Ever wondered what it takes to make it in the world of professional golf? Join us as we delve into the captivating journey of Irish golfing sensation, Ronan Mulneri, charting his rise from promising junior to a fully-fledged professional in an unforgiving sport. Tune in, as Ronan shares candid insights into the trials and triumphs of his career, including his early introduction to golf, triumphant junior career, and his transformative experience of winning the Alps Tour audra Merit and becoming a member of the Challenge Tour.
As we peel back the layers of Ronan's golfing career, we grapple with the seldom discussed struggles of turning professional in golf. From the dearth of events due to the pandemic to the marked decline in the quality of tournaments and courses, we get a raw, honest look at the other side of the glitzy world of professional golf. Ronan's tale of his rise, despite these setbacks, is a powerful testament to his resilience and determination.
Finally, we dissect Ronan's strategies for overcoming the ubiquitous struggle with consistency in golf. His preparation for major championships, his standout year, and his aspirations for the future, all make for a riveting conversation. If you've ever dreamed of turning pro or are a golf enthusiast looking for a deeper understanding of the game, this episode is a hole-in-one. Get ready to be inspired, educated, and entertained, because when it comes to the world of professional golf, this episode is right on par.
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Ever wondered what it takes to make it in the world of professional golf? Join us as we delve into the captivating journey of Irish golfing sensation, Ronan Mulneri, charting his rise from promising junior to a fully-fledged professional in an unforgiving sport. Tune in, as Ronan shares candid insights into the trials and triumphs of his career, including his early introduction to golf, triumphant junior career, and his transformative experience of winning the Alps Tour audra Merit and becoming a member of the Challenge Tour.
As we peel back the layers of Ronan's golfing career, we grapple with the seldom discussed struggles of turning professional in golf. From the dearth of events due to the pandemic to the marked decline in the quality of tournaments and courses, we get a raw, honest look at the other side of the glitzy world of professional golf. Ronan's tale of his rise, despite these setbacks, is a powerful testament to his resilience and determination.
Finally, we dissect Ronan's strategies for overcoming the ubiquitous struggle with consistency in golf. His preparation for major championships, his standout year, and his aspirations for the future, all make for a riveting conversation. If you've ever dreamed of turning pro or are a golf enthusiast looking for a deeper understanding of the game, this episode is a hole-in-one. Get ready to be inspired, educated, and entertained, because when it comes to the world of professional golf, this episode is right on par.
Follow amateur info
https://instagram.com/irish_amateur_golf_info?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
Okay, welcome back to the Irish AmpliCtas. This week I'm joined by Ronan Mulneri. I probably have to get that wrong in the trailer before we came on, but that's who we are. We let him introduce himself in a second. Ronan, how are you, my man?
Speaker 2:All good Thanks for having me, Gary.
Speaker 1:No, I'm all right. Thanks for taking time out of your winter break in Portugal and avoiding the nice weather we have over here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I'm lucky to be over here on my joiner.
Speaker 1:So, ronan, before we go backwards, I suppose let's talk about the present at the moment. So, like you won the Alps Tour, audra Merit recently, which has gotten you on to the Challenge Tour, so big year coming up for you, yeah, lots of traveling this year but a lot more next year.
Speaker 2:So some good golf this year, some not so good as well, but that's probably what you sign up for. But, yeah, like I need every bit of the good stuff that was this year and more for next year.
Speaker 1:And like would Portugal know, this time of year be kind of a regular occurrence for you in the last couple of years, just in terms of getting some reps in.
Speaker 2:Yeah, maybe not. Maybe not December exactly, but yeah, definitely More so Spain the last couple of years, but yeah, one of them Portugal or Spain. Just the weather's up better. I wasn't planned on this year, but the weather's been so bad at home that it's nice to get on here for a few days.
Speaker 1:Yeah, 100%. And look before we get on to some of the stuff that happened on the Alps Tour this year when did you take up the game?
Speaker 2:I was probably seven or eight, I'd say, and going away at the time, going off to the regular up, you couldn't join as a proper member until you were 12 or 13. Lubs and Dads bag, and there's the first four holes in going that loop, the C side of the main road there, and I would just play them in the evenings.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, I, yeah, I was at that they got you into the game. So, yeah, just kind of going up with that early.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I suppose. So that never really pushed me on anything. I remember there was a phase there when I first started playing, like there was a snooker table in the golf club and I probably preferred to play snooker at the time of the golf and that eventually faded and the golf took over, but I never really would have pushed me on anything. But that teaches the game. So he might have pushed it like, but I was always around it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I suppose, just being surrounded by it, I was going to be some part of your life, I suppose.
Speaker 1:So Galway, you mentioned Galway and I actually I was doing a bit of research. Not that I do a whole pile of it, but I was doing a small bit there, a kind of refreshment memory and some of your stuff. You're actually the fourth member of a winning senior company, in the top team. I've had an apartment in the pod, but Galway, I suppose breeding winners is something that's done up there but like for yourself, when did you start, I suppose, looking at golf as a career or kind of the main interest for you?
Speaker 2:I actually don't know, I suppose I would have taken it really from when I started competitively, which was probably like 13 or 14. Okay, then I took it, like I would have taken it quite serious, but to think of it as a job, probably as I got towards college, that age 18, 19. But again, it wasn't. It's something I would have loved to have done but it wasn't. I have to do this. I really wanted more so than everything was, towards golf. Now, as I started to finish, I started to encourage you onwards. Then, when I decided to do my masters and stay for another couple of years in a minute, then it was. Everything else was secondary to golf.
Speaker 1:Okay, and so like your junior career, so like before you get to college, like what was that? Like we have competitive, a boys level, or how did you find our left off?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was a competitive boys level. I suppose my last year of boys I was quite competitive. What was that? So I would have done about 17, 17 or 18. Yeah, I think quite well that year I would have made the home international team. We won the home international and forest clients. That was good. I was good at good fun at the time and then I would play for getting things like that for a go away. But yeah, I suppose up until I was probably my final year.
Speaker 2:I wouldn't say I was overly competitive, though I see some of the scores shoot now. It's amazing to score some of the scores. So yeah, I definitely wasn't at that level when I was younger.
Speaker 1:It's like everything else, I suppose. Like particularly I think I was talking to someone recently about like Ireland has always been kind of like golf has been the third or fourth sport for a lot of people, where now it's becoming the first sport, a bit earlier I suppose, and that's where these scores are coming from. Like you'd see the young left there shooting scores and scratching their head putting the gun. Where does that come from?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it is. It's amazing, Like, yeah, I see some of the scores I remember when I was the first Irish event I would have played was under 15s. In Nace, William was like he was the man at the time. I mean I just think she's going to play at that level. Now I can't remember exactly, but I think for two rounds in Nace he was like between like three and five or six over. That was like that would make a cut. There's under 15 now it is yeah.
Speaker 1:Most definitely. The game is definitely changing. So I suppose, like I just said, your last year was very strong and you ended up on a very strong home international team that year as well. Like it was a pretty good team of you there. What was your first outing for Ireland? Like for you.
Speaker 2:So it was in Rosslair and it was I don't want to get the name wrong, but there's like a challenge match between Ireland and Wales. I was under 17, I think it's time for 1700.
Speaker 2:And it was. I just remember it was absolutely miserable. It was. I think it had to be stopped for a lot of times because there was sleet and snow, but that was the first time I played for Ireland. That was good fun. I think we might have lost. I think it might have been the first time they lost in ages as well, so it didn't go to plan but it was a good time.
Speaker 1:But it's, I suppose, like especially at that age, like it's the car locks and it's kind of like it's seen progression in your own game at that point.
Speaker 1:And it was three gear, Gary, at the time Three gear, yeah, and there's nothing to be sniffed at Like, and I suppose there's lots of bonuses coming in, particularly as you're going to go through the ranks in the Gulf Ireland, if they're a very good setup and it does seem to be getting better in fairness for all their treating players and so on. And then Maynuth comes a couple of years after that, or are you on the bed after that? So how did that process happen for you?
Speaker 2:Yes, I would have got a couple of offers to go to the States one in particular college in North Carolina and I suppose I was kind of half considering it, but I went up to the open day to see what I actually did here out. After my first year of college I actually worked and came to the Lago for a winter, so that was the first time I lived away from home. That was really good. So it was a good decision. And then came back and I went to a couple of the open days open minutes, met Barry right Finally. He was brilliant there, so I decided to go there. I think as well, though that year a lot of the lads who were on that team with me in Faris Pines they went there as well. So it was a good set. A lot of really good players going in there. Gary, I already was already in there Stuart Graham went in and I was going, sean Flanagan was going. Yeah, there was a really good group of lads, so that helped the decision as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, not a really strong team around that time and, in fairness, the work that they do seems to breed winners and breed kind of, as it was, competitive nature, and how would you reckon that benefited your game up there?
Speaker 2:Honestly, it's easy for me to say I haven't gone through it. I would know very, quite well now. But brilliant, it was one of the best. That was really really important. And then I stayed an extra couple of years because then I was kind of decided I wanted to turn pro Soon. I felt I was good enough but I knew at that time I definitely wasn't good enough. So I needed another couple of years and then I could do a Masters there and I could still have access to Carton and the coach and the S&C and psychology and all that stuff there. But yeah, barry runs a really really good program there and yeah, you can see by the results of some of the guys he's had there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and like even, I suppose, some rewards for Barry, of course, and not like. Barry has got to be the captain of the Armoury Palmer next year, which is a massive achievement for him as well.
Speaker 2:It's massive. I don't think people realize how big that is. That's massive and it couldn't happen to an ice raker who has slid for Barry, I think outside of like a lot of the people that are, like, involved in that kind of area.
Speaker 1:They don't want to like the appreciation for how big of a dealer is that doesn't seem to have landed just as yet. And look, I get Barry on soon enough. We'll have a chat about that. But hopefully by the time that you come down and the hint will be buzzing and, like the Irish, got fendled kind of support.
Speaker 1:But back to your side, I suppose, like you're talking going into many of your first couple of years and like even like your men results here kind of as you age get better and more solid and you become very much a kind of staple on the Irish circuit. So, like what was some of the main changes for you in the first couple of years? To get you like more confident, I suppose.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, something I would have loved to have done was turn pro with kind of it's like it's so far out of reach when I was 17 or 18 that I didn't necessarily think. I didn't think that far down the line. Yeah, yeah, sorry, what was the question?
Speaker 1:I was just kind of saying so, like, as your journey in minute progresses, like, so, how do you start thinking about turning pro, like, like, what's the kind of changes in your game that take that way? Basically?
Speaker 2:Yeah, my game probably hasn't even changed that much since then. It's kind of like incremental improvements. I wouldn't say I necessarily do anything all that different. I just like to think everything is a little bit better. And then I suppose, competing at a higher level and seeing that you can compete and knowing kind of where you're being, your C game is, and then the odd time when everything clicks, seeing how that compares to everything else I was looking off.
Speaker 2:I played in the Power Cope, I played in the Irish team for a couple of years and played in the Irish six man. So I've kind of got the chance to compete against a lot of good players and kind of. They're almost like grading yourself where you sit and then obviously like there has to be some sort of you have to see some sort of the future and kind of how you can improve. That's what I was doing anyway, yeah. So I felt like if I kept following the steady progression that I was on that things, I was optimistic and where things could go. So that's kind of how I made my decision.
Speaker 1:Yeah, 100%, and I think that's a very I suppose the level, anyway, looking at it are kind of definitely an honest reflection of like trying to see the improvements as they come. It's a funny one where people can turn pro very easy and I suppose you've been through a lot of the ups and downs in the last couple of years and we get into them a little bit. But having to see the next stage of the journey, I suppose is kind of a massive thing. And you were talking about the Irish teams there, so again and the men stuff, but just in general the whole Gal Faire and surrounding. That's massive for your development, didn't it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. And it's a nice feeling to make the teams because you feel like you're one of the best in the country, be it like top 10 or 12 or six or whatever it might be. But the other is you now have the opportunity to compete against the best other three or six or 10 or 12 from other countries. Yeah, so again, you can be great in yourself and play abroad, playing different grasses, different conditions, humidity, all that stuff. So it's just constant, like it's like stuff for the database, like stuff to be constantly going back to. So, yeah, that's a good thing.
Speaker 2:The one thing I would say, though, with God Valorant, when I was on the trips, it's almost I want to word this correctly it's almost too good. Yeah, like all you do is you show up at your golf clubs and the Blazer and they look after everything else. They look after them, you're staying and everything. And my first couple of years, when I finished boys golf and I went to men's golf, I would have played like maybe not my first year, same like my second year, so when I was about 20, I would have played like St Andrew's Trophy and Ledham Trophy and things like that. I was making the team, so I go book my own flights, my own hotels and car hire and all that stuff. Yeah, they stood me in really good stead for TurnPro, because no one's going to do that stuff for you then. So the team is really good when you're on it and it's really easy. But it's almost like if I hadn't done the book of myself previous. It would be a bit of a slap in the face, turnpro.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So like I suppose you have to make your own way as a pro, yeah. And then you say the giving is done for you. You mentioned the St Andrew's Trophy and you mentioned Paramah Kopsa. Let's kind of put the two of them together in a different concept. I suppose you win in St Andrew's while in Menut, which gets you on to Paramah Kopsa. I suppose first off, like that win in Menut. Do you remember what you book that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that wasn't in what? Yeah, it wasn't the St Andrew's Trophy, it was the Oriné Bursary Trophy in Andres. Yeah, that was brilliant. That was the first year of my Masters and I remember when I did the Masters I had so such little class hours that I had like almost complete autonomy over what I wanted to do.
Speaker 2:Okay, so I like a plan for myself and that each day I was going to do X number of hours of golf activity on top of, you know, whatever we had to do with scholarship and the thing I was asking us to do, and I was kind of sticking to that really well, which is kind of a bit rare because usually I straighten the plan, but that was really good. That was like confirmation kind of what I was doing was correct. So, yeah, that was brilliant. I think I remember the weather was horrific yeah, it was great week. And then Tralee was actually the next week, the Irish students, yeah, and on that that was really good because, like you know, one win is great, like, but to do it twice is like Back it up, yeah, and then I'm sure I missed the cut somewhere in the next week or two I'm probably golf said here I'm still in charge like so bad weather and St Andrews, I believe.
Speaker 1:when you went in, the weather wasn't much better A lot of ground, horn and I think I remember hearing the wrong that time. Really.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I remember someone saying to me recently like it was like you might play a risk off in this bad weather. I was like I remember getting to be taken. I'm saying no, absolutely not. That's just nonsense, it's just the way it works out. But maybe you don't even know you do what you do Like oh great, yeah, but yeah, well, I don't know, maybe that might be the case, but I hate it. I hate it. I'm like no, I'm not like everyone else, but yeah, no. But I remember in the practice round there the lads always remind me Come off the golf course. I remember sitting at the table and like I'm never really sure if viewers like I just stood there or sat there was just so quite, and I was like what's round? I don't know. I don't know what I'm going to do tomorrow. I found this place. I thought this place was so tough. Every time I felt I hit it offline was like a lost ball. Yeah, I don't know what happened.
Speaker 1:But yeah, picking up a new title, this was like as mad as any title is big and like you have a couple of them, but like a new title again it's like it's another one of them, stepping stones or cementing that part in your head that like they're on the journey that you want to be like you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely, absolutely it's. It's kind of clear how I think like it's the same for all the decisions, like it's more. It's more the constant, like the small steps or the the small wins, but it's the consistency over time, over time. That's the bit that. That's the bit that I take value from, rather than say, a flash in the pan when turning miscuts, that type of stuff that that kind of wrecked my head. So, yeah, the consistency is what I'm looking for.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no. And look, I suppose, like you said that, like you don't necessarily think you play a better in the bad conditions, or you think it might be the the answer to some of the wins, but like, do you think that the conditions make you focus a bit more? Like is that part of it, would you reckon?
Speaker 2:It could possibly be. I have thought about it before. I think it might be more of a case of that, like there's certain shots that I could hit very, very comfortably, yeah, but I wouldn't use to hit them. But then when the bad weather comes out, it's like all you need to do is get it in play, you need to keep it out of trouble. So maybe I can kind of hit those shots kind of almost killed, free. Then, if that makes sense, okay.
Speaker 2:So like this example, really low run and drive, like I'm very confident with that type of shop, but I don't always like to hit us because I've lost a few yards and yeah, I just sometimes I like playing the shot. That kind of suits the whole almost. I know that's not the right thing they like, but and I think that might have something to do with it, whereas kind of hitting like half punch shots, things like that, I've kind of grown up in the windy weather like so that shot gonna come see you, so maybe it's something to do with that.
Speaker 1:But there's lots of times where I've been I would like to be the enjoyment that you don't know. You get from it like yeah, maybe, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, even though 18 holes in the hurricane wind of fears like 36, so Not much in time.
Speaker 1:No, and I think it's like the general enjoyment might be there, but the enjoyment that the shot is was more than there and the conditions but as was just the imagination is was kind of what I was getting at. But yeah, so you're kind of at this point You're really kind of on the track to looking at your pro stuff. So like, how does the the decision come for you to turn pro at it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, I remember after I won in Balibuany and there wasn't a massive amount left after that we kind of like up with go, which is brilliant, I was good fun and then actually won that. So you played the European senior cup over Bordeaux, but in relation to competitive golf, that's kind of it. And yeah, I was just make a bit more than decision over and I was I was talking to a few different people about it but yeah, I don't know, I just kind of I felt like I was ready. It is not and I don't know if there's a right time or a wrong time, like but and I thought that a year, a Year playing professional golf at that time was going to probably benefit me more be a good or bad.
Speaker 1:Then another year playing amateur golf be a good or bad, yeah, just there is that point and I suppose, like particularly for Irish and even duke ams, like we're like, if you have a really strong season the next year, potentially depending on when walk up files or other kind of competitions falls, people can kind of put off, did it the call, depending on, like, I want to make walk up or whatever, whatever event is there, but like that's not always going to work golf business as kind of straightforward that you're going to play as well the next year. So like I suppose you have to make that decision at some point and you decided to do it then. So how did you find your initial kind of couple of months as as a pro then?
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, funny enough, I turned pro in. I think November, december of 2019, mm-hmm over came in like March or something. Yeah, I played two events in Egypt and Then that was pretty much it for the year. They won event Gallagher, gorman, september, october, august and John's Shore, and that was it. So I played three events.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and like how do you deal with that then? Is it was like again like your honor, kind of steady path, and then like it's Unforeseen circumstances but something kind of knocks you back, that much like what happens for that that year? Is it just back to go away and practice again?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so by going practice I could not join the first lockdown, second lockdown, I could go up to go in practice and I actually got a launch, my GC quad that gives us, and we've come like a cabin at the back and Got a quad in there. So there was plenty balls, it. But then, yeah, that was kind of it like you just like Like I don't know, thinking back then, like you never knew, you thought like this week of the week or next week we're doing extra little, do we know? Like was pretty much the whole year and maybe longer.
Speaker 1:And so yeah, you just kind of you know there was other problems going on, so you just kind of made the best what you could so then, like I suppose, once COVID starts abating a little bit anyway, and I suppose that you can to get back on the road before anybody else, so, like the mostly massive hunger to kind of get going at that point, for you then was that oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm asking about it now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, played Euro pro that year, 2021 and Again, though, the other thing about your pros is your pro starts really late. So I play Q-School in like October and Did well enough in that and Obviously got my cards, and then, yeah, it was it's like really late.
Speaker 2:For your personal, it was like April or May late April, may something, and then, but yeah, it didn't. It started off okay like I, you know I made a couple of cuts at the very start, like but from just from then on and really, really struggled and Last lot of confidence as you do and you're not playing well. It was a slightly different Type of golf. It was more kind of remind boys golf in Ireland and they were kind of work tree line courses. Another thing that it was a massive thing I found, anyways, usually one of the best part of my games is putting and I never realized how spoiled we are and I'm sure golf, the courses we play and the condition we play them in, because Not so against the Euro pro like, but some of these courses were not kind of like far from detail manners. So there was a bit, there was a lot of getting used to their relation to, especially I don't really care about the rest, of course the greens.
Speaker 2:I found that was big and that was a bit of an obstacle and which I just say work to true, like, well, you know what else can you do? So, yeah, just stay trying to figure things out. I played as much as I could even though I wasn't playing all that well. So because I followed year and if there was any courses that were the same, I would have played them, so it was more thinking the following year and yeah, no, definitely didn't go to plan. But again, it's steadily got better, even though it was at like snail's face, but it's steadily got better year on year, month on month month on month, year on year, and that's kind of what it is, but like I suppose I looked at it was hushed on it there or something.
Speaker 1:I think that again, people that are potentially turning pro or thinking about it in the future terms like probably don't understand. Is that like you go from playing at elite amateur golf on elite golf courses and particularly if you don't, if you're not lucky enough to get a European tour card immediately or whatever else needs to go through the other channels like there is going to be a massive step down in kind of quality of event, not playerable event and kind of host venue as it was in there 100% guys.
Speaker 2:So it's like it's like, if you look at this way, you're playing the the PGA tour level of amateur golf and the professional golf and you're playing like like what, the intermediate level you have to go to like junior, intermediate, senior golf, that type of stuff. So like you go from kind of near the top of the pile to the very bottom. So again, that is the way it is. It's something I never necessarily thought of, but to me it took a little bit of getting used to. But then you just kind of you tap your practice around that like so you get used to playing on slower greens or go away, but it gets like go away, greens get really faster in the summer, but it also gets. It gets really really firm. And some of the courses over there were like you could play them and like generally placing like a lot of the time. Yeah, you just tap your practice around.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you just kind of have to. I suppose, if you have to learn on the go, as much as anything else, don't you Like?
Speaker 1:and then I suppose, for someone listening, ron, and that is potentially thinking of turning pro this year. Let's say so like and again, as you said, like they have their most of these that would have everything to hand playing great courses and they're no going like well, we don't want an area that you would take anybody to kind of look into first, like whether it be golf related or maybe just even the travel stuff.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a cool question. Well, say, if they're going to start on like a third, no, say, if they're going to start on any tour, it doesn't matter what tour you start on, for, like, you just need to be able to shoot. So say they're starting a mini tour for three rounds of golf, you need to be, you need to be able to shoot 1500 for three rounds, because that's when it doesn't matter what you plan on a tour and you need to be able to shoot under fire just again and again and again and again. It doesn't matter how you do it, you can hold all the posts, you can hit 350 hours, you can stay firing shots, you can hold a bunch of shots, it doesn't really matter, but you have to be able to do it again and again and again and again. And it's like it's monotonous and you have to be able to show up and like the rental car isn't there and your charge and your driver breaks and travel and the flights delay and all that crap. So, as a marriage, to shoot under fire and around and around and around.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, that's, that's the one thing like, because you could go into about like some of the looking of some good players and they all do things slightly differently. But you know, if they're a decent player, I guarantee you. You know, under par, click the fingers. It's just, it's like a and it becomes like a nature, like so, yeah, and again, different for different people. It took me a little bit of time to adjust to lots of different things, not necessarily just a, just a standard or things like that. But yeah, just, I would just take it all in and some people it's like it took to water and some people take it a little bit longer, but I suppose it's all part of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and your friend from the open made a comment. A word back there about playing after a tease and not only to shoot under par.
Speaker 2:My bud, your bud.
Speaker 1:Your private jet put over to the open.
Speaker 2:Like where to price how? Gary, there's no more private jets. There's no more private jets for me, yeah.
Speaker 1:You'll get them back, yeah, but that one actually let's talk about that a second. I actually wasn't going to bring it up, we're going to just kind of fill the conversation. But then I was going to bring up the open stuff in here. But like qualifying for the open, so 150 open, so like I think and like it's actually funny. But before I get there a lot of your story kind of goes in a bit of circles. So like we were talking, like the winners said, andrews, pamela Copp, the kind of menu, you know, that stuff, and then, sort of like the open stuff again, you get to go back like this is going to be the biggest event in golf in probably the 10 years cycle. So how did I first have to wait for qualifying? What was that like for?
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, like. Just to give it a bit of like, a bit of backstory or a bit of perspective. This was so if you scrapped a COVID year. This was halfway through my second year as a pro. Yeah, first year had not gone well Like, and second year was not going much better, likely better but just and went to play the open golf fine and, funny enough, first stage was in for it.
Speaker 2:Actually Nice golf there, shut 300 or something, so qualify there. That was fine and I chose and sorry, I chose golf course, princess, because I played a British Am there before. I was like at least I somewhat know the golf course and it has completely changed. There are 400 yards on, so like places I was hit wedge in the amateur now turn back into windows cold as it foreign like. But anyway, I went out there, played quite well and I made a really good birdie my second last hole on 17. It was like a like 220 out of par three and made a good birdie there, which is actually the eighth, is around the back nine.
Speaker 2:And God, that way afterwards was torturous, torturous. I remember at the time I was struggling with like a blister on my foot, so I remember I was like I had a good adrenaline when I was finished. I remember stopping and my phone was going, but no, so I had to turn that off. Turn that off sat in the car and I was like I kind of should go hit some puts or some chips or something because I might be in a playoff. And I got up and I was like I can't sit back down, I was dropping. So I just sat there and I got up every so often to see what the story was inside. And yeah, it was a compromise and so I think what about two groups to go through? One of the guys from the RNA said looking fairly promising in my interview and I was like, oh, that's a good sign.
Speaker 1:So yeah, what was that feeling like for?
Speaker 2:you yeah well, yeah, it was pretty mad, I'll be honest. I remember ringing and my dad afterwards and I was like I was happy but it like I kind of had something and I had no idea. All the other things that come with it, like like people who I hadn't talked to in years were on. I'd never got so many messages then preparing for to play in Andrews hadn't played links golf and probably in three years, so the whole right to stuff that came with it and then obviously that came with it eventually. Then going back to the event mean rising things like that it was. It was pretty cool. And again, from where? From the golf I was playing, there was little excitement for 18 months to have that was brilliant.
Speaker 1:And how did the present thing come about? Actually, was that planned or did you just meet him?
Speaker 2:No, no, so, so, yeah. So ever since I turned pro I played in back years ago. Ever since I turned pro, at like for like two, three days in the year, I would like go for a practice trip to do bag. Yeah, a few days down there. I got to know the pro down there, brian Shaw, really well and an ex member from Galway, dave Scully. I would have played a senior cup with him and he was a member down there, so I'd go down and stay with Dave and Dave like would organize and things like that. It was brilliant.
Speaker 2:So as soon as I qualified I got on to Dave and I was like, dave, do you think would it be okay if I went down there for a few days to practice some links golf? And he was like, oh, no, no, no problem. And I, dave was just, dave was honest, he was like an Asian friend. He got on to the guys and doing bag and they were like absolutely no problem. And Dave comes back to me, goes wrong, bryson's going to be there. And I was like, oh no, a lot of inconvenience. So yeah, that's a pity, yeah, it's such a pity. I was like I wanted to practice down there and I'm going to have to talk to him, but no, it was brilliant. And then obviously dad studied golf machine and that's what Bryson grew up with. So I plenty of questions with him or for him, and, yeah, it was great, it's great.
Speaker 1:And then getting to St Andrews, as you said, like it's a bit of a war with him, like like the golf hasn't been what you wanted to be for a couple of months or a year before it. And like heading to St Andrews, like what was that kind of buildup in that week?
Speaker 2:Like right, yeah, it was, it was really good. But, like the honest truth is, after spending that time with Bryson, like he was giving me a lot of information I was so caught up in some of the stuff we were saying like the first like day and a half kind of past without me, I was kind of in a daze, to be honest. Yeah, but I was. I was still like more than over this information that he was going through. I was like crying he was saying and stuff like that. So and and yeah, no, it was brilliant. Like I'm lucky enough. I've been sitting down there's a whole right times. Now it is a different beast. Like I've never seen so many people in my life and it changed a lot, in that some of the infrastructure they like just pop up is Amazing. The work that goes into is unbelievable. And I was actually.
Speaker 2:I played the boy quake in 2015 when Paul up the day after Paul Don was leading the British Open. Okay, I went there and watched the final rounds and I'd seen what it was like. So I was lucky enough and but yeah, no, it was brilliant. And I Remember the first day I was there in a second of Monday and I was in college with Kate white. Kate's an agent for Hamburg now, so Kate's at all the events. I was in the players area and I see Kate. It's like it's great to see a familiar face like yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, kate comes over to me, we start chatting and we're like standing side by side and she's like she's kind of just in front of me and I was like hey, there's Phil Mickelson, she's got my head. She's like wrong, we don't, you don't point in here. That's I go. Sorry, but yeah, it was a bit of a. It's a bit of an eye-opener.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like it's. It's the learning to act like you belong kind of syndrome. Almost didn't.
Speaker 2:I, I didn't pull that off and when it came to the golf I kind of got my head down, but outside that it was a bit of deer headlights.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think, look, we're all golf fans, whether, like you, played at a very high level, we're still golfing. So, like, if you get into these scenarios, like particularly the first time round, there's gonna be that kind of deer in the head. It's kind of scenario over and your golf.
Speaker 1:Your golf staffs trending in the right direction, let's call it. And so this year in particular has obviously been, like your, your standout year. And so Alps tour. So like you kind of you get on to Alps tour, you get your first win in a full field. And Pro event, let's call it. So, like, how much do you remember? You also remember a lot of it. It's not that long ago, but how was that one?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was good. Well, funny enough. Going back to the bad weather team, it was horrific over there in Austria and Beautiful golf course, mind you, but horrific weather. I remember the second hole I started on, 10 second was, in short, part for right angles, all my t-shirt a little bit, so he just an iron down there and I had like 90 yards in or something, and I was just in the rough and I was like to lasso like schedule water here. Lads, I'm gonna take a drop. They're like, yeah, no problem, it was so wet that there was just nowhere, like I, I didn't, I hadn't picked it up at this stage, I was just looking around like I can't drop it any art. So just play this and I hold, I Like right, okay, and yeah, no, I remember playing. I've played really well.
Speaker 2:I have to say that week everything kind of clicked and I go past the greens, but again it was. It was very strange and what happened was that the first day I was half hour away from team off and play got suspended day, and then the next day I come back and I ended up playing 36, so it's really like the amateur days, and then the event turned into a 36-hole event. Yeah, so I played no, no golf the first day, 36 second day. I was just waiting around the third day. So very strange. Oh, I want it like, but yeah, but something like that.
Speaker 1:I suppose you just have to. I suppose you you have to learn to roll with the punches and that's definitely something you learn to do in the amateur game, like in my yeah absolutely.
Speaker 2:Yeah, just have to be ready for everything. I didn't, I didn't see that. Come on, but yeah, just just go with it.
Speaker 1:I tell you just play, you're ready to play and look, golf is a game we're like, I suppose, like you have to take all of the ups, because there's a lot more downs and there's always going to be Dander is up. So I suppose taking them when they come in, like, as you said, playing really well for 36 balls and again in bad weather, you're not gonna believe it, or you? Know you might want it to be true, but there's definitely a path pattern here at this point, like yeah, yeah, 100%.
Speaker 2:I think I think as well, though I was like being a backup, I was quite lucky that. You know, things were going my way that day and I got to play 36 holes that day, yeah, so, and I don't know if that anything to it, but it doesn't know that it didn't hurt.
Speaker 1:Then you pick up another one as the season goes on. So, and that one went all the way. So let's, let's talk that one a little bit, so and Sorry, that was a proper one, that was a proper one. Well, there are proper ones like if, if it, if it lasted one whole, I knew, come home at the trophy we last. There's a proper one, it's a winner is 136, and what that one. So talk was true. That one is it good?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I remember it was in France, but oh my God, talk about an awkward place to get to. It was about two and a half hours from nearest airport. So anyway, I traveled down there and I remember going over there I didn't know what it was but I didn't feel great. And then I remember playing the practice round and we were out there for I think it was nearly it was just short of four hours for like 11 holes. I got out to organize and I was like, look guys, I can't play anymore. And anyway they got someone else to play. But yeah, it was a.
Speaker 2:It was actually kind of a tricky golf course, but yeah, no, I was. That could be some of the best golf I've ever played. I played really well that week and to say I wasn't feeling good by the end of it was a bit of an understatement. I was sick as a dog by the time I finished, but no, it was good. I suppose if you don't need to feel great or you don't need to, didn't necessarily think I was playing brilliant going into it and think I was there. But yeah, I didn't necessarily see that coming, but no, I was delighted.
Speaker 1:So that puts you in a really strong spot in on the Alps tour, I remember and I suppose, like all of these tours, like everything is about progression, like your golf, as we spoke, and numerous times about progression coming through the Orocrot, the Alps tour, alps tour, which is now so, like the last couple of events on the Alps tour, like how was the nerves at this point? Like looking to get a challenge toward carry.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, like it's funny. So when I won that event they had told me I'd guaranteed to qualify. But there was only one event left. It was Grand Final and it isn't double but it's a bigger, bigger prize. I remember playing the first nine holes in the final events and I was horrific, like shock and mad, and it's amazing, like the tricks your mind would play on you. I was like I wonder if they calculate it right. I wonder, do I actually need to finish it to play, have a decent finish here? And I was going through all these things. It's amazing, the stuff that your mind plays tricks on you. But yeah, I qualified. So it was only really Q-School that was left for me. But again, I really like I was leading the order of merit, I really wanted to win it, so that was important to me. But yeah, again, I suppose the hard work was done. That's it.
Speaker 1:The hard work was done and like, thanks to that, you have progressed. And like next year, like you're fully challenged towards that. So, like, what does that look like for you? Like, is there a change in planning in from this year? Like, is there a different structure to the events?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so the first four events are in South Africa and the co-sanction with Sunshine Tour. So I should get into a couple of them. I'd like to get into all of them, but I'll have to see how that goes. But other than that, I'll pretty much get into everything else. And yeah, there's a completely different structure to it. It's more spread out, so it's over a longer period, but it's more spread out, so it's I don't know, is it more manageable? You're technically on the go more weeks, but it's just not necessarily week after week after week after week. So, yeah, but the traveling like that was a lot of traveling this year, but next year it'll be three, four times that. Okay.
Speaker 1:And again kind of going back in circles, so like you would always start to do your amateur career over in South Africa Once you got to the Irish team and now you're going to start your challenge career over in South Africa as well. And I suppose the travel stuff, ronan, I think it's like it's not something that people talk about often, like it must be the hardest part of it and fear in the story to get it all under control.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it is really funny Like people say it all the time like, but the golf is like, it is a bit like it's the mid, it's a big part of it. But my God, like, sometimes the travel can be a pain and again, I'm lucky enough so far I haven't traveled all that far. Yeah, and the first couple of years was only over back to the UK, no problem whatsoever for like length of trips. But then, like this year was a little further to like mainland Europe and started the year in Egypt, but, like you know, south Africa and there's a couple of those that have been in China and Abu Dhabi, and you know there's lots of traveling next year. But, like, just as an example, I told a story there a couple of weeks ago, like after that event in France that I won that was hard to get to, like I made a complete mess of my flight home.
Speaker 2:I thought I thought we'd be done the golf by, like you know, one or two o'clock, because they usually have us out early. The final day I get back to the airport three, four, my flight was at six. I've like loads of time. Yeah, no, I didn't know we were two and a half hours away. I thought it was a bit of a trip two and a half hours but also it was a mixed event, so the ladies and the guys were playing ladies route first. We were out last. They started us late.
Speaker 2:I wasn't even off the golf course by the time my flight had taken off and then I had to get the car back and then miss staff flight. Next flight wasn't until tomorrow. I had to book hotel, got lost on the way back. Oh my God, after I'd, when I dropped the car back, I had to get to the other airport the other side of the city. It was a big mess like, but yeah, like, just when you're talking about travel, like just a couple of those stories come to mind. You just have to be. You have to be willing to put up with delays and things going wrong and things breaking, and that's just. You know, it's all part of it 100%.
Speaker 1:And look what I'm talking about. A lot of stuff like traveling and everything. It's not that this is easy or cheap. So like, as well as an aspiring pro about free, we need people to back you. So like, who's in Ronan's car at the moment?
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I was very lucky. I had a car boil minute, Davey stockbrokers, great sponsors, and now I've quack quack clothing. But you could never have too many. So if you know anyone, Gary, send them my way. Tony Burke, looking after my car.
Speaker 1:We'll throw it up. We'll ask for more. I'm looking for a small bit myself as well. So I'm going to give board. We can do it, we can do it. And then we'll give it to Ronan as well. So I suppose, if I used to ask you what is the biggest difference in Ronan's game today versus Ronan that horn pro.
Speaker 2:Good question. I'm probably. There isn't that much different on the eye. I've probably just improved the baseline. So I think everything, just as I said, has probably got gradually better. And yeah, my baseline now is definitely better than it was back then. So I'm sure there's a nice way of saying that, but it's just what you have.
Speaker 1:It is well, I suppose, like something else as well is just like that learning to score thing, I think, like a touch in the roller or something that I want to ask to kind of go back to that. Playing championships now I drove well aware of what. I've seen plenty of them when, like, we're playing, the lads are playing with 50 mother-in-law wins and like, three, four over is as good as any 10 under that, some of my children above and slay go like, so, like, turning pro and learning to score, like, like, is that something that I suppose? So I was a kind of just thinking to shoot the lower school, but again learning to actually stay alone, because that's something that you've had to put extra work into.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm looking off. I'm not going to say I never struggled with that, but I there hasn't been, I suppose maybe earlier on when I was younger, but there just too many times around, like four or five under, I'm kind of like, oh, make a few pairs. I kind of just go through the process, I go through to hit a shot as best I can with them, five under or five over. I just try and go through it. So I've never necessarily gone through that. I would just obviously like anyone like to produce kind of the good cop more often but, definitely.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've definitely seen it with certain guys. They do struggle a little bit with that. So you know, it's definitely something we're looking into. So like, say, if I was to turn pro now and I was to look at the amateur scene although there's, like you know, like the ball trays and the rust points and and Port Rush, which is probably my favorite golf course, port Rush but like I would be more looking at the court golf clubs in the Mullen Guards and I remember playing the middle and scratch up down in Carroll. Those type of golf courses that is exactly what you will be playing. So they're the ones to be able to shoot scores and, to be fair to the lads, lads they do shoot scores, but that is the type of pro golf. And yeah, like you know, they're not seven thousand, four hundred year golf courses. You know eventually might get that level, but that's what you'll be starting out on. So to be able to shoot the under par rounds on those golf courses specifically, I think is important.
Speaker 1:So when they open, go back to Port Rush. We want the wind to be blown, the rain to be coming inside us and running coming down. The stretch with. A chance Is that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, chain will win again.
Speaker 1:Look the bad conditions would tell you I'll be back in it. If you're there and the wind is blowing, I'll be back in you anyway, thanks very much for your time and best of luck in 2024, my man.
Speaker 2:Thanks, very much Thanks for having me?
Speaker 1:Not at all.