Former Challenge Tour player Peter O’Keeffe believes Irish golf needs to tap into the vast wealth of experience accumulated by our top players to boost our chances of becoming a force again on the DP World Tour.
The Douglas star (42) played on the Challenge Tour for five years before regaining his amateur status in 2016.
He then went on to dominate the domestic circuit, winning two Irish Amateur Opens and an Irish Close title and multiple Irish caps.
But while Irish golfers have won a string of amateur titles worldwide since 2008, when professionals Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell, Darren Clarke, Peter Lawrie, and Damien McGrane won eight times between them worldwide, our tour presence is diminishing, even with Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Seamus Power all regularly lifting silverware.
From having seven players in the top 40 on the European money list in 2008 (and eight in the top 100), there were just four inside the top 100 in the Race to Dubai last year with Tom McKibbin (21) the only one under 30.
For O’Keeffe, Ireland may benefit from better using our former tour winners, just as Spain, Denmark and Sweden have done in recent years, sending them out on tour with their up-and-coming stars, both amateur and professional.
