North's Major epidemic nurtured from start

GOLF:From encouraging parents to state-of-the-art practice facilities and top coaches, PHILIP REIDlooks at all that went into the Major triumphs of a trio of Ulstermen

AFTER RORY McIlroy’s win in the US Open last month, Luke Donald tweeted about considering moving to Northern Ireland. He was joking. But the reality is that something strange and wonderful is stirring in the Northern air as, literally, one after another, professional golfers from that part of the world are, well, conquering the world.

Graeme McDowell might have started it all with his win in the US Open last year, but the manner in which, firstly, McIlroy and, then, Darren Clarke took the baton and have run with it is truly remarkable.

To have three players from such close proximity win Majors in little over a 13-month time span is quite extraordinary. To have two of them win in the space of four weeks is even more so.

In the early part of last week, Clarke had verbally sparred – in a jocular and relaxed way that was to serve him well throughout his quest for the Claret Jug at Royal St George’s – with the BBC television sports presenter Stephen “Winker” Watson as to why he hadn’t been included in the pre-Open documentary which had featured G-Mac and Rors. You could say that Clarke delivered his own answer in the perfect way, and gave the man from the Beeb more golden footage to work on.

The harder part is to work out how and why this is all happening. Even the RA’s Peter Dawson considered the question in midweek before settling on this reply: “I think these things go in cycles, and Ireland clearly has had some very, very talented players recently. I think if you examine them, they’ve all come through slightly different routes probably to get to where they are, so you can’t put your finger on one particular method. But each of them have talent and application, and those are the essential ingredients.”

Dawson added: “I’d be exaggerating if I said I saw something in the Irish coaching system that was causing it. I simply don’t know.”

For sure, the Golfing Union of Ireland – which fosters talent at provincial level through each of its four branches in Ulster, Leinster, Connacht and Munster and also at national level, operating out of the state-of-the-art academy based at Carton House in Maynooth – would appear to be ticking all of the boxes in developing players, nurturing them and then releasing them into a world where they not only pay-for-play but, as we’ve seen, go on to win Major titles.

And, yet, if you take the three Ulster players who followed up on Pádraig Harrington’s trailblazing of 2007 and 2008 when the Dubliner won three Majors in little over 13 months, it is fair to acknowledge they have, as Dawson put it, “come through slightly different routes”.

Take the first two winners, for example. McDowell – the 2010 US Open champion – pursued a collegiate route, heading to the University of Alabama where he learnt the art of winning (on the college circuit and, then, on his summer visits back home where he amassed a collection of provincial and national titles) before turning pro.

McIlroy’s route was different and swifter, having won the Irish Close as a 15-year-old and the European amateur a year later. The Walker Cup at Royal Co Down was hardly over by which time he had confirmed the natural move into the paid ranks.

What McDowell and McIlroy had in common was the GUI’s policy of sending them abroad to play in tournaments which became an important part of their development. Another common denominator was that they were winners, amassing titles around the island of Ireland and further afield that created a winning culture in their minds which remains to this day.

When Clarke turned professional 21 years ago – deciding not to wait around for the 1991 Walker Cup in Portmarnock the following year – there was a belief at the time his talent was such that he would become the first Irishman to win a Major championship since Fred Daly had lifted the Claret Jug in 1947. Who would have believed that three players from Ireland would have won five Majors before Clarke finally managed to get his hands on one? Perhaps that long wait made it all the sweeter?

There is another common denominator that is apparent in the cases of Messrs Clarke, McDowell and McIlroy – and that is the role their parents played in encouraging them in their chosen sport. Godfrey Clarke, who had himself played Irish League soccer with Glenavon and Dungannon Swifts, and also rugby with Dungannon, told the other day of how he and his wife Hettie had taken out family membership at Dungannon Golf Club for £112 and of how a young Darren would be dropped to the course with a packed lunch and a couple of pounds and would often play 54-holes a day.

“We all did it . . . Gerry and Rosie (with Rory), Kenny and Marian (with Graeme), all that did. We came from an ordinary working-class family, but you have to give him a chance. If you didn’t, you’d be thinking later on in life, ‘why not?’. He has repaid us in full since, let’s put it that way,” explained Godfrey of the sacrifices made in ensuring their son got to develop in his formative playing years.

Clarke’s father added: “We always hoped it would (see him win a Major), everybody hopes something like this comes along. He totally deserves it, that’s all I’m saying.”

The role which Clarke plays in nurturing players should not be overlooked. The Darren Clarke Foundation is aimed at developing junior players all over Ireland – complementing the work of the GUI – and McIlroy was one of those players to benefit from Clarke’s influence and mentoring. Apart from the foundation, there is also the Darren Clarke Golf School based at the Greenmount campus in Antrim, beside the Ulster branch of the GUI.

Asked if he saw the Darren Clarke Foundation as his legacy, Clarke responded: “Well, legacy is not really something that I think about an awful lot, but I just want the kids to have a good time that are involved in my foundation. I want them to enjoy the game, whatever form that may come in, whether it be a short game clinic, whether it be a weekend where they’re working hard on their games. All my stuff is to try to help the kids in whatever shape or fashion I can.

“You know, as well as my foundation, I have my school in Antrim where I pop in and try and help. I have 38 kids enrolled in the golf school over a two-year course. My whole outlook on the game has come full circle where I’m trying to give back because the game has been very kind to me over a long period of time, so I’m trying to help the kids in any way I can.”

And while the 20-year age gap between McIlroy and Clarke perhaps demonstrates age is no barrier to golfing excellence, it is perhaps worth noting that the current crop of young amateurs emerging on the scene are dominated by players from the North. Which of Paul Cutler, Alan Dunbar, Dermot McElroy – all playing in next week’s Irish Open in Killarney – et al could be the next big thing? Whichever, it does seem that those northern lights will be shining for some time to come.

GENERATION NEXT Who's following on the conveyor belt out of the North

Paul Cutler

Club: Portstewart

Age: 22

Handicap: Plus 3

Sound familiar? Guess who was the last player before Paul Cutler to achieve the West of Ireland-Irish Close double in the one year? You've got it – Rory McIlroy, in 2006. This year, Cutler – a huge talent who is expected to win his place on the Britain and Ireland team for the Walker Cup in Scotland later this season – followed in McIlroy's footsteps when claiming both titles to become the standout performer on the Irish circuit and mark himself down as a player for the future when he turns professional.

Alan Dunbar

Club: Rathmore

Age: 21

Handicap: Plus 3

From the same club as Graeme McDowell, Alan Dunbar has shown an eye for winning top tournaments on the amateur circuit. In 2009, he captured the prestige St Andrews Links trophy over the home of golf and, last year, he won the Irish Amateur Open championship at Royal Dublin. He was a defeated finalist in the West of Ireland this season – losing to friend and rival Paul Cutler – and Dunbar also came runner-up in the Brabazon Trophy (English amateur open strokeplay)

Dermot McElroy

Club: Ballymena

Age: 18

Handicap: Plus 2

Last year's Irish Boys' champion, Dermot McElroy – the youngest member of the Irish senior panel – opened a few eyes earlier this season when shooting a round of 61 in the Peter McEvoy Trophy at Copt Heath in the English midlands. That ability to shoot low rounds is one that has marked the Ballymena teenager out as one to watch for the future.

The Darren Clarke golf school

The Darren Clarke Golf School, which started life as the Junior Golf Academy, is now in its fourth year of operation. The school is currently the only one of its kind in Ireland, which offers young, golf-minded 16-year-olds and over, the opportunity to combine their chosen sport of golf with educational excellence.

Based at the Greenmount Campus in Antrim, home of the Ulster Branch Academy, the main programme is a two-year full-time course spanning over 36 weeks per year (following the academic year) which also includes a week in Spain.

In the full-time programme, students study toward an Extended BTEC National Diploma in Sport which can provide the pathway for their chosen career; PGA Tour Pro, teaching, further/higher education or to follow a career within the industry.

All full-time students also benefit from golf training as part of the timetable, which includes golf specific fitness, nutrition, golf psychology and lifestyle skills and a high level of weekly competitive play.

Utilising the purpose-built golf training facilities and technology available at Greenmount, the full-time coaches provide all students with an individual training plan throughout their time spent at the school. Paul Cutler (Portstewart) is but one of the many success stories coming out of the school. Other current students making the headlines include Alan Dunbar, Conor Glynn, Jack Hume (winner of all four boy's provincial championships in 2010) and Sarah Helly.