Michael McGeady:
All to play for out west with precious Order of Merit points still up for grabs. By Brian Keogh
LIMERICK’S Tim Rice will begin his bid to retain the Irish PGA Championship at Galway Bay today but there are many other prizes up for grabs as the season comes to a close at the stunning Christy O’Connor Jnr design.
The race for Order of Merit is in the melting pot with 2013 Irish champion Michael McGeady leading by nine points from Glasson’s Colm Moriarty with Tulfarris Golf Resort’s Simon Thornton and Waterville’s David Higgins just a few points further behind.
While there are no longer Irish Open spots up for grabs for the leading players on the Irish Region’s Order of Merit, the top three points winners after this week’s 54-hole test will qualify for the PGA PlayOffs in Turkey from November 21-23.
That’s the only route now for players hoping to win spots on the BMW PGA Championship and the British Masters next year and with 5,400 Order of Merit points on offer for the winner – not to mention €3,600 from the €24,000 prize fund – the leading five or six players in the money list can secure one of those three spots withawinatGalwayBay.
“It would be lovely to top the Order of Merit to have something to show for the season but all I am really concentrating on is doing enough to secure my place in the Play-offs so I can give myself a chance of winning a spot at Wentworth,” said McGeady, who has won five times this year.
“Iwilljusttrytosticktomy own game plan and hopefully that will be good enough.
“My form dipped for a while there. I wasn’t holing putts like I had been doing earlier in the year. I have been working a bit more on that aspect of my
game and I’m starting to get a bit of feel back. I’d like to get down there and have a good go at it this week.”
This week’s event will be the 108th staging of the Irish PGA Championship, which was last staged at Galway Bay in 1994, when a 26-year-old Darren Clarke won with a four-round total of 285.
“In my experience of playing the course you need to be steady off the tee but pay attention to your approach shots and putting,” McGeady added.
“A lot will depend on the weather and strong winds are forecast for later in the week If that’s the case we could be chasing David Higgins who traditionally plays very well in windy conditions.”
Defending champion Rice is joined in the field by former winners such as Carlow’s Damien McGrane, Royal Dublin’s Niall Kearney and 2006 champion David Mortimer from nearby Galway Golf Club.
“Played it once before in a pro-am,” said Rice, who was disappointed to miss the cut in last week’s Monaghan Irish Challenge at Concra Wood.
“It’s a lovely course on the Atlantic coast with very undulating greens. It plays quite long and if the wind gets up, it will be a severe test of golf.”
Rice has low expectations this week given that he describes his form as “sketchy”. But he’s hoping the form that saw him win on the PGA Europro Tour in England recently has not disappeared entirely.
“I’m still clinging to that as a bit of form and have shot a couple of decent scores in Region events,” said Rice, who divides his time between the home circuit, the Europro Tour and teaching in the Dublin area.
“It’s a lovely title to have and would be even nicer to win again. That would be ideal.
“I have taken the same feeling with me for around two years. Nine months prior to the win, I found something and in fairness, I have been more consistent ever since that point.”
If the wind gets up, it will be a severe test of golf Irish Independent Thursday 11 October 2018