:03:56.880 And I mean, in the final round in Port Tonda, me and Dylan Keating were both playing very well, and I think that uh I suppose we were almost trying to well, we we we we kind of had like a maybe a little bit of a back and forth of uh like birdies and stuff in the final round, which I I don't think that it definitely didn't hurt anyway. 01:03:57.039 --> 01:04:07.920 But uh I I I don't I don't mind as long as you're as long as someone's not playing awful golf or something, it's it's it's uh I don't really care. 01:04:08.159 --> 01:04:22.079 You mentioned obviously for Mulling Gard that there was you know a moment on 16 when you got you know the 20-foot push to you know for birdie to you know push you up a little bit to give you that little bit of you know cushion, yeah, good words, yeah. 01:04:22.639 --> 01:04:34.880 Watching you know the the 17th in Portum in the final round, that birdie that you made, you know, was awesome, you know, insofar as the way you managed to control the spin on that third shot. 01:04:35.199 --> 01:04:42.480 How did you manage that shot, uh, considering you must have known that it was all on the line? 01:04:42.800 --> 01:04:43.760 I did at that point. 01:04:43.840 --> 01:04:45.599 I kind of knew what the situation was. 01:04:45.920 --> 01:04:47.920 I I had a lovely number with the third shot. 01:04:48.079 --> 01:04:50.960 I uh I I'd already kind of had it that day. 01:04:51.199 --> 01:04:57.840 So I kind of knew once I like stick to myself and my process, I'd be able to kind of execute the shot. 01:04:58.079 --> 01:05:10.239 I was quite the put was the the one thing like I was very like that was a difficult put down the hill that I held for the birdie to move me into the lead, I suppose, which obviously didn't last very long. 01:05:10.800 --> 01:05:17.119 Like you see, that's where you're kind of the experience I've kind of gained over the last two years is comes in. 01:05:17.280 --> 01:05:26.400 Like it's very hard to win a championship, and uh it's a lot harder if you haven't been in the position before. 01:05:26.480 --> 01:05:44.239 And I felt like I de like I mean I lost in the end in the playoff, but um I dealt with everything a lot better than you know I would have if uh I hadn't had the experiences I've had in the last two years and stuff. 01:05:44.400 --> 01:05:52.559 So yeah, like that that was a huge birdie in the in the sense of the the tournament, but uh it didn't last long. 01:05:53.519 --> 01:05:57.599 Yeah, but there was like there was moments of clut I mean like if you think about it, right? 01:05:57.760 --> 01:06:03.360 I was watching it um So obviously, I got a little bit of an insight into what was going on, right? 01:06:03.679 --> 01:06:07.440 You're put on 18 in regulation, you barely miss the hole. 01:06:07.840 --> 01:06:10.000 And then all of a sudden you got up and down. 01:06:10.159 --> 01:06:14.480 I mean, you you didn't you didn't deserve to get up and down on the first playoff hole. 01:06:15.199 -->

01:06:16.559 I think it was the first playoff hole. 01:06:16.639 --> 01:06:21.760 You kind of went you came up short, and then you kind of had a beautiful chip shot and then rolled a three-footer for power. 01:06:22.000 --> 01:06:26.480 So, like the you know, granted, of course, there was a little bit of a mishap, but someone has to win, someone has to lose. 01:06:26.559 --> 01:06:32.159 On the third playoff hole, on the 17th, you know, obviously you you'll probably ruin a three-put. 01:06:32.719 --> 01:06:40.159 But like there was 75 holes, you must hold yourself high and go, well, only one other person beat you in that scenario. 01:06:40.480 --> 01:06:42.719 The three-put was obviously really annoying. 01:06:42.800 --> 01:06:44.639 Uh, it's a terrible way to lose. 01:06:44.880 --> 01:06:50.639 But like up until that point, I was quite proud of how I uh how I dealt with everything. 01:06:50.719 --> 01:06:53.840 And uh yeah, it's a great it was a brilliant experience. 01:06:54.000 --> 01:07:07.920 I would I wouldn't I'm not I'm not overly disappointed because to be honest, there's a moment in the the final round where I pretty much this sounds terrible and it's something I need to get better at, but I'd pretty much like given up on playing golf. 01:07:08.000 --> 01:07:17.760 Like I I was fucking in a terrible state because I I was leading after the third round up until the final four holes where I I don't even know what happened. 01:07:17.840 --> 01:07:25.440 I started feeling really like I don't know, I it was like I felt sick or something, like my arms just went all weird and stuff. 01:07:25.599 --> 01:07:30.239 And it sounds like a terrible excuse, but like I just couldn't get the golf ball in the hole. 01:07:30.320 --> 01:07:37.519 And I don't know, I missed like a fucking one and a half foot putt, like to tap in on the 18th for bogey. 01:07:37.679 --> 01:07:44.079 Uh, and I pretty much just withdrawn myself as like a person who could win the tournament, I guess. 01:07:44.159 --> 01:07:57.199 And then I still was feeling like that for the first few holes in the um final round where I missed a short put on four, and then like walking down the fifth, my dad's going like cop. 01:07:57.679 --> 01:07:59.440 He's just going like you need to cop on here. 01:07:59.519 --> 01:08:00.480 You can still win this tournament. 01:08:00.559 --> 01:08:06.000 Len, I I kind of knew I could deep down, and then I absolutely just like winged one right on six. 01:08:06.239 --> 01:08:09.840 And I don't know if you were uh ever got to you've played Puton, obviously, have you? 01:08:10.000 --> 01:08:13.039 I haven't played, I was there, but it's the that's the part five, the beautiful part five. 01:08:13.440 --> 01:08:15.280 Did you ever stand on the it's a hard T shot? 01:08:15.360 --> 01:08:19.520 Like there's OB right, and there's pretty much it's practically OB left. 01:08:19.680 --> 01:08:25.199 And I was pretty fuming at the time, and I hit it really far right, and I thought I'd lost the ball. 01:08:25.359 --> 01:08:43.680 And I found the ball and I punched out to like 160 and made birdie and made up one down, and that kind of switched my head on, which was uh was great because I mean, and then I birdied the next two and then parred two holes and then made two more birdies, and all of a sudden you're back in the tournament. 01:08:43.760 --> 01:09:08.560 So that was a really good experience, learning experience of I need to kind of not let that happen again and you know not let myself kind of drift away because I pretty much did, and I I like looking back at it, like it kind of did cost me the tournament, I guess, because like I I was an idiot for an hour and a half or whatever, and like I cost me in the end. 01:09:08.640 --> 01:09:21.520 I only lost in a playoff, and like I know I obviously played really good to get myself back into that situation, but yeah, it's one of those things where I'm always gonna have um little uh rain farts. 01:09:21.840 --> 01:09:29.279 Yeah, yeah, but it's just how you deal with them afterwards, is what I've kind of learned from Portumna is I need to get better at dealing with them. 01:09:29.600 --> 01:09:33.359 It was it was interesting watching it uh because uh Golf Ireland made a mistake. 01:09:33.439 --> 01:09:35.039 I don't know if you heard about this mistake. 01:09:35.119 --> 01:09:37.359 Um it's had me like nine under or something to do. 01:09:37.600 --> 01:09:42.399 Yeah, I because I remember watching it going, Oh my god, Dylan's after like really taking charge here. 01:09:42.479 --> 01:09:43.520 He's gone to nine. 01:09:43.680 --> 01:09:50.000 And I was thinking to myself, going, Well, he's nine playing 17, like I'm sure it'll be hard to lose it from here. 01:09:50.079 --> 01:09:50.720 Do you know what I mean? 01:09:50.960 --> 01:09:54.800 Being two shots ahead, and then all of a sudden within like four minutes, it was back to seven-seven. 01:09:54.960 --> 01:09:55.840 I was like, What happened? 01:09:55.920 --> 01:09:57.199 What is just after happening here? 01:09:57.279 --> 01:09:58.319 My mind is fried. 01:09:58.640 --> 01:10:03.760 Yeah, I think uh like we were looking at it on the T-Box because I think it's because we're both called Dylan. 01:10:04.000 --> 01:10:04.720 Dylan, yeah, yeah. 01:10:05.039 --> 01:10:09.520 And uh I don't know, obviously something wrong went wrong. 01:10:09.680 --> 01:10:12.960 And uh well, Dylan obviously birdied 16, and you bogey too. 01:10:13.279 --> 01:10:17.359 Yeah, I actually three put 16, which was really annoying as well. 01:10:17.680 --> 01:10:23.279 So uh yeah, I three put 16, he birdied 16, so we were all tied up. 01:10:23.520 --> 01:10:24.800 Well, it was a weird situation. 01:10:24.880 --> 01:10:27.920 I'm sure everyone was kind of a bit confused when it was all going on. 01:10:28.239 --> 01:10:29.439 But great TV. 01:10:29.520 --> 01:10:35.199 I mean, like as a as someone watching on, I know you were in the arena, and

I congratulate you for being in the arena. 01:10:35.279 --> 01:10:40.560 It's a big deal to be there and be the one fighting and being the one in this unfortunate circumstance to lose. 01:10:40.880 --> 01:10:42.800 You won in Mullingar. 01:10:44.159 --> 01:10:45.680 You had to fight for the win. 01:10:45.840 --> 01:10:56.640 You know, you you went to a point where you realized I need to do something good, and you you fought and you came away from Mullingar confident in the fact that this had changed in your mentality and that you fought really hard to do it. 01:10:56.960 --> 01:11:01.840 You're after saying that you something similar happened in Portumla, you had to fight really hard to get back into it. 01:11:01.920 --> 01:11:06.159 Now, unfortunately, it didn't go your way this week or you know, this week that happened. 01:11:06.399 --> 01:11:17.920 Do you still come away with those thoughts going, I fought really hard and I I nearly won, so it's a positive, or are you coming away dejected, going, shit, I should have won? 01:11:18.239 --> 01:11:19.439 What does that feel like for you? 01:11:19.760 --> 01:11:21.199 It's a bit of both, to be honest. 01:11:21.279 --> 01:11:26.640 Like, I do feel like I like I didn't even feel like I played very well in Portumna, to be honest. 01:11:26.880 --> 01:11:43.359 Like I I felt like I was like okay for the most part, which is brilliant to hit for myself personally, because I'm going like if I'm that's my obviously I've been playing really well recently, but like it wasn't like I felt like I got that much out of myself that week. 01:11:43.600 --> 01:11:58.800 It's one of those like I'm I feel like I've learned a lot from that week and more than I'll learn from any win, like Mullangar, even though I because just purely because you kind of figure out your what you need to get better at and stuff. 01:11:58.960 --> 01:12:12.479 And I'm a bit dejected about the whole situation because uh like yeah, it's always hard to lose, especially in a playoff where you you haven't actually like it comes down to one hole pretty much or one shot. 01:12:12.640 --> 01:12:15.520 But uh like yeah, it's it's one of those. 01:12:15.600 --> 01:12:19.199 It's it's a bit of a love-hate kind of relationship with it, the whole situation. 01:12:19.279 --> 01:12:27.840 And uh but yeah, it's not like I'm I'm not overly I'm not overly uh dejected, I suppose, about the whole thing. 01:12:28.000 --> 01:12:29.520 It's a it's it's it's better. 01:12:29.600 --> 01:12:40.079 Like I I would have been a lot more dejected if I had of made a complete if that ball had of maybe gone OB on six, and I could have finished, I don't know, with a car in an in an ambulance or whatever. 01:12:40.239 --> 01:12:45.279 And like that, that was like a very real situation for a while. 01:12:45.600 --> 01:12:58.960 So like I'm very proud of how I fought that last final round, and uh I'm hoping I can learn from everything that went on and maybe get better at dealing with it in the future. 01:12:59.359 --> 01:13:00.800 Well, I mean, you're dealing with it very well. 01:13:00.880 --> 01:13:02.159 I mean, it's very, very hard to lose. 01:13:02.239 --> 01:13:10.159 It's and what we also have to remember in golf is that you lose, unless you've got an unbelievable record like Tiger, you lose 95% of the time or 90% of the time. 01:13:10.239 --> 01:13:10.800 That's just golf. 01:13:10.880 --> 01:13:12.079 You know, you might win one in ten. 01:13:12.319 --> 01:13:21.119 So putting yourself in those situations by being good at golf and by being very, very talented this game, you're unfortunately going to put yourself in situations where you are going to lose. 01:13:21.359 --> 01:13:22.159 Unfortunately. 01:13:22.319 --> 01:13:23.680 I hope you don't forever lose. 01:13:23.760 --> 01:13:24.800 I hope you win every time. 01:13:24.880 --> 01:13:26.560 But there's no fun in that either. 01:13:26.880 --> 01:13:27.840 There's no fun in that exactly. 01:13:28.079 --> 01:13:28.640 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 01:13:28.800 --> 01:13:31.279 But listen, speaking of fun, okay, an exciting time. 01:13:31.359 --> 01:13:38.960 You did mention you're going to Seton Hall over in um the over in um New Jersey, okay, which is really, really exciting. 01:13:39.039 --> 01:13:43.680 I didn't know much about this college, but they're NCAA Division I, you know, strong performers. 01:13:43.760 --> 01:13:47.840 They play in the Big East Conference, and they've been successful over the last number of years. 01:13:47.920 --> 01:13:51.920 They've had three wins in the conference, most notably 22 and 24. 01:13:52.720 --> 01:13:55.520 They play in a place called Fiddler's Elbow. 01:13:55.840 --> 01:13:56.720 Yes, they do. 01:13:56.800 --> 01:13:59.760 That's where the uh Happy Gilmore 2 was shot, actually. 01:14:00.159 --> 01:14:00.640 No way. 01:14:00.800 --> 01:14:07.840 Yeah, when we I went over and visited it in um October 2024, I think. 01:14:08.000 --> 01:14:11.520 And uh Adam Sandler and all the lads were there, which was pretty cool. 01:14:11.920 --> 01:14:12.720 Yeah, that's class. 01:14:13.039 --> 01:14:15.600 Matter of fact, that was their selling tactic to get you to sign, you know. 01:14:15.920 --> 01:14:17.920 Maybe there's a good selling tactic to be fair. 01:14:18.000 --> 01:14:19.760 Yeah, no, the golf courses they play are lovely. 01:14:19.920 --> 01:14:21.039 They've a few other ones. 01:14:21.199 --> 01:14:24.800 I got to play a few, they have a few country clubs and stuff as well. 01:14:24.880 --> 01:14:29.680 What that's a country club as well, but like that uh they can play in a bit as well. 01:14:29.840 --> 01:14:35.600 Um, Canoe Brook, I played, which was absolutely like some of the the golf courses over there are a joke different. 01:14:35.680 --> 01:14:38.000 Like, I've never seen anything like it. 01:14:38.479 --> 01:14:40.960 I think greens and like link screens are firm. 01:14:41.119 --> 01:14:44.880 And imagine greens that are

firm, but also 14 on the simp. 01:14:44.960 --> 01:14:49.279 It's like something I've never seen before, and it's a very different experience. 01:14:49.359 --> 01:14:51.840 Like, I was so like, oh my god, what? 01:14:52.000 --> 01:14:57.920 Like you think you're hitting an uphill putting it's just it feels like you're hitting a downhill putting. 01:14:58.159 --> 01:15:01.439 And uh, so it's it's gonna be really uh fun. 01:15:01.680 --> 01:15:09.600 And I guess it it's gonna be I'm really excited to play that kind of golf where it's not like you can hit the ball up in the air and you kind of have to. 01:15:09.760 --> 01:15:15.279 And like I have a five wood that I have in my like it's pretty much never, I've never used it in Ireland. 01:15:15.359 --> 01:15:28.960 I used it in the Italian amateur this year, but like I'd like I'd actually like to use it, and I'm kind of excited to play golf courses where you it's a very different game where you're throwing the ball up in the air and uh the greens are really quick, which I think suits me a little bit. 01:15:29.199 --> 01:15:39.039 And uh yeah, I'm I'm it's it's a great exciting thing, and playing these golf courses is just like we get to play in our championships in our tournaments. 01:15:39.439 --> 01:15:52.479 I know before uh we break for uh Christmas, we go to Florida maybe three times, and I think one of the golf courses is Trump Durral, which is uh like I've heard is brilliant. 01:15:52.640 --> 01:15:54.479 So uh like you get to play. 01:15:55.520 --> 01:15:56.640 It's not on the PJ Tour, yeah. 01:15:56.720 --> 01:16:17.840 It was on the PJ tour this year, and last year, like the college, they they're very like they we they went got to go on a trip and played Cypress Point and Pebble Beach and Wingfoot, and it's just a different level of kind of I suppose dreamland for golf, and like there's so much money and it's it's brilliant. 01:16:17.920 --> 01:16:24.239 Like I'm I'm very excited for it all, and uh yeah, it's it's uh it's something to look forward to, definitely. 01:16:24.399 --> 01:16:25.840 The golf courses. 01:16:26.319 --> 01:16:29.920 I never actually asked you this at the beginning, but are you actually effectively living your dream? 01:16:30.319 --> 01:16:31.359 I suppose I am, yeah. 01:16:31.520 --> 01:16:42.239 Like I I mean sometimes I kind of have to like stand back and go, like there's very, very, very few people in the world who have the same situation or same privilege that I would have. 01:16:42.399 --> 01:16:51.760 And it's yeah, like I'm very lucky with everything that goes on and my whole situation, my family, and uh like the golf is just brilliant. 01:16:51.840 --> 01:16:57.840 Like, I I to be honest, I couldn't ask for anything more, which is uh it's a it's one of the best things ever, to be honest. 01:16:58.079 --> 01:17:01.840 So yeah, I will say I'm living my dream, I guess. 01:17:02.159 --> 01:17:05.119 Wow, as you said, not many people can actually say it. 01:17:05.199 --> 01:17:06.720 I'm living some version of a dream. 01:17:06.880 --> 01:17:10.079 I don't know if it's the actual dream, but you know, we still have time to get there. 01:17:10.239 --> 01:17:13.199 I'm still trying to follow my dream at 46, so it's never over. 01:17:13.279 --> 01:17:16.960 You know, the dream just changes as you get older and the body diminishes. 01:17:17.199 --> 01:17:19.920 Um so you know, obviously, I will ask you the question. 01:17:20.000 --> 01:17:23.279 I obviously wish you every success over in America at college. 01:17:23.439 --> 01:17:31.199 I hope you get the much coveted win that you know I'd speak to people who've gone over to college and it's very, very hard to win over in America. 01:17:31.279 --> 01:17:39.119 Yeah, it's effectively the PJ Tour minus one, you know, if everyone who's going to be there is going to be playing on the PJ Tour in a couple of years' time. 01:17:39.279 --> 01:17:40.479 So yeah, yeah. 01:17:41.279 --> 01:17:43.279 Sorry to freak you out, but yeah, no. 01:17:43.439 --> 01:17:55.039 Well, like I mean, the college thing, like pretty much everyone who goes on the PJ Tour is from the US system, like it's where it's where all the best players are, and that's why it's so something to look forward to. 01:17:55.119 --> 01:18:04.000 You get to play against some really good golfers on really good golf courses, and you have some nice weather for once, which is is is good coming from Ireland. 01:18:04.159 --> 01:18:08.479 This winter was very bleak for my uh what's it called, uh, gap year. 01:18:08.560 --> 01:18:11.039 So uh yeah, no, it's it's very exciting. 01:18:11.359 --> 01:18:22.079 I will ask you, are you planning um even at this early stage in your career, do you think that you might uh take the route of going down the professional professional levels? 01:18:22.239 --> 01:18:23.840 Should that be an option? 01:18:24.239 --> 01:18:27.439 I think yes, if I think I'm good enough, I will. 01:18:27.680 --> 01:18:31.039 You have to be a joke how good you are, and uh I'm quite honest. 01:18:31.119 --> 01:18:37.840 I'm gonna be I'm quite honest with myself, and I kind of know I'm quite self-aware of the whole thing. 01:18:38.000 --> 01:18:44.079 Like, I mean it's a very hard life being on the tour if you're not making money. 01:18:44.239 --> 01:18:56.000 And uh, like obviously the likes of uh I don't know, there's so many people who like are so good at golf, like a joke good at golf, and don't make any money on the tour. 01:18:56.079 --> 01:18:58.159 Because it's different, it's different to amateur golf. 01:18:58.239 --> 01:19:09.760 It's a very different kind of mindset you can get in, and your livelihood is kind of on the line and stuff, and yeah, like you're playing like it's not like you have any guarantee of money, which is very stressful. 01:19:10.000 --> 01:19:14.800 Uh so like I mean, I'm if I'm good enough, I will. 01:19:14.960 --> 01:19:19.840 Yeah, but I know I I know you have

to be really, really, really good. 01:19:20.079 --> 01:19:21.359 So we'll see. 01:19:21.920 --> 01:19:27.359 Well, I wish you the very, very best, and I have very much enjoyed chatting with you. 01:19:27.600 --> 01:19:32.560 I never actually asked you, I suppose just one last question before you know we we we we log off. 01:19:32.640 --> 01:19:34.960 Like, but uh are you better than your dad? 01:19:36.800 --> 01:19:38.640 Uh yes, yes. 01:19:40.319 --> 01:19:42.479 No, no hesitation or whatever, nothing. 01:19:42.560 --> 01:19:45.279 Just like do you want even like pretending to hesitate? 01:19:45.840 --> 01:19:48.479 He doesn't play much golf right uh anymore now. 01:19:48.560 --> 01:19:54.880 He's struggling with his back, but like, yeah, I I would I confidently say um I'd I'd beat him now. 01:19:55.199 --> 01:19:56.079 That's pretty cool. 01:19:56.720 --> 01:19:57.359 That's pretty cool. 01:19:57.520 --> 01:20:00.880 Well, listen, as I said to you, I mean, I wish you every success, Dylan. 01:20:01.039 --> 01:20:05.119 You've been very, very kind to give me some of your time today um to have a chat. 01:20:05.279 --> 01:20:07.840 I wish you every success in America. 01:20:08.079 --> 01:20:14.560 I hope you continue to win, I hope you continue to lose because losing is one step closer to uh to winning, you know. 01:20:14.880 --> 01:20:17.680 And uh as I said, it's it's not necessarily the worst thing that happens. 01:20:17.760 --> 01:20:19.279 It hurts, but it's not the worst. 01:20:19.439 --> 01:20:26.960 But I wish you continued success and I hope that I see your name up in lights uh over the coming years as I watch from afar. 01:20:27.119 --> 01:20:33.279 And I hope that if you ever and which major, sorry, if you ever do make it to the majors, if you do, which major would you like to win the most? 01:20:33.760 --> 01:20:37.119 I have to say uh actually, I don't know. 01:20:37.600 --> 01:20:40.479 Maybe the uh either the open or the masters. 01:20:40.640 --> 01:20:43.039 If the open was on in Ireland, that would be pretty cool. 01:20:43.199 --> 01:20:45.920 But uh yeah, one of those two. 01:20:46.159 --> 01:20:51.359 Well, I'll tell you what, if you do win the open and it happens to be in Ireland, I hope you'll come back on and have a chat to me at that stage. 01:20:51.760 --> 01:20:52.560 I would, yeah. 01:20:53.840 --> 01:20:54.720 That'll be lovely. 01:20:54.800 --> 01:20:56.079 But listen, I wish you every success. 01:20:56.159 --> 01:21:00.079 And again, uh thank you so much to yourself, uh Dylan, for joining me this evening. 01:21:00.159 --> 01:21:00.319 Thank you. 01:21:00.560 --> 01:21:01.439 Cheers, thanks very much. 01:21:01.520 --> 01:21:02.239 I enjoyed it. 01:21:02.479 --> 01:21:04.880 So that's it for this episode of A Touch of Class. 01:21:04.960 --> 01:21:08.560 A huge thank you to Dylan uh for taking the time to chat and for sharing his story. 01:21:08.720 --> 01:21:12.560 If you enjoyed the conversation, make sure you follow at ATOC Pod on Instagram. 01:21:12.640 --> 01:21:17.119 It genuinely helps the show grow and helps to keep you up to date with every new episode. 01:21:17.199 --> 01:21:23.840 And wherever you listen, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else, hit follow so you never miss what's coming next. 01:21:24.000 --> 01:21:27.039 And for everyone out there, a touch of class says good night. 01:21:29.279 --> 01:21:30.640 Touch a class, baby. 01:21:30.960 --> 01:21:32.479 Touch a classic class.