There’s huge pressure in Croke Park but putting from two feet to win a fourball with the lads is something else entirely!

1. How’s your golf?

Well, I really only started playing seriously when I retired from hurling in 2001 and played at Naas Golf Club for about three years, even playing some Pierce Purcell. Then I moved to Offaly and joined Esker Hills but sadly, never really got to play much because I got very much involved in underage coaching.

We are very lucky in the Tullamore area to have two great clubs like Esker Hills and Tullamore but because Daithi Regan is a great friend of mine, I decided at Christmas to join Tullamore so I could play with him and some of the other lads.

2. Did you not dabble a little in the game when you were hurling?

I always played a little bit, playing the odd classic or society outing. But it wasn’t really until I joined Naas that I started. Underage coaching took over for about 10 years but now that I have more time to play golf, I’ve almost played more recently than I have in the last five years.

3. Choose your weapon – driver or putter?

I’d say the driver. I am not massively long but I can keep the ball in play. My long putting can be good, but like a lot of us, my short putting can let me down. There’s pressure in Croke Park but a two-foot putt to win the fourball with the lads is something else entirely! (Laughs).

4. What was your happiest moment on the golf course?

When I lived in Naas, we had a fantastic society in Kavanagh’s pub. I had a very close-knit group of friends there, and a few of them have sadly passed away. So getting on the two boards in Kavanagh’s for being captain and for winning the captain’s prize are two great memories. I love the craic. I don’t get too wound up about the game.

5. Who is your sporting hero?

Pádraig Horan, who is from my club, was the captain of the Offaly team that won the 1981 All-Ireland when I was 11 or 12. Then you have Damien Martin, who was the first recipient of an All-Star or guys like Matt Connor from the ’82 team.

6. What about sportsmen outside GAA?

National Hunt racing is something I love, and AP McCoy is someone I was lucky to play golf with at Fota Island. I’ve also been lucky enough to get to know other great jockeys like Barry Geraghty. But I love all sports, so I hugely admire people like Paul O’Connell and Shane Lowry.

7. Which sportsmen made the biggest impression on you in your own game?

Brian Whelahan made the Team of the Millennium and was one of the greatest hurlers of all time. He was just outstanding with great natural ability. And DJ Carey, who was a thorn in our side on a number of occasions, even though we did well against Kilkenny. It was fascinating to see those two going head-to-head in Leinster finals on big days with true sportsmanship, skill and speed.

Any sportsman could learn a lot from them when it comes to attitude and work rate. It was all about skill and self-belief and they instilled that belief in the players around them. They had a huge impact.

8. What was your career highlight? And a mulligan you’d take in your career

We won All Irelands in 1994 and 1998 and they were different for me. In 1998 I was 30 and I had been there since I was 18. But I was injured for the 1994 final and while I came on, I guess that would be my mulligan.

9. Were you disappointed not to start in ’94?

I suppose I was annoyed at the time but on looking back now, it was the right decision. I wasn’t fully fit and I was able to come on and make a contribution. But I knew if I could stay injury free and work hard, another chance might come along and 1998 was a magical year with the three games against Clare and the win over Kilkenny.

10. Have times changed for the better?

There was still a social aspect to it back then and that balance has been lost slightly. There is too much training for too few matches nowadays. I think we had a better time when we were playing.

11. Are you a fan of the modern game?

The game will never stand still and I have great admiration for the players, their commitment and fitness levels. But I think the balance is wrong. An inter-county player is training up to 200 times a year to play eight, ten county matches. I think they could do half the training and be at a similar level.

What worries me is that there are only a certain number of counties at that level and a lot of money to be taken and I don’t think that’s what the GAA is about. It’s supposed to be a more level playing field than that. Being able to handpick huge athletes and dedicate a huge amount of time to them is something only a few counties can do. The spending is out of control.

12. Paul McGinley says the GAA has to deal with the commercial realities of modern sport.

Look, most clubs and county boards are broke and fundraising is something that goes on constantly. Yes, the money does filter down but I think we are missing a balance. I’m passionate about that.

13. Name your dream fourball.

I’d have to go with Shane Lowry not just as a golfer but for the person he is. He’d spend most of the time talking about GAA and rugby too. I played with him at Esker Hills when he was an amateur. I remember he shot a 62 – nine birdies and nine pars – and I wondered if we were playing the same sport.

14. Who else gets the call?

AP McCoy – champion jockey for 20 years in such a savage sport. I have such admiration for jockeys, who put their lives on the line and give such great entertainment. It’s the only sport in the world where an ambulance follows you around. He’s friendly with Shane too and then I’d have Daithi Regan, who is getting his handicap down and getting better under pressure. (Laughs). He’s not as easy to beat as he used to be.

15. Who was the biggest influence on your career?

My father Peadar was a very hard worker and dedicated his life to his family. And my mother Jo made a lot of sacrifices when we were kids and still has unbelievable energy and ambition. I think it rubbed off on all the kids. My father wouldn’t say anything after a match, but my mother would say, ‘What was wrong with you today?’ That was when I was 11. (Laughs). So there were standards you had to meet.

16. What courses are on your bucket list?

I’ve been lucky enough to play so many great courses and near me, I have Esker Hills and Tullamore not to mention New Forest, Birr and Glasson. So I am blessed. The dream would be to play Augusta or even just go there. I’d be there in the morning if the opportunity ever arose.

17. What’s your golfing ambition?

To get down to single figures and maybe play some team golf. I’m better if there is a bit of pressure on but it’s great just to have time now that I am 50 to smell the flowers along the way.

18. And have a flutter perhaps? Do you have a tip for Cheltenham?

Gordon Elliott has a horse in the Triumph Hurdle next Friday called Farclas and I think he has a good shot at 9/1 and good value for an each-way bet.