I’M PLAYING TO MY HANDICAP RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS NICE BUT WE’RE ALL GETTING OLDER NOW, AND OUR HANDICAPS ARE GETTING HIGHER!
Winner of two All Irelands, five Munster titles, two National Hurling Leagues and three All-Star awards, hurler Pat Fox did it all in a 17-year career with Tipperary.
Hurling is still a passion, but he keeps his competitive edge on the golf course and hopes to captain Tipperary to glory in the 2nd Annual Shannon Airport Cup Invitational in Spain in November.
1. How’s your golf?
Well, I’m back tipping away at it again, so I hope to be in good form in Benalmadena in November. I’m a member of Slievenamon in Fethard which is quite near me, and while 12 was my lowest handicap, I’m playing to my handicap right now, which is nice.
2. How did you get started in the game?
Well everyone played about 20 years ago, and all my colleagues were playing – the likes of Nicky English and the boys – so I said I’d join them. We’re all getting older now, and our handicaps are getting higher!
3. It’s been a great year for hurling. Did you enjoy the All Ireland Final as much as the Limerick fans?
It was unreal and a scary one for Limerick but I think the best team won on the day. It was similar to our 1991 final with Kilkenny in that it wasn’t a great game, but it was quite close at the finish.
Overall, the hurling has been epic this year with so many close games. Tipp had Clare beaten with four minutes to go, and it was the same with Cork against Clare, and it didn’t work out for them either.
4. So no joy for Tipperary in the hurling but I believe you are captaining Tipp’ in the Shannon Airport Cup organ- ised by GolfVoyager.com. Confident?
(Laughs) Well, we’re hoping to bring back the silverware. Whatever happens, it will be a lot of fun.
5. Choose your weapon. Driver or putter?
Right now, the driver. My putting is horrific at the moment. I am three-putting a lot of greens.
6. Links or parkland?
I’m a bit too wild for links. I need flat lies and open spaces.
7. Who was your sporting hero?
There were a lot of hurlers I admired. Jimmy Barry Murphy and Joe McKenna were two of my favourites. But I admired lots of great players like Brian Whelahan or Tommy Walsh.
Pound for pound I don’t believe there was a better player in the country than Tommy for his size. His aggression, his sheer will to leap over guys far bigger than him and his ability to inspire his team, all that made him special. I always wonder how I would have got on against him. He’d have easily done away with me, I’d say.
8. What’s your golfing ambition? Looking to get down to scratch?
I don’t think I’ll ever get down to scratch, no. (Laughs). But I’d like to be competitive again, and I’ve been working hard at it. That makes it enjoyable because I wasn’t enjoying it for a while. This trip to Spain will be entertaining anyway so may the best crew win.
9. Name your dream fourball. Jennifer Aniston would be first on the list. If I had my choice, I’d love to be playing golf with her! And then maybe Tommy Walsh and Joe McKenna.
10. If I gave you a mulligan in your hurling career, what would it be?
Another chance to play Galway in the All Ireland final in 1988 and beat them this time. (Laughs). We’d get involved more in the game because it slipped by us without us realising.
We stood in the corner for too long waiting for things to happen and nothing came into us. You have to seize the day, or it can go by in a flash if you are not in the right frame of mind.
11. You had some good days all the same.
Well, we won five Munster titles, two leagues and two All Irelands so while it wasn’t probably as much as we should have won, a lot of guys would die to have that many. You have so many ups and downs in GAA that you have to enjoy the good days, like Limerick now.
12. Is there a course you’d love to play before you shuffle off this mortal soil?
I’d love to play at St Andrews where all those British Opens were won by the great players. It’s an iconic event and to play a course that’s got some great history would be fantastic. It’s like an All Ireland in Croke Park, there’s no nicer feeling.
13. What’s your favourite Irish course?
I love Mount Juliet. There’s a bit of width to hit the ball. It’s not as tight as The K Club, with all the bunkers they have. The scenery is terrific, and it’s not too far away.
14. If you could change one thing about your golf, what would it be?
My iron play needs a lot of work. And my play with the wedges and my short game.
15. What about your hurling? Would you change something about that?
The worst part was that I had a very bad knee injury. If I could have avoided that cruciate ligament injury, I’d have been a better player. Back in our day, surgeons weren’t as up to speed as they are now. I could never turn the way I should have been able to turn.
16. What’s your most treasured possession (golfing or otherwise)?
I have some great old photos with great sportsmen from other sports like Niall Quinn and Jim Bolger. It’s nice to have them up around the pub. And I have my All Ireland medals and my All Stars. The pictures bring back memories of those occasions.
17. Who’s your favourite golfer?
I can’t say I have one. I admire them all. I guess we’d all like the Tiger to come back again. And I wish Rory’s form would come back and he’d win another major again soon.
18. What’s your idea of perfect happiness? When Tipp win All Irelands, we’re all perfectly happy. (Laughs) That’s the biggest excitement and happiness we could have. But once my kids and family are all okay, I’m very happy.