Identifying the future of Irish women's golf is the easy part

GOLF:It might have taken a bit of time to tell apart the Maguire twins but no time at all to see just how dedicated they are to golf, writes COLIN BYRNE

THANK HEAVEN for little golfing girls, for little golfers get bigger every day. The Maguire twins have got a lot bigger than they were on my last meeting with them as 10-year-olds in Wentworth. I was then caddying for Retief Goosen and Lisa and Leona had come to participate in the “Wee Wonders” category on the par-three second hole during the pro-am. They were about as big as a golf club then and already they were being exposed to the world of professional golf.

That day in Wentworth they got to hit a shot with different pros and get their first taste of life on tour as golfers. As caddies and talent scouts we are always on the look out for the next superstars. It is always intriguing to see the innocent talent of the aspiring kids that get a chance to rub shoulders with the current stars in the hope of being stars themselves in the future.

Well the twins have appeared on the professional scene way ahead of schedule, albeit still with amateur status. I was asked by their coach of the past six years, Shane O’Grady, if I would like to caddie for Lisa in the Women’s Irish Open at Killeen Castle last week. Having only once been on the other side of a woman’s golf bag previously, when I carried Hazel Kavanagh’s in the Irish Open at Portmarnock Links a few years ago, I was very happy to be invited back for another stint at caddying, not only for a young woman but also one of the bright hopes of Irish women’s golf.

I met up with the Cavan sisters in the car park of the elegant Killeen Castle clubhouse where the shrubbery and flowers make for one of the most agreeable entrances to a golf club anywhere in the world. Their mother Breda had chauffeured the girls to the course in a very practical vehicle for a mother with two golfing daughters. As the boot was raised a couple of golf bags were revealed which looked almost as big as the girls.

My first impression was that despite the 16-year-old twins still being amateurs, their set-up had a very professional veneer on it. The van was like their mobile locker room, mum was both chauffeur and ancillary supplier of anything from putting gadgets to beakers of nuts.

So we embarked upon our Irish Open preparation, and apart from the standard routine when working for an unknown force, I had to figure out a way of distinguishing the twins. I thought the golf bags would be a way of separating them. Wrong. They both had identical bags with identical clubs and carbon copy head-covers. Their names were not on their bags.

I was given a hint by Leona’s caddie that the head-cover on Lisa’s driver was newer looking and Lisa tended to wear a darker peak on an otherwise identical Ping hat. I had replaced my player Lisa’s lob wedge in her sister’s bag by the fifth hole of our first practice round. It was not frowned upon, but simply replaced in the correct bag by Leona.

Identification became easier as the week progressed. One hit the ball slightly farther and swung a little differently and I was beginning to see the small differences in their faces.

I did suggest in an article a couple of weeks ago it is no co-incidence that the closer to the border the golfer is the better their work ethic tends to be. Well the diligent Maguire girls are no exception to this rule. We had two full practice rounds with warm-up sessions beforehand and practice sessions after the rounds. It seemed to be something they looked forward to rather than dreaded. There is a devoted intensity to their preparation that is way beyond their young years.

Having been exposed to women’s golf just once in the past I do recall being miffed about how average their short games were in general. The touch and imagination of the twins is their most impressive and distinctive feature on top of their other great golfing abilities.

O’Grady is acutely aware of the importance of the short game. To chip well you need good technique coupled with a broad imagination.

Chipping took up a lot of the two practice rounds, with Shane constantly checking set up and creative visualisation.

By the modest standards of the women’s European Tour there were legions of spectators traversing the picturesque grounds for the three days and the tour regulars were impressed by the size of the galleries and the overall quality of the Irish Open.

Stepping into their world for a week it would appear to be a harmonious gathering. Naturally there is an intensity of competition inside the ropes but beyond that there was a calm and friendly air about the clubhouse and range.

As we moved from green to tee during the tournament we had to side-step groups of young girls with their eyes locked on my player Lisa as she strode confidently to the next hole.

The Cavan twins would appear to be a big part of the future of Irish women’s golf. Judging by the look of fascination on the faces of the young spectators as the Maguires did their thing in the Irish Open we should see the young female golfing numbers rise in this country.

Thank heaven for the young Maguire girls and they are getting bigger and better every round they play. They are still little girls and although maybe it would be naïve to think they could be that for a few seasons more before they are released into the real world of professional golf, I hope they are.