The two cousins were in a world of their own, it seemed. Except they weren’t. Seán Keeling, the player, and Pádraig Ó Dochartaigh, the caddie, cracked jokes and chatted but, when the serious business came about, the yardage books and strategy of negotiating the famed links were given the attention required.
With good effect, too. And as if to remind them they weren’t alone, many of those shots were to acclaim from the galleries.
For Keeling, a 17-year-old amateur, who has recently started college at Texas Tech – the alma mater of Ryder Cup star Ludvig Aberg – and who earned his spot in the Amgen Irish Open field through a Golf Ireland mini-order of merit, there was a great show of maturity. He showed patience and resilience in adding a 72 to his opening 70 for a midway total of level par 142 that saw him comfortably inside the cutline.
As a youngster taking up the sport, Keeling – not unlike Tom McKibbin – had idolised Rory McIlroy. Now, they’re sharing the same stage, competing against each other. Time has moved on.
“He was someone I looked up to for a long time. I’m trying to beat him now,” said Keeling.
The memory bank on McIlroy’s side is fresh, too: “Ah, it’s amazing. Michael Bannon has spent some time with Seán as well, and I was hitting balls beside him the other day on the range. And I remember Tom came here to watch me in 2015 at the Irish Open. He was playing at some US Kids event over in England and they got the boat back and came and watched me.
“It’s very cool. It makes me feel old, I’ve got the grey hairs in my chin to prove it, but it’s amazing to think that I’ve had some sort of influence on these guys that are now at the start of their professional journey. Seán’s not even professional yet, but you know, the start of their journeys of trying to make a career in golf. I had my heroes that I looked up to, and it’s cool to hear that I’m that for some of those guys now.”
McKibbin has made a hugely impressive start to his pro career, winning on the DP World Tour in his rookie season last year – claiming the Porsche European Open – and his second round 69 for 143 at Royal County Down also ensured he would be around to perhaps make further inroads over the weekend.
For Keeling, this is a taste of what he hopes awaits. The Roganstown golfer – winner of the Irish Boys’ and Scottish Boys’ Open last year – took the brave decision not to complete his Leaving Cert and swapped Belvedere College for a golfing scholarship at Texas Tech.
There have been messages of support in recent days from his college team-mates and also from his brother Patrick, who is on a scholarship at the University of Louisville. On the links, though, that bond with his cousin/caddie has been noticeable and reaped its rewards in impressively saving a round that threatened to get away.
Keeling’s putt for a birdie on the 13th (his fourth hole of the day) would have moved him to three-under and into tied-fifth at the time. It lipped out. The teenager then bogeyed the Par 3 14th, where his tee shot hit the green but kicked left into a bunker for his first dropped shot in 22 holes, and he then bogeyed the 15th and the Par 5 18th, where he got a flyer out of rough with his second shot and found a bunker 30 yards short of the green.
However, Keeling recovered to birdie the Par 5 first and, then, after bogeying the second, managed a birdie on the sixth and parred home to safely move into the weekend.
“Around here, you need to be disciplined and Pádraig is good at helping me with that. Playing away from pins, get a good game plan off the tee and I felt like I wasn’t in any trouble at all, all day. You have got to be smart around here.
“The way I played the last few days I feel I could very easily be four or five shots better, so if I can play like that again I will hopefully get a few breaks to go my way and if I can hole a few putts you never know what can happen. I am happy to be through and to have a chance at the weekend,” said Keeling.
