The thrill of victory and the agony of injuries, Rob Brazill’s journey in golf mirrors the peaks and valleys of the very courses he's conquered. As we sit down with him, we're reminded that every champion's path is lined with gritty challenges and heartfelt triumphs. Rob takes us through the electric atmosphere of his 2018 win at the West of Ireland, spilling the strategic intricacies and mental resilience it took to claim victory in this cherished tournament. His story isn't just about holding a trophy; it's about the relentless pursuit of that perfect swing amidst the unpredictable winds of competition.
Remember when you first felt the rush of playing for sheer love of the game? Rob does, and in our heartfelt conversation, he brings to life the transformative power of that passion. After a career-interrupting injury, it was this love that propelled him back to the greens, stronger than before. With anecdotes that underscore the importance of support from coaches and loved ones, Rob's comeback tale is an intimate portrayal of an athlete's battle for balance and the joy found in a well-earned return to tournament success. His emotional rollercoaster is a testament to the enduring spirit of a golfer who refuses to let the roughs define the round.
As the fairways of amateur golf recede into the distance, Rob stands on the precipice of a professional golf career, eyes fixed on the Sunshine Q School in South Africa. With a heart full of gratitude for the community and a mind honed by meticulous preparation, he shares the lessons learned from managing adverse conditions and the importance of a steadfast support network. Rob's reflections on the leaps made and the steps ahead offer a candid look at what it takes to turn golfing dreams into reality. Join us, as we navigate the fairways of life and sport with a man whose drive, both literal and metaphorical, inspires us to keep swinging, no matter the odds.
Follow amateur info
https://instagram.com/irish_amateur_golf_info?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
The thrill of victory and the agony of injuries, Rob Brazill’s journey in golf mirrors the peaks and valleys of the very courses he's conquered. As we sit down with him, we're reminded that every champion's path is lined with gritty challenges and heartfelt triumphs. Rob takes us through the electric atmosphere of his 2018 win at the West of Ireland, spilling the strategic intricacies and mental resilience it took to claim victory in this cherished tournament. His story isn't just about holding a trophy; it's about the relentless pursuit of that perfect swing amidst the unpredictable winds of competition.
Remember when you first felt the rush of playing for sheer love of the game? Rob does, and in our heartfelt conversation, he brings to life the transformative power of that passion. After a career-interrupting injury, it was this love that propelled him back to the greens, stronger than before. With anecdotes that underscore the importance of support from coaches and loved ones, Rob's comeback tale is an intimate portrayal of an athlete's battle for balance and the joy found in a well-earned return to tournament success. His emotional rollercoaster is a testament to the enduring spirit of a golfer who refuses to let the roughs define the round.
As the fairways of amateur golf recede into the distance, Rob stands on the precipice of a professional golf career, eyes fixed on the Sunshine Q School in South Africa. With a heart full of gratitude for the community and a mind honed by meticulous preparation, he shares the lessons learned from managing adverse conditions and the importance of a steadfast support network. Rob's reflections on the leaps made and the steps ahead offer a candid look at what it takes to turn golfing dreams into reality. Join us, as we navigate the fairways of life and sport with a man whose drive, both literal and metaphorical, inspires us to keep swinging, no matter the odds.
Follow amateur info
https://instagram.com/irish_amateur_golf_info?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
Okay, welcome back to the Irish Amp podcast. This week I'm joined by Rob Rezada. Rob, my man, how are you?
Speaker 2:All good, gareth, all good. Thank you very much for having me.
Speaker 1:No, bother, you kept me waiting a bit there. I was saying to you before we came on. Like you know, I was getting very emotional waiting for you. But all jokes aside, how's life?
Speaker 2:Life is good? Yeah, life is very good at the moment Busy, very, very busy. How's life? Life is good? Yeah, life is very good at the moment Busy, very, very busy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I suppose it's a busy time of year, just getting ready for, I suppose, all of the season coming up. But before we go anywhere, kind of, I suppose, backwards which I've asked if we go back a little bit, but like, the West of Ireland qualifier just completed today and it's a trophy you won back in 2018. Bit about the West in general first, before we talk about Jogain, what kind of memories have you had?
Speaker 2:since then I've had this place one of my, if not the favourite, tournaments. How can I not be from winning it? But I always loved going down there. I enjoyed between that and La Hinch. It was always one of my favourites, mainly because I used to go with a good group of lads and Jack Pearce. Even before I won, they always made a great crack for me. I like the golf course. Back before I broke Barista and all, I kind of hit it a bit further and harder with Driver. I think it's the type of golf course you can just take advantage of if you hit the ball long and straight off the tee. And I always loved the first tournament of the year as well.
Speaker 1:It was nice to kind of get going I've mentioned it a number of times where, like it's a, it's an unbelievably tough test, but I suppose that one makes it interesting. Yes, it can make it very hard, but like Sligo as a club, like one. They love their past champions but they just love amateur golf, like, don't they?
Speaker 2:Love amateur golf. They're they live and breathe amateur golf and like it shows like there's so many good players that have come out of there, so many l class place, like you've been out there for the West, like the whole atmosphere, like you know it's a golf tournament, like they're just they'll do anything for you, even like like David Donovan, like he's always even before him on the West. They're like they're always so helpful over there. They'll always anything they can.
Speaker 1:They're seriously, seriously accommodating over there yeah, which is great, like it makes the week, I suppose, more enjoyable for you. But like it also serves a purpose, like, as you said, like it will make all of you come back as well, like if you enjoyed it one the course, but two the people mainly like you'll always kind of go back to it oh yeah, it makes a big difference.
Speaker 2:It's something you look forward to rather than like to be starting mightn't be your favourite tournament. You're kind of like you're building yourself up just to go there, whereas the West is one of them tournaments. You're mad to go down. Even if you know the weather's going to be bad, you're still. You're looking forward to it. You know it's going to be a bit of a laugh.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there's plenty of bunkers to hide in anyway, but let's talk a little bit about 2018. So, like for those that don, and top 64 match play after a hiatus into a different format for the last couple of years. But it was 36 and 64 when you won it, so what did you qualify with? Do you remember?
Speaker 2:oh jeez, I wouldn't have a clue.
Speaker 1:I can't remember at all. Did you do any research?
Speaker 2:no, no, jeez, jeez, I haven't a clue. I know I think I did decent enough. One of them was solid, the other one was alright.
Speaker 1:That's kind of the West in a nutshell. Actually, it's kind of like getting one solid round together and just kind of almost holding on. I say it a lot that from the 14th on it's about just trying to get into the clubhouse.
Speaker 2:Get to the clubhouse in as little as possible. It's always the same thing If you can get one round that you know that you play well and score well, you have them. Few extra shots in the bag. I got to the quarterfinal, I think, at West in 2017, so I knew I could play the course. I knew the course kind of suited me. So as long as I could keep the ball where I could roughly see it for two rounds, you're going to be there in match play. That's all In that format. That's all that matters.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So then I suppose Going to match play, and I think it's a very fair Tournament that way, because again, the conditions can be tough. It's the first one of the year, but who did you get In the first couple of rounds Of match play? You have to remember this paramount.
Speaker 2:Oh je who. Well, so I played Alex, and then, in the semi-final, played Jack Madden, played Barry Anderson, played William no, william Small the year before, oh, there was one match was geez, I am, I'm lost now.
Speaker 1:I know you're working all day like come on.
Speaker 2:I can't remember who it was but I'm pretty sure my third round match, the last 16. I remember thinking about that match that night. That was big. I think I came back kind of strong I think the last 5-6 strong. I think I didn't get the last sort of five, six holes in that match kind of did me very well yeah.
Speaker 1:I didn't.
Speaker 2:I think I won maybe my second round match. I probably won by four and three, but other than that, like it was either sort of 16, 17, 18 kind of job, yeah, yeah, who did you?
Speaker 1:play in the final. Yeah, yeah, who did you play in the final?
Speaker 2:Alex Gleeson, alex Gleeson, that must have been an interesting yeah yeah, because, like at the time, obviously Alex was the Alex was he still is a serious operator, but at the time he was like one of the best on the Irish team. I was nowhere near an Irish team and the one thing, the one thing that got me through that West was Robbie Pearce Because he caddied for me and he would have been good friends with Alex. So I remember even Robbie just telling me on certain shots and certain puts and that he kept saying to me like Alex is going to make it, like if I thought I was going to have two puts and five feet for a win and Alex is 30 feet away, he was like, don't lack concentration here, he's going to make it. And to be honest, I remember turning to turning to Robbie walking off the back of the so I lost six, but I lost seven and one eighth.
Speaker 2:Okay, but walking off the back of the sixth screen, I remember turning to Robbie and kind of laughing at him. I was walking down seventh area, I kind of laughed at me. He's like what are you laughing at? I just went, I can't be beating nine and eight, and he just kind of clipped me across the back of the ear. He's like what are you saying? Like you know, that was that was my feeling of it. Like it was just, it was mad. Like I'd never been to. The furthest I've been was the core final year or in any tournament. And like to get to there, um, like I didn't know what to do. I thought I was going to be ridiculously nervous. You know, not being able to hit the ball. I'll never forget the tee shot I hit down the first. I absolutely smoked driver down the middle. I don't even. I don't even think I looked at the ball.
Speaker 1:I just picked the tee straight up and it just I absolutely ripped it and from then on I kind of felt like I felt really comfortable, felt really really comfortable out there in the final yeah, and I suppose, like as you said, playing one of the top players in Ireland, there's probably definitely a little bit of fear, but you always like you're going to probably freewheel a little bit, just kind of not expecting a lot like well, that's it.
Speaker 2:Like John, for me I didn't expect to be there at all. Um, like I was lucky enough to win the quarterfinal match and then sleeping the night before and getting on text messages and all best luck. I was like Jesus, like why am I getting myself into here? Play against Jack, and then Robin was, or who Alex played, someone like Robin or something like that. And I remember just thinking to myself like it doesn't matter who comes through my side. My semi-final, like the other semi-final, has the winner in it.
Speaker 1:Like yeah Well, and it's that like, and again it's match play, but obviously like there. Then I suppose, what comes next for you? As you said, you weren't necessarily on an Irish panel or close to an Irish team at this point. So what's the gap between winning the West and getting your first call-up?
Speaker 2:One thing I definitely did that I probably shouldn't have done was I focused too much on that call-up, yeah, on, let's say, representing. So I was actually at one of my dad's best friends, pete Martin's, funeral. A couple of weeks after the West, I got a text off Anthony, my date, saying congratulations, kid. And I text him back. I was like on what? Because I was chatting to him since the West like we grew up on salad together and I was like what are you talking about? I mean, some article or something was published that I'd got, I'd got a call up onto the national panel or whatever it was.
Speaker 2:I didn't even know it myself and I focused so hard that summer on like joy, playing homes and because there wasn't like six man, but I focused so hard on like getting myself into homes. You know, I just completely played myself out of it. Yeah, um, I was so results focused and then once I realized, sort of towards the middle end of the summer, that I just completely played myself away from like getting an irish cap, I kind of let the hair down a bit, played camera what time it was played decent to the later end of 2018, and then got to, got picked then to go to to the NASA invitational then I think it was November, october, october time then not a bad one to go at the first no, myself and Alex got picked to go to that and it was in.
Speaker 2:It was in October. We both had a flight booked home, whatever like three days after the tournament and neither of us arrived home for three months.
Speaker 1:You'd be very shy, like you wouldn't be asking the lads over there at all for any bit of help, like no.
Speaker 2:No, well, I left Nassau. I don't think I even. I stayed in Nassau for a couple of days and I actually went.
Speaker 1:I went working in New York City with my best friend doing wood flooring okay, you're kind of a man just to kind of do things in a women fairness you like. So 2018, then you're kind of I suppose you're kind of you're improving all the time. When does the injury happen?
Speaker 2:the injury was after Spanish Arm started. 2020 2019 was actually it was a good. I played really really consistently in 2019, especially like maybe I didn't bring kind of. Actually it was a good. I played really, really consistently in 2019, especially like maybe I didn't I didn't bring kind of broad as much, but in ireland like I played, I played real, real consistent. I think it was top five, top fives. I think four of them were in like the big ones, the um, the championships, and then won the, the order of merit. So that was like that was a nice kind of yeah, okay, that was a nice year considering what I did in 2018, like and what's the difference in 2018 and 2019?
Speaker 1:just kind of letting yourself actually play golf rather than focusing on the long tomoko comes like is that?
Speaker 2:yeah, yeah, I was a bit more comfortable, had a bit more sort of self-belief, and then I just kind of like kind of let my golf do the talking instead of trying to focus so hard on results, and I I put in some really good work in Spain that winter, sort of like the when I came back from America, let's say in January of 2019, january, february, was down in Spain and put some good work in and then just kind of got more and more comfortable being in good positions and that was kind of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and I suppose, like that's a Munster or Leinster cap, whichever you want, look at it. But like something I talk to a lot of players about like is that it's great to have goals, but, like, trying to make your results based on the the long-term outcome is always going to have a negative impact, particularly in the short term, like, isn't it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, big time. I got caught with that. It brings down your golf so much, whereas if you can just focus on your golf game and each tournament at a time, making sure you're playing well at the tournament, instead of making sure you're finishing high in the tournament, it makes such a difference. Even just Spanish Am gone there a few weeks ago not that I didn't care, but I had. No, it didn't bother me if I finished 10th, second or 125th, it didn't bother me. I was going down there to kind of work on what I'd been working on for the last few months with Noel. Got slightly bad side of the draw, had a bad second round. Didn't really bother me. Went out then and just focused on my game for the next two rounds and finished 9th. So that was something I didn't do for a long time. So, a great year.
Speaker 2:A couple of Irish stuff comes up and you go to South Africa in 2020? Yeah, down to Leopard Creek and then Rand Park, which is over Leopard Creek. What's that like? Oh, it's unbelievable, it's insane, it's mad. It's gone now because of the RNA.
Speaker 1:It's gone now because the South African amno has become an RNA event and it's a massive, it massive impact on the Irish team because, like I know it's one of the trips that everyone looked forward to the most and like I suppose the proof was in the pudding, this year only two lads travelled down in the end, but like it's a massive shame to have that one gone off the calendar.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like I went in in 2019 and 2020, I went to South Africa with the Irish team and we went with eight players in 19 and nine players in yeah, the golf course, like I suppose, the wildlife, the golf course, everything on the boat, like it's a bit far removed from Nestle, isn't it? Ah, there's still a bit of wildlife around here, alright.
Speaker 1:The golf course maybe yeah. Yeah, you're a leader of the herd up there, like put in a message of a conversation.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm a bit of experience.
Speaker 1:Yeah, talk to me then. What's going through the head when you're? I suppose everything's going the right direction and now there's a kind of a break put on your kind of career I suppose not necessarily your fault or choice.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so at the start of 2020, played South Africa, played nicely, was down in Spain doing a bit of practice. Then went to Spanish Am and kind of like my thought process at the time was like if I could carry on playing good golf, have a decent year, I would have looked at probably turning pro at the end of 2020, yeah, or definitely like going to the q school or something like that. Um, and then just unfortunately broke the wrist after spanish am. Came home, covid happened, lockdowns and like in a way, it was great the lockdowns happened and all, but I just from taking time away. Then I kind of started working with a friend of mine because that's happening and I just completely fell, fell out of love with golf big time so talk me through that.
Speaker 1:I suppose like having growing up playing the game, I suppose becoming one of the elite amateurs in Ireland and then pretty much not wanting to play the game. I suppose after the team drill a little bit like what's that, what happens outside of team three, like what's going on in the head, to kind of say, look, I've enough of this, I want to do something else.
Speaker 2:I just like golf obviously takes up so much time and you it's like it's very time consuming, and then you're obviously it's a massive sacrifice for everything else yeah like I was. I was always like dry I'm like joy I'm, I'm big into kind of like my machinery and my cars and stuff like that. It's stuff I would have never got to do because I was always golfing, even like joe. Like I was working on mcgurk's for for years, like that was great crack.
Speaker 2:Like the my friends were kind of doing different type of work and then when I started doing that I was just I was loving it, like I couldn't get enough of it and just I went, like I went back a couple of months, like after, like I let it heal maybe not long enough I went back and I just felt it felt so different. I was kind of like myself why am I going through this now? Like what am I going to put myself through to get back to where I was? Will I be able, like my fear as well as will I be able to get back to? You know, saying what it? Am I going to lose flexibility speed? You know, like, what are going to be the repercussions and do I want to go through with them?
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I suppose then having to make that choice to I suppose one when you learn that like missing out in life is probably the right and the wrong word all at the same time, I suppose, like to give up that amount of time but start living a life that you probably want to a degree to then not walk away from it but learn to balance that and then play the golf that you want to play.
Speaker 2:so like that must have been kind of a big challenge here when you came back as well yeah, like, I think so in a way, like in a way, obviously it was a disaster giving up golf and the injury and stuff like like that. But I feel like it happened to me at a great time. I I matured a lot like myself in that period that I gave up golf, like I I got a big appreciation for what I had and what I thought I had yeah um, so like the when I went back off and like I was actually down in waterville in start in 2021, I think it was and, uh, the end of 21.
Speaker 2:And I just kind of I remember I'd been out on the course of Greg O'Mahony about seven o'clock, half seven in the morning, down in Waterville, sun was rising and it was a real nice end of summer day. I just kind of said to myself I was like what am I doing? Why would I? Why am I? Why did I walk away from this? Like for the last two years a year and a half before that I was like driving a tractor or standing on the bottom of a trench or pouring concrete or something at that time in the morning, whereas I could have been out there like watching the sunrise on some of the most incredible landscapes in the world, like yeah do you know how, like how, how stupid you have to be to give up that opportunity?
Speaker 2:yeah, so, like in a way, like in that time off, like I grew a massive appreciation for what I had, and like I was taking golf for kind of granted, then like, so I, I was putting work into golf, but I wasn't putting in the work I should have been yeah like any, any excuse to like evade practice or something like that.
Speaker 2:Like if one of the lads text me saying he's going out, going out in the car or doing something, anything would anything but golf would work left, yeah, anything but golf. And then it was just, it was down like I tried to get back a couple of times in that in that period, what I call like when I gave up golf, I tried to get back a couple of times and I just had no more interest in in playing tournament golf like whatsoever yeah and then that time down at Waterville, I just said Jesus, like this is, this is paradise not a bad spot to fall in love with it all over again, like no no, and it did.
Speaker 2:It did take me about six months to actually go back practicing after that yeah but but I eventually got back then and they started sort of just a couple maybe like march of 2022, february 2022 got back going and I kind of I said to myself I was going to do it like I was going to get into the gym and actually go at it like yeah, I suppose, on that road back, what does that look like for you?
Speaker 1:so, like what's, I suppose, almost the first steps. Is it that just the case of, like, slowly getting back into it? But, like I'm guessing there's a lot of swing work to be done, as you mentioned, does the gym like? So where's the first place you go for a bit of help?
Speaker 2:first place I went was actually Peter O'Keefe. Okay, like I, I knew obviously my body wasn't in good shape Like I could play golf but like to play at the level I wanted to and be able to sustain swinging and practicing, I needed to do something. Um, and like I, obviously I knew Peter has a seriously successful business and he knows what he's talking about. He knows golfers. I'd played a lot of golf with Peter over the years Like he. I knew he, he knew kind of my body and stuff and body good. So yeah, and as well, like I got a lesson off Noel Fox back in I think it was like 2019, I went and got a lesson off him and I knew myself after the lesson there was no point in me going to Noel unless I was in the gym, because Noel really makes the body move and whatever.
Speaker 1:Three years later I finally got into the gym, finally woke up and done a little bit and I suppose do you end up working with Noel then, alongside Peter at that point as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah and see like it worked out perfectly because Noel and Peter worked together as well. And that kind of gave me a bit of a buzz, because I remember the first time, I remember the first lesson. I got back off Noel, I got on to Peter after it and I said, jesus, peter, look, this is what Noel wants me working on. And Peter knew straight away. He was like, yeah, you don't even need to send me the videos. He knew exactly. So he updated my plan to be able to put that kind of stuff in to make Joe, to make all of that work even better and I suppose you're grinding away with the lads and you're grinding away, I suppose, in the shadows, a little bit yourself.
Speaker 1:So what was the first tournament back then?
Speaker 2:First tournament back was Portrush. Scratch Cup was the first one back. I remember I went up there. My girlfriend Chloe came and she absolutely hated it. It was the first time ever on a golf course and it was freezing. Played with Kyle McLaren the second round, I think it was. Yeah, no, we played with Kyle McLaren. Our other lad, I think, went off and we had a great time out there. Now the Colts might not have been to any superior standard, but we had a great time out there. Then the West was after that. That was kind of a build-up for the West, but that was the I think it was.
Speaker 2:2022 was the 16 man cut, wasn't it? Yeah, so obviously I was. I wasn't like there was a point maybe in the third round where, if I kind of finished out decently, I could have scraped it. But no, I was a good bit off that cut and I put some. I put some really hard work in after that with Noel and obviously it was hard in the gym and then managed to win Connacht Stroke Play. That was winning Connacht Stroke Play. It was a massive turning point then in 2022.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I suppose we'll get there in a second. But first off, chloe, if we are listening, I don't know how you put up with him for a start and I don't know how you walk around the golf course in the conditions that you do sometimes in the golf course. But yeah, port Humber, I suppose the East first, like your first time proper back in contention. I suppose, like you were a little bit and I suppose then as well with it not going away at that point.
Speaker 2:So I remember the third round. I couldn't miss a shot. I shot seven under. Yeah, I shot seven under and it could have been anything. It could have been seriously, seriously different. I parried the last with a seven out of my hand.
Speaker 2:I was raging over that, but you know, I was probably a bit of my own father that went in to have a quick lunch and I thought I had more time than I did. And I remember literally walking outside the clubhouse about to tie my shoes and I hear someone screaming and saying like, so he's, like oh, and like Joe, I'd never let it happen again. But I ran up onto that tee box and put my ball on the tee, didn't really make a practice swing and thought to myself oh, I smoked one down the middle on 18 in the third round. I'm gonna just let's just make the same golf swing. I didn't focus on the shot, hit it way right, lost my ball, made triple, so straight away you're like Jesus, that's it gone, done and dusted. Like Alex was playing well and the weather was good, so, like I knew lads were going to go under power yeah and like, and then I did claw myself back nicely.
Speaker 2:I probably chased a little bit then the last couple of holes and whatever. I finished fourth or something like that, but like that was. That was a big, big confidence booster for me, like the job. East is a massive tournament and to be able to get myself, I think, did I. I only scraped the cut as well, I think, or I wasn't too far away from the cut line, but like that was a nice moment then to know that like Joel there was game there and then went down to Connick Stroke play then and didn't play great.
Speaker 2:Like for the first two days weather wasn't great at all. The first day didn't play great, didn't do anything special, and morning of the third round kind of got it going nicely again, weather was tricky, no one was really playing well and just a bit of a brain fart on 18 and par 3 and I think I made double or triple. I think I made a triple and I was 400 sending the tee to shoot one under. But I think I could have been the only person able to shoot one under par in that round. And so then I was like, right, look, tournament gone and my uncle, johnny was to be fair to me, he's always. He goes to nearly every tournament. He's deadly.
Speaker 2:And he was standing behind me on the first tee box of the fourth round. We're just kind of waiting to go, and I was having a bit of a laugh at him. And he goes. What do you reckon? Do you reckon it's doable? And I said to him I said Johnny, I said if there's any way to catch the lads, I'm going to have to be at least 600 power early enough in the round. And I was like I don't really think that's possible with weather. And I was 600 and I'm standing on 13T and I just made a bad swing on 13, made double but cruised at home then kind of nicely. We were standing on the 80. I knew I didn't know how to taste enough lead standing on the 80 and T and after what I did in the morning I was like I aimed about 10 yards left of the green and just purposely hit like a 50 yard hook.
Speaker 1:So I knew, I knew like, yeah, actually the swing position, the position at the top of the swing, was lovely, yeah before we get you know, go back to the, go back to the up and down on an 11, 10, 10, is it Patrick?
Speaker 2:yeah, only for that young lad. I don't know who. I owe that win to that young lad.
Speaker 1:Yeah, found the ball like how, first off finding a ball down there, but like in terms of up and downs in your golfing career so far, it must be the best one you've had oh, yeah, yeah, definitely the best one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, no, there's no question. It was like I knew. So obviously the ball it was in absolute munch ball was sitting way down, but I knew if I could get it just over the mound a little bit to play with, a tiny bit to play with before the green. The green isn't very wide.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:But then there was a tiny bit of an upslope before, like before the ball would fall down to that other side, which then it was dead. I was just it was one of them kind of shots where, as I was running up and down kind of looking at it's one of them, ones where it's like you've actually hit this shot messing around a heap of times and it was just it was one of them. I just I kind of did like that was my top process.
Speaker 1:I said, right, just get it over the mound, and it went down and I just put a swing on it and it is one of them, ones like where, like, yes, there was luck in terms of how it's going to actually come out, but it's, I suppose, the visualization of the shot. And then I suppose the commitment is the big thing here actually committed that shot. That ball isn't coming over the turf like oh yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:I mean, it was like it was pure visualisation, like I could, just I could see the shot, like I could see it coming off and just like again, like I was probably you know, I was playing real well up until that, I was probably over 500 through nine and I kind of, you know, I had that trust to just go for it, make it come off, instead of being like, oh, try and get this ball up near the green and get up now for four.
Speaker 1:Yeah and Dennis, as you said, you've got two rounds, you've got a healthy lead on 18, you hit a big, massive one on 18, I suppose there was no chance of it not being on the right side. Your post afterwards not useless after all. I know there's a bit of joking in it, but there was probably a bit of relief and seriousness in it as well, like yeah, big time, big time.
Speaker 2:I remember driving home in the car and I just kind of like I don't even think I don't even think I had a radio playing or anything. I remember just sitting back just thinking do you know what that's? I'm kind of like back. I remember chatting to Niall McSweeney in the car park of the West that year. I don't know what we were chatting about, but I made a bit of a slide to him. I said I'll be on your home team, I'll play my way on to that. I remember driving home to the car team. That's how be the biggest tournament of all. But to be able to come out like win and to end especially to end like it was a big thing to end them three weeks like those stroke by the east, have to have them couple of good results and come out then and win that and have the. The last two rounds that I did like it was. That was a real satisfying yeah really really, really satisfying moment.
Speaker 1:It really cements the fact that you have come back. You are back and this was it's kind of a bit of notoriety for yourself for the work that you've done in the past couple of months to get you there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. You might have the biggest feel or whatever, but at the end of the day it's still a tough golf summer. You're playing against top-class amateurs from around the country. To be able to go out there and win with only having the club back in your hand for the last four or five months, that was a real.
Speaker 1:That was a real confidence booster for me yeah, and then I suppose, like, as you said, you mentioned Max Weaney in the West, that you'd be on his homes team and, like what happens every year below in the Hinch, calculators are out all over the place and lads are trying to see where the top three come and yourself and Collie walk around the place. So then playing, playing Le Hinge, a tournament that you like, a tournament that you've done well in, and again looking back on your past, where you're kind of trying to make a home team, this one is slightly different, where I suppose the results are there and you're allowing them to come. But Le Hinge in particular, knowing you have to get to a number, are you able to take it out of your mind while you're playing, or is it there?
Speaker 2:and, to be fair, on the golf course, in between the first tee and the 18 cream, I actually didn't really think of it all that much. Yeah, like before rounds and after rounds, obviously I was chatting to the lads about it and you'd be thinking about it and all. But I knew I knew down, I knew down south I was playing well, um, I, I was playing quite well down there and again just kind of believed in what I had done previous, work wise and just went down to play golf, um, and I kind of, as as I, as I progressed, then obviously it becomes more into your mind. But as I said on the course, like I wasn't really thinking about it, I bet max kennedy in the quarterfinal and, uh, I fist pumped that little put in on 17 and the only reason I did that is because I knew that was me at home and I think that's the second time in my life that I've ever fist pumped. I never do it and that for me again, it wasn't something I thought of.
Speaker 1:But I knew what the stakes were and I knew if I got through that which is a big thing to come back and that was my plan all along was to represent Ireland within that year and I suppose the big thing, like even listening to some of the conversation, is that, like, okay, the first time around, with the West in particular, it's like everything becomes a focus of playing for Ireland, whereas this time the focus is ultimately getting back to playing a good level of golf, with the hope slash, the end goal potentially being a pick for Ireland, rather than the Ireland call-up being the be-all and end-all that was going to be the reward for good golfing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like I was happy throughout that year that if I didn't represent Ireland for the year, it wasn't going to make a difference to me whatsoever.
Speaker 2:I knew about the kind of how I played early in the year. I should be fairly set for Interpros, which would be regardless, like regardless of anything. That's a nice thing to get back near your back plane, um. So I just like it wasn't something that I was like you're gonna be real upset with if I didn't make it. But then when you do, like it's like I even remember going up to collect the gear again in carton, like, and I laid it all out in the boot of the jeep and took a picture and sent it to a few people and it was like job done, because a few lads don't work, and friends and that and even family and that. So like there's a few people you kind of you talk to more about in private what you want to do, and when you actually do it then you even feel with them, like they feel satisfied for you as well 100% and, like your family, would be invested in your golf.
Speaker 1:I've met a couple of them and like they're all, I suppose one, they're very proud of you, but two like they're very supportive of you throughout the year yeah, well, I couldn't couldn't really hide your job if you didn't came in he can have it if he wants it like. I'd pass it off to him. I'd pass it off to him, no matter, he's passionate enough, definitely to do it like, so he can have form of social media.
Speaker 2:I haven't got him blocked on he's a grand lad.
Speaker 1:Leave him alone. He's only, he's only been nice to you he's not a bad old devil but then I suppose, like Holmes and representing Ireland, like Ballyliffin, great week, great course, but like that's kind of closing out your year, so like your first full year back, I suppose you sit down at the end of the year and what's the ultimate feeling for you the ultimate feeling was the kind of success really yeah so like I'd gone from not playing any golf whatsoever to representing Ireland within the space of whatever, was it eight months or something like that yeah so like that was, it was just it was a real satisfying year and like the feeling was, like John, I made the right decision, going back playing golf yeah
Speaker 2:and like I was still working away, I was still John, doing stuff for my friends, and like it was just, it was a good. It was a good year. I kind of got myself fit in the gym, which I I hadn't like. I'd never been to the gym before 2022 and I hadn't been fit since I gave up football, since I was about 19. So it's all like there was a lot of little wins in 2022 that I got like yeah, no, 100%.
Speaker 1:It's definitely something that. So one is like there is a bit of pride there and I suppose there's just that reward for, like, all the work that's gone on. So, 2022-23 what's the? What's the key takeaways from 2023 for you?
Speaker 2:I think I got a little bit in 2023, during the stage of 23, again like kind of results focused. Um, I didn't like I played decently in Ireland but I was just I kind of chased a little bit abroad like Brab and grab the amateur and St Andrews links. Like if I could, if I could change my last six holes, yeah, I would have been comfortably making cuts, yeah, and I think I just got. I wasn't, I wasn't, I wasn't relaxing the course. I just again, I was too focused on half the. I think it started like for the first half of the year I might have been kind of thinking, john, if I can really do something untold here, I could have a chance playing Walker Cup. That went swiftly out the window on the 17th tee box in British Ham in the second round.
Speaker 1:Well, like I thought like if I could do something in one of these tournaments, like win or like have a couple of like top threes and then maybe you might get your your name into the head of a WAC Cup slacker and that kind of that was just the complete wrong way to go about the year yeah, 100% and as it was, it's almost back to that 2018 feeling again of like when the prize becomes, when the when the out of reach prize becomes the kind of goal I suppose and what I mean by out of reach I don't necessarily mean by like the level of golf, but like it's something that you can't control, like if you don't control how well you play on the course, well then having these long-term goals are never going to really work out.
Speaker 1:Like it's something that's come up a bit lately, but like team stuff is always a funny one, particularly when you're like everyone is looking nine months away, kind of going if I can do this now and then do five more things. Like golf is a funny game. I was just chatting to someone there earlier about the the West qualifier again today and like every time there's a tournament on, I get a hundred messages about the guy that shot five over or 10 over or 12 over Championship golf is hard, golf is a fickle game. Like it'll go up and I suppose chasing stuff like that again for you like so is it a case of sitting down at the back end of the year again? Kind of going. Okay, I need to kind of re-hone into kind of looking at what's in front of me, rather than what the long-term stuff is yeah, exactly, and like so, like I probably got a bit ahead of myself in 2023 when I started playing well.
Speaker 2:Then I was like, oh yeah, now here's time to here's time to win a tournament and do this, instead of being like, right, I'm playing well, let's keep going and play better. So, as I said, focusing on the game instead of the result.
Speaker 1:So then, looking at this year so you're not in Sligo as we talk, you're above in this what's the plan? What did you take away from last year that's going to help you potentially this year, and what is the plan for Rob for 2024?
Speaker 2:well take away from last year is just, I got to focus more on my golf game. Instead of what I can maybe do or achieve or play in like the only thing that's going to do, the talking is what I do from like, from tee box to hole. Like that's all that matters, like at the end of the day, and even regardless of playing teams. So for anything like, obviously it's a great honour to play any team, no matter what it is like, especially the club team. So that was one thing actually that I finished out last year. That it that certainly made my year was the, the All-Irelands with Nace. Yeah, that was an unbelievable experience. I think that was the.
Speaker 2:That was the most upset I've ever been walking up for golfers. I've never felt worse at a golf tournament in my entire life. Not winning that like and that was. That was a real nice feeling, because it's not like like all them lads were so invested in that. And again, like we, we, we no one puts down to be all Ireland winners. Like we're not one of the big clubs, we don't have seven, eight lads out there competing in competing and winning or nearly winning championships Like, but like that was just a group of lads that just believed in kind of what they were doing and we all stuck together and that was a good, that was a real good finish to me for 2023. I'd say, if that didn't happen, joe, I probably would have been. You wouldn't be giving up. You wouldn't be giving up golf, but you wouldn't be, as it wouldn't be as enjoyable like you wouldn't be putting in the work again.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah yeah, and then it sort of started this year again. Didn't really touch the clubs for three months after Q School last year, just worked away and then went out to Spain. Then in January this year done a bit of practicing, played a couple of the mini tour events, went to Portuguese Am. That was a bit of a disaster with weather and everything else. Golf course wasn't in great condition either. Didn't really enjoy that tournament too much. And then back to Spain.
Speaker 2:I actually went home for three days after Portuguese and went for a lesson with Noel because I knew I was going to be out there for another month, month and a half at Spanish and towards the end of that time I didn't want to keep sending Noel videos. I wanted to go home and get something to work on. Went home, did a lesson with Noel and went back out to Spain. I just worked real, real hard on that kind of, on what we did in that lesson. First couple of weeks was really slow. Then got a little bit going. I went to Spanish Am then and just all I did like on the golf course in Spanish Am was just completely stick to what me and Noel were doing. That's all that mattered. Like John scored in matter. All that mattered to me on that golf course was that I was hitting the shots that me and Noel had worked on yeah and I ended up working out class and I was.
Speaker 2:I was tempted to sort of play another tournament and enter the West or Betty's town and after finishing ninth in that I I was quite happy to cap that off at the end as the end of my amateur career and I'm going to turn pro now next month in Sunshine Tour Q School.
Speaker 1:Sunshine Tour, q School and a new chapter. I suppose. I suppose it must be very exciting, like it's been a dream. Well, it has to have been a dream at the level you play at so like. To finally get there must be very rewarding.
Speaker 2:But I suppose it must be very exciting for to see what's going to come next for you yeah, like as a kid, since whatever, since I was 10 years old, regardless of how much time I put into it, I've always wanted to be a professional golfer. I've always wanted to say I'm a professional golfer, whether I'm still kicking stones around Nice or whether I'm playing on the PGA Tour. Being a professional golfer is something I've always wanted to be. I've never been as excited as I am the last sort of month, two months, two and a half, three months. But about golf, like knowing that so I'm, I'm going to take the next step, knowing where my game is.
Speaker 2:Like putting in, I'm putting in serious effort at the moment. Like not just with golf, like I'm, I'm still I'm flat out working um, and like every day, like I'm, I'm making sure I get to the range to work on what me and all are working on. Every day, or at least four or five times a week, I'm getting into the gym, I'm working at Mossy Landman there with Capital Performance. He's just up in Dublin there, absolute legend, known Mossy for years. And like I'm just loving, every day now I've seen that I'm getting better. It's glad. Like I can't wait. Like regardless of how Q School goes, if it goes good or if it doesn't go good, it's definitely.
Speaker 1:It's the most exciting I've ever been about golf in my life yeah, and I suppose that's even evident in just the change of tone immediately in the conversation and kind of almost perking up in your seat like, as you said, it's something you want, but would you say you're in the best, I suppose, mental space for it right now, compared to the last couple years.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Yeah, couldn't be more. Like you know, you never know when you're ready, but you feel when it's time to do something. And like I definitely feel like I'm in the best place I could ever be to turn professional and give golf a go. Like I'm like even down to little things, like my time management, my preparation, stuff like that, like I do owe a lot. Like Jermaine I'm working for, like he joined if I didn't go working for him I wouldn't have learned a lot of stuff that I did.
Speaker 2:And like Joe, like at the moment there for the last since I came home from Spanish Am, I'm doing four days a week with him. I take one weekday off on the weekends. I get up at 10 to 6. I either go to the gym or go for a run. I work with him from sort of half 7 to 6 o'clock in the evening, home quick dinner, go to the range for an hour and a half and go to the gym again in the evening.
Speaker 2:Yeah, john, I'm doing that every day for the last couple of weeks. I'm absolutely loving it. My for the last couple of weeks. And like I, I'm absolutely loving it. My body is in the best shape it's ever been. That's a the joy I that's, that's a big thing for me at the moment. Like I'm, I feel strong, I feel fit, I feel like I'm able to do golf, doing a bit of speed training with mossy at the moment, like joy, everything kind of feels, feels good, it feels in the right place. Doing loads of work with noel, with Noel, stuff that we've worked on since that three days. I came home in Spain working on that like I can really see benefits in it now, like and just sticking to the one thing, working on it like it's.
Speaker 1:It's great to be able to you've such a good feeling of where your golf game is like yeah no, it's great to see you so focused, I suppose because, like I've talked to you a lot over the last couple of years and you can, you can kind of go off into different zones, let's call it, and we'll want to be, and what you want to do. Like I remember walking up here with you one time and, as you're walking up here, all you were thinking about was going to work the next day. Like you weren't necessarily. You could have been, you could have been playing anywhere, and I think all you wanted to do was get home in time to have enough, enough of a nap to go to work, whereas, yes, you're still working and you're doing the stuff that you have to do to make life work. But I suppose all of it is combined into the one focus now yeah, exactly, and like it's, it's the little, it's the little things.
Speaker 2:That's like some things might it might have anything to do with golf, but they're to do with your process of how you can you, you can keep making your golf better yeah and like that, that kind of them little things like are just like.
Speaker 2:Obviously I'd love to have more time to practice now, but as well, like you look at the weather out there the days I am practicing that I'm off, you're out there for like I was in carrickton yesterday for four hours like you end up walking off early, like you're an ice man, like you're so frozen from the cold and courses are wet, so it's you can't really do much this time of year. So I feel like I'm doing the right thing in what I'm doing at the moment and take the week off now, next week before I go to South Africa, just to get a bit more on course kind of practice, yeah, which is I feel. I feel like everything is kind of like I'm doing the things that I want to do at the moment, which I feel are the best way for me to take the step into being a professional golfer 100%, rob.
Speaker 1:Best of luck with it. So anyone interested Rob will be teeing it up on the 16th of April in Sunshine Q School and I shall keep you posted on how he goes and hopefully in a couple of weeks he'll have a car on the Sunshine Tour and he won't be as cold as he is right now up in Nesbitt and golf. Rob, thanks for the chat and thanks for your time, and thanks for your time throughout the last couple of years as well, my man.
Speaker 2:Gary, and thank you very much to you.
Speaker 2:On a serious note, what you've done for amateur golf, not just in Ireland, because I talked to a lot of lads abroad about you as well.
Speaker 2:They all, like all the foreign lads, know you and they all they're all like John, who is Irish Amateur Golf Info, and why is he doing it? Because the exposure you give to us. We've never had anyone doing it like this, not in my years as an amateur golf and like the like the amount of people who get to see stuff now and even my friends, like the videos, stuff, the reels, like I could go out and ace there for for a point or meet someone I haven't seen in a long time and they'd have seen like these videos, the reels that you make and and the posts that you put up that we share and they're like, so they actually get to see what you're doing. And a lot of lads that I would have been friends with for years and still am friends with that I've not, no, no interest in golf they're able to keep up with my results and I'll even get to see like the other stuff, like it's that's, I must say it's a credit to you, no.
Speaker 1:Charles, it's been a good journey. I'm still mad enough to keep it going, so we'll find this all running a bit longer.