O’HARA’S PGA CUP EXPERIENCE
Motherwell golfer Paul O’hara hopes for more PGA Cup opportunities after making his debut in Texas last month.
The 33-year-old was part of the 10-strong Great Britain and Ireland team which took a four-point lead into the last day at Barton Creek Resort in Austin, Texas, only for USA to fight back and win.
Though disappointed with the result, Paul reckons GB&I did well just to compete.
He explained: “I played 36 holes over two days in 108-degree heat, which was quite hard. I think that’s how the Americans were able to beat us, because they’re used to that.”
Day two of the tournament saw Scots duo Alastair Forsyth and O’hara produce an exceptional performance to take the team’s second win of the day. A highlight of their match was O’hara’s hole-in-one attempt at the third, which landed just a couple of inches away.
He said: “It was a great experience and I think we did well, considering. That was my first PGA Cup and it was huge, like a mini-ryder Cup, with cameras everywhere, and it was on TV.”
The next PGA Cup is scheduled for Foxhills in Surrey in 2021, the scene of the last Great Britain and Ireland victory back in 2017.
Paul hopes to be involved in that, and hopes to help the team to victory.
He said: “I was number one in the rankings for this one, so I hope for more opportunities like that.
“It’s in two years and I’m hoping that it’s ‘same again’ because it was such a great experience, and they were a great bunch of lads.”
America became the first PGA Cup team to overturn a deficit going into day three and win the match; their first win outright in the competition since 2011.
O’hara will next be involved in PGA play-offs in Antalya, Turkey, in November, which can qualify him for European Tour events. He feels he’s on top of his game at the moment.
“I’m playing really well, and I’m there or thereabouts in tournaments. It’s hard to keep it going in the winter because of the weather, but the event in Turkey will help.
“I’m heading out two or three days early to get some practice in, and to be back on grass is going to be good.”