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Telegraph
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
‘My junior major win helped me grow'
Ten years on from her staggering 16-shot victory in the Justin Rose Telegraph Junior Golf Championship, Northern Ireland's Olivia Mehaffey says that the event in Portugal remains one of the most fun weeks of her career. Not only did she make history by becoming the first Irish girls' winner of the junior major, but she says she matured and made lifelong friends at Quinta do Lago, which will later this year host girls' finals on its 35th anniversary. Mehaffey had qualified on her home course at Royal County Down, having been told by her father that her round was going to act as a qualifier. 'You have to post a good score [if you want] to travel out there,' she says. 'Knowing that, I had nothing to lose, and for me it was a one-day shoot-out. I remember being really excited as no Irish player had reached the finals before.' Mehaffey travelled out to the Algarve having won the Scottish, Irish (for the third year running) and Welsh Open Amateur strokeplay titles. Then came her stunning win in Portugal, which was by one of the biggest winning margins in Junior Championship history. 'I won by 16 shots, but I remember playing the last hole still thinking to myself 'Why are you so nervous!'' she laughs. 'The tournament really develops you as a golfer. We had media training, got to go out to Portugal, play in the am-am and play in front of TV cameras. 'It helped me mature as a player, and I know there were players there younger than me, so to start that development earlier is brilliant.' Mehaffey went on to reach the top five in the amateur world rankings and has played in two Curtis Cups, two US Opens, three Opens and was in the top 10 at the Augusta National Women's Amateur. She attended Arizona State University before turning professional in 2021. 'Education was important, and getting a college degree is something I am very proud of,' she says. 'I didn't need to rush and I had a lot of growing up to do. Having to mature away from my mum and dad helped me get to the next stage of life. 'Golf is extremely humbling. It is so up and down, and you never know what's around the corner. It's about being consistent, doing the things that work for you and not veering off that path.' After Mehaffey lost her father to cancer in late 2021, she took some time away from golf. In March this year she achieved her best showing in over 20 months by finishing fourth on South Africa's Sunshine Tour. She says: 'I had anxiety on the course but worked hard with my sports psychologist. It's nice to go out now and be able to see shots and be comfortable standing up on holes.' A decade on from her memorable win, Mehaffey is best placed to offer advice to those juniors wanting to follow in her footsteps. 'Everyone's journey is different,' she adds. 'There are people who turn pro after a successful amateur career and do well very quickly, and others who take a little bit longer. You have to find your own journey and story, and know you can't compare it to other people.'
New York Times
15-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Welcome to Portrush and a distinctly Irish Open Championship
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — Those slate gray skies, the ones tiptoing by in the west, sure seemed like they were going to skirt past. So as players left Royal Portrush after practice was suspended Monday, many of us remained on the course, confident in our decisions. Ten minutes later, what was blue above gave way to gray. Advertisement There would be no skirting past. No regrets, though. Because see, this is when these things happen. This is when, at least in this part of the world, conversation comes. This is when, especially in this part of the world, you learn just how small of a place it is, even as the entire golf ecosystem descends upon this tiny resort town along the Antrim coast. It was midday Monday when two of us found a sliver of shelter behind a scoreboard near Portrush's fourth hole. Soon, we were fast friends. No introductions. Just straight to it. Him? Oh, he lives in Belfast, but holds a membership at Portrush. He loves the course, loves the club, loves Irish golf. Is he a fan of Rory McIlroy? Are you kidding? He remembers Rory as a kid, back when he was growing up in Holywood, just outside Belfast, about an hour from here. He remembers when little Rory, at a local golf shop, was about £25 short when trying to buy a pair of FootJoys he really liked. The store owner gave 'em a wink and a deal — exactly £25 off. He remembers when, after Rory won the Doral Junior Under-10 World Championship in 1998, a representative from Acushnet visited town to put eyes on the prodigious lad. Seeing Rory swing, the rep deemed him too small to ever be a world-class pro, but furnished him with a new trio of Titleist wedges, anyway. Good laughs. But now the rain was really coming. Off he went on a dash to the car park. This is Portrush, where, even on a week that's so big, everything can feel very small. Personal, even. The course last hosted the Open Championship in 2019, a rousing week that began with a storyline polished smooth — the tournament's return to the course for the first time in 68 years, a period that, not coincidentally, spanned generations of political unrest and the sectarian violence that came amid 'The Troubles.' So much surrounding that Open came pulled through that inescapable lens. In its focus were two countries — Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland — and the difficult divides that can come with being Irish. Advertisement This version? Call it a testament to time passing. Not much need for all that pretense. This is about the Open, a championship in its 153rd year. And it's about Portrush, a seasonal town of 6,000 or so, one with a Ferris wheel and a long swath of beach, and dogs off leashes, and a gem of a links course that's carved its place in the Open rota. And it's about Irish golf. You could see it Monday afternoon on Causeway Street, not far from the course entrance. One by one, fans stopped in front of a mural of Shane Lowry holding the Claret Jug — a celebration of his 2019 win at Portrush. They smiled, snapped their pictures and selfies, and bounced along. Six years ago, it was an inescapable part of the storyline — a man from Clara, County Offaly, coming to Northern Ireland to win the Open, setting off a celebration that was both jubilant and complicated. But now there's this — a mural, one that, one might notice, happens to sit across the street from St. Patrick's, a small Catholic church with only 19 pews. 'A place that I know and love,' Lowry said Monday of Portrush. Lowry's trip here six years ago came deep in McIlroy's shadow. That was, until he made it to the weekend with a pair of 67s and a tie of the lead. Then came the round of a lifetime — an 8-under 63 that he can still hardly explain — and clear path to victory. He arrived at the 18th hole that Sunday with a six-shot lead and paraded down the fairway in some kind of dreamscape. Lowry expects the course to play a bit tougher this week than it did in 2019. He was reminded in Monday's practice round how well bunkered the course is. He was also reminded what it means for the Open to be here. 'Look, it is a big event for all us Irish people here this week. It's huge,' Lowry said. 'If you give yourself a chance, you never know what could happen if you do something very special.' Advertisement Which brings us back to McIlroy. It's hard to have a conversation in Portrush without the name coming up. The same thing every time. Can you imagine? If McIlroy's cathartic win at Augusta National in April was a moment of self-actualization for a generational player, a win this week would be something else entirely. A moment of emotional release for a person and a place that would be without description. McIlroy first played Portrush at 10 years old, when he begged his parents to take him and finally scored the trip as a birthday present. Six years later, he returned to shoot a course-record 61 in his European Tour debut at the Dunlop Masters. Portrush's place in McIlroy's origin story turned his 2019 Open appearance into a foregone conclusion — a homecoming victory for the ages. Then 30 years old and five years removed from his previous major victory, McIlroy approached that year's Open with a sense of avoidance, as if not wanting to let it be as big as it was being made to be. A difficult bargain. 'I probably tried to isolate,' McIlroy acknowledged Monday. The result: 79 impossibly poor shots in one of the most jarring, infamous first-round implosions in recent golf history and a missed cut. Maybe it's age, or the relief of that Masters victory, but things will be different this time. Seemingly, everyone at Portrush claims some kind of piece of McIlroy. The adults all have their stories of where they were when he did this or he won that. The kids, the ones using umbrellas to take practice swings and leaning over rope lines with flags to sign, are all here for him. There's no need to avoid what's all very obvious. The plan for 2025? 'I think it's better for everyone if I embrace it,' McIlroy said. That will come later. Monday, McIlroy arrived first thing in the morning to put in work. Despite a late Sunday in the final group at the Scottish Open (where he finished two shots behind winner Chris Gotterup), McIlroy was one of the first players to arrive at Portrush for his Monday practice. On four hours of sleep, he was through the front nine before fans began spreading across the course and finished 18 in time for lunch. Advertisement As the week goes, the attention will build. McIlroy knows it. Memories of '19 aren't too far off. He remembers the worst kind of internal pressure — 'Not wanting to let people down' — and how he collapsed underneath it. He remembers arriving at the first tee and being hit with an ovation that stole all the oxygen. He remembers 'being a little taken aback, like, geez, these people really want me to win.' This week won't sound any different. But it'll be different. (Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic; photo of Rory McIlroy: Ramsey Cardy / Getty Images)
Irish Times
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Irish sextets set sights on European amateur team championships
Ireland will seek to end a drought dating back some 17 years since its last win in the European men's amateur team championship when the event takes place at Killarney Golf & Fishing Club this week, starting on Tuesday, with two days of strokeplay qualifying before the matchplay phase, which concludes on Saturday. The six-man Irish team features John Doyle (Fota Island), Stuart Grehan (Co Louth), Thomas Higgins (Roscommon), Matthew McClean (Malone), Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) and Gavin Tiernan (Co Louth) on what is the 50th anniversary of the championship's last staging on the shores of Lough Leane. Ireland hasn't won the title since 2008 when Shane Lowry was part of the winning team for a second straight year, having also playing in 2007 when Rory McIlroy was also a member of the victorious sextet. 'The game plan is just to go and get after it. We have to be positive and aggressive. The course lends itself to some positive play. There are plenty of opportunities out there,' said Ireland team captain Damien Coyne. READ MORE Meanwhile, a strong Ireland women's team – all six of whom played in last week's KPMG Irish Open at Carton House, where Emma Fleming finished as leading amateur – compete in the European Team Championship at Chantilly in France. Fleming (Elm Park), Áine Donegan (Lahinch), Beth Coulter (Kirkistown Castle), Rebekah Gardner (Clandeboye), Anna Dawson (Tramore) and Marina Joyce Moreno (Llavaneras) form a strong team seeking to win the title for the first time since 1983. 'They've travelled the world, most of them are in college in the States. They all know how to manage themselves ... the game plan is one day at a time, so we'll just try to keep them focused. It's just taking your opportunities when they come without forcing it. It's just a matter of time until we win again, and hopefully it'll be this week,' said team captain Gillian O'Leary. Two other Irish teams are also involved in European team championships this week: the boys – William O'Riordan (Greystones); John William Burke (Ballyhaunis); Caelan Coleman (Galway Bay); Adam Fahey (Portmarnock); Louis Goodman (Co Louth); and Isaac Oliver (Glasson) – are in the Czech Republic, while the girls team – Kate Dillon (Oughterard); Zoe McLean-Tattan (Romford); Olivia Costello (Roscommon); Róisín Scanlon (Woburn); Kayleigh Mulholland (Moyola Park); and Hannah Lee-McNamara (Royal Portrush) – are in Slaley Hall, England. Brian Campbell celebrates with the trophy after winning the John Deere Classic 2025 at TPC Deere Run on July 6th in Silvis, Illinois. Photograph:Word of Mouth '[I had] to start thinking about am I going do something else? Maybe pro golf or this route is not going to work out? It really was at second stage Q-School about two, three years ago. I made like a quintuple bogey on a par 3 and I thought my career was over in that moment. That night I just kind of had a self-talk with myself. Said, 'you know what, whatever happens is okay. Trust yourself'. The next round I went out there and shot 8-under and got myself right back in there. I guess I was like, 'maybe golf is not over for me'. That moment was when everything changed.' – Brian Campbell on persevering in his dream to be a PGA Tour player. His win in the John Deere was his second of the season, adding to his breakthrough win in the Mexico Open. Both wins came in playoffs. By the Numbers: 9,000,000 That's the amount – in US dollars – of the prize fund at this week's Genesis Scottish Open, a tournament sanctioned on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. On this day: July 8th, 2001 Golfing karma came Darren Clarke's way as he finally managed to win the Smurfit European Open at The K Club. Two years previously, in 1999, Clarke had carried a six strokes lead into the final round only to slump to a closing 76 and for his best friend Lee Westwood to come from seven behind at the start of the day to take the honours. Clarke – a winner already in Japan and South Africa that year – took one of the most prestigious titles on the European Tour with rounds of 68-68-71-66 for a total of 15-under-par 273, three shots clear of Pádraig Harrington, Ian Woosnam and Thomas Bjorn. En route to winning, Clarke made the most of a kind bounce. On the sixth hole, he hooked his second shot which hit a tree trunk – 'an outrageous bit of fortune', the player later admitted – and the ball rebounded kindly to finish 8ft from flag. He holed the birdie putt. After winning, Clarke soaked in the applause of the large gallery assembled around the 18th. 'I took my time there, absorbing the moment. It meant a great deal to me to win at home and I can't tell you how much it means to get the monkey of two years ago off my back. That was the lowest I've ever felt in my golfing life and it was great today to play as well as I did after the disappointment I had then.' Social Swing Take a bow @LottieWoad Just the -21 and winning by 6 on the @LETgolf – Justin Rose suitably impressed by the world amateur number one's win at Carton House. Fourth this week at the @kpmgwomensopen @letgolf Overall had such a good week playing in Ireland for the first time competitively as a professional which was made even better by the fans – Charley Hull , who proved very popular with the fans at the KPMG Women's Irish Open. Know the Rules Q: In a match while waiting to play on a par-3, a player gets their caddie to lift the towel covering the opponent's clubs to see which club their opponent is going to use. What is the ruling? A: The player loses the hole (As covered under rules 10.2a and 10.3c, a player must not touch another player's equipment to learn information that would be advice if given by or asked of the other player. A player is also responsible for their caddie's actions). KPMG Women's Irish Open 2025, Carton House, Maynooth, this month where Lottie Woad posted impressive numbers. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho In the Bag: Lottie Woad (KPMG Women's Irish Open) Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees) 3-Wood: Titleist TSR2 (15 degrees) 7-Wood: Titleist TSR2 (21 degrees) Hybrid: Titleist TSR2 (18 degrees) Irons: Titleist T150 (5-PW) Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM10 (50 and 54 degrees) Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks (58 degrees) Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5 Ball: Titleist ProV1
Irish Times
03-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Irish Times
Golfer Leona Maguire: ‘I wanted to beat my twin Lisa. She wanted to beat me'
Bags of clubs are lined up like sentries outside Carton House in Co Kildare where golfers from all over the world are preparing for the KPMG Irish Women's Open. I'm here to talk to Leona Maguire, a trailblazing pioneer of Irish women's golf. Inside the clubhouse, some of the golfers, athletic-looking types in pristine sportswear, are helping themselves from a protein-forward buffet. One woman walks past carrying an abstemious looking plate loaded with three boiled eggs and a lump of brown soda bread. Maguire, it turns out, is also fond of an egg. I find this out during the quick-fire round of our interview. I've only been given half an hour with the Irish golfing legend so I figure I better get as many questions in as possible and hope a few rapid inquiries towards the end of our chat will prove an efficient use of the time. When I ask about her favourite post-round snack or meal she says she loves breakfast. 'I'd have breakfast for any meal.' The Cavan woman is picky about her eggs, though. 'We grew up with chickens and hens at home, so I'm very particular about my eggs. They have to be real eggs; they can't be any of the powdered stuff sometimes you get in some hotels. They have to have yolks with almost an orangey tint to them.' I tell her about the woman I saw earlier with the boiled eggs. 'Yeah,' she says, confirming the eating habits of her fellow golfers, 'there's a lot of ham and cheese and boiled eggs.' The hens and chickens she grew up around were in Ballyconnell, Co Cavan, where she and her twin sister Lisa were golfing child prodigies with two schoolteacher parents. Does she remember her first experiences with golf? 'Dad got us three clubs and we started off at the par-three course down at the Slieve Russell' (the golf and country club formerly owned by businessman Sean Quinn). READ MORE They soon went further afield, 'playing with the boys, four-hole competitions. It was a Mars bar for the winner kind of thing.' Were they beating the boys? 'Probably not in the beginning … eventually we graduated to nine holes and 14 holes and then we were playing with the boys more regularly … they quite enjoyed having the help and there was slagging if they lost, but they were always very good about it.' [ Leona Maguire factor clear for all to see as 15 home-based players join her at Irish Open Opens in new window ] There seemed to be no other girls playing at the time; the Maguire twins were a golfing anomaly. She remembers there was the attitude of 'ah, girls playing golf – when they get to be teenagers, they'll give it up. But Dad saw past that. He saw there were opportunities out there for women in sport.' It helped to have a twin also in the game. 'There were two of us. That was a nice thing. We always had each other.' They were only 11 when they were asked to carry the Ryder Cup trophy into the K Club for the presentation ceremony in 2006, the year Europe beat the US in a decisive victory. The pictures show two grinning girls, ponytails swinging, wearing matching red trousers as they hold the cup high. Leona Maguire (right) with her twin sister and caddie Lisa at a pro-am event before the Irish Open at Mount Juliet Estate in Co Kilkenny in 2022. Photograph: Ross Kinnaird/Getty I met her twin Lisa earlier, while Leona was getting photos taken. Lisa turned professional in 2018, the same year as her sister, but retired a year later. She's now a newly graduated dentist, starting a job in Cork later this year. Were they competitive growing up? 'Oh, definitely,' she tells me. They're still close. Lisa spent the past few weeks with her sister in Detroit, while Leona played the Dow Championships as part of a duo called the Irish Goodbyes . 'We were very close, but also I wanted to beat her as well,' Leona smiles when asked about rivalry with her twin. 'We were competitive from a young age. It didn't matter what it was. My mam always said we'd fight over snakes and ladders. I wanted to beat Lisa. She wanted to beat me, but if I didn't win, I wanted to see her win as well. So we'd fall out and fall in just as quickly. It never lasted very long, but I think that brought us both on without realising it.' Was she disappointed when Lisa made the decision to retire? 'I mean, it'd be nice to have her out on tour but at the same time it's nice to see her happy and doing well and excelling in something that she's good at. I think she deserves a lot of credit for choosing her own path.' Long before turning professional Maguire, who is now 30, made her mark on golf. She was ranked best in the world for a record 135 weeks as an amateur, winning the Mark H McCormack Medal three times for being the top-ranked woman amateur globally. On a scholarship at Duke University in the US, where she studied psychology and marketing management, she won several college titles and awards for outstanding play. The wins kept coming when she turned professional in 2018. The following year she won two tournaments on the Symetra Tour. In 2022, she became the first Irish woman to win on the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golfing Association) tour landing the historic victory in the Drive On Championship. She played a starring role in Europe's Solheim Cup victories in 2021 and 2023. Leona Maguire celebrates with the Solheim Cup after Europe's victory over the United States in Toledo, Ohio in 2021. Photograph: Maddie Meyer/Getty Last year was a big one: she became the only Irish woman to win on the LGPA European Tour, won the Aramco Team Series event in London and was inducted into the Women's Golf Coaches Association Hall of Fame. If you go on the LGPA website and search for her name, you learn that since turning professional seven years ago she's racked up just over $5 million (around €4.2 million) in prize money. What does she spend it on? 'We came from a modest background. I don't need a lot of money to keep me happy. I'm not big into material things. I don't have a big handbag or watch collection.' She tells me she's building a home in Cavan which will make a fair dent in her savings and, as a keen cook and baker, she likes going to fancy restaurants when she travels. There is a lot of travel. She's been competing in China and Singapore in the past year – the golf season is long, beginning in January and not ending until November. [ Leona Maguire: 'I was in China and Pádraig rang me from Arizona to give me his opinion on things' Opens in new window ] When I tell people I am going to interview Maguire, inevitably some golfing enthusiasts look for tips. One of my brothers has a more existential question: 'Will you ask her why I play so well some weeks and so badly other times?' Maguire laughs, feeling my brother's pain. 'Time, it's just time,' she says. 'We always joke with people in the pro ams that if they are very good at golf they are probably not spending enough time in the office. It's one of those annoyingly frustrating sports … even for us at our level there are things you'll be great at one day and not so good the next. But you always hit one shot that keeps you coming back the next day'. In this, the psychology degree comes in handy, especially when experiencing a dip in form: 'Golf is one of those sports where you lose more times than you win. So you have to take the lows with the highs and you have to be resilient and mentally strong.' Leona Maguire: 'When we were growing up women weren't allowed in some clubhouses.' Photograph: Scott Taetsch/Getty She's a huge sports fan herself, enthusing about her colleagues in elite Irish sport, listing women such as 'Katie Taylor, Kellie Harrington, Rachael Blackmore and Sonia O'Sullivan.' 'I'm a huge admirer of theirs and we swap stories'. She's been to the Olympics three times. [ Irish women on top of the sporting world Opens in new window ] Golf is traditionally a male-dominated sport – 'when we were growing up women weren't allowed in some clubhouses'. Maguire has seen women's golf evolve over the past 20 years. How could it be better promoted? 'I think it would be nice to see it on TV more often and in better time slots,' she says. 'It used to be just a highlights package at midnight on a Thursday or something like that. It's starting to get more and more prime-time slots. 'The big thing is getting as many people out to Carton House this week. When people come and watch, they're very impressed with the standard and even a lot of men would say when they come out to watch us it's more relatable, and they pick up more things about the rhythm and the timing and the accuracy of it. They're quite impressed. So I think the biggest thing is getting more eyes on it, and then once the eyes are there, we can retain the fans.' We have a few minutes left for the quick-fire round. Coffee or Tea? 'Tea,' she says quick as a flash. 'I don't drink coffee.' Morning round or afternoon tee-off? 'Morning.' Who would win in a putting contest between her and her twin sister Lisa? 'Well, probably me now but back in the day, I don't know,' she says smiling diplomatically. Any golfing superstitions? She tells me about a lucky ball marker she's carried around in a pouch for 15 years, it has a shamrock on one side and the Slieve Russell on the other. Golfers typically have long careers, Maguire could have another 30 or 40 years in the sport. 'I don't know about that but I don't see myself stopping any time soon,' she says. 'I enjoy what I do. I always say I've one of the best offices in the world. It changes every week. I'm very lucky to have the job I do. It's brought me to some incredible places.'
Telegraph
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
The best place to reconnect with my old rugby pals is on our beautiful golf courses
Growing up, life in our corner of Ireland was a glorious mix of muddy fields on the farm and manicured greens at the local golf club. It was my middle brother, Mark, who was the golf enthusiast. He'd disappear off there for the day while Simon, my older brother (and former Ireland international) and I were more likely to be found helping Dad farming. But golf was never far away for me. I played a bit at university and during my rugby career I'd squeeze in a round here and there when time allowed. Then, as retirement loomed, the sport took on a whole new significance for me. Being a sportsperson, I needed something to keep me competitive, but also somewhere I could relax and be with friends. And when you have the array of golf courses we have here on the island of Ireland, it proved to be the perfect pastime for me. I still get that buzz from a close match, but I also appreciate the chance to be outdoors, enjoying good company and just the sheer thrill of hitting a really good shot. That never goes away. During my playing days, we'd often get away on our time off from training to play a round at Royal Belfast, which was such a treat. Paul O'Connell was always one of the best players in our Ireland squad at the time. Brian O'Driscoll was very good too – but such a bandit! He was the captain, though, so he made the rules when it came to handicaps – you couldn't complain! The first two holes at Royal Belfast I remember being so tough, but if you emerged unscathed from those you could go on to score well there. But you do need a draw to play that course – I recommend you pack one in your bag! When you retire from rugby it's very easy to lose touch with your old team-mates – people you've worked and played with so closely for years. It's strange. So I've started little golf trips with some old colleagues, which has been amazing. I took a group to Rosapenna in County Donegal last year, which is one of the finest places to play on the island of Ireland. We did a three-day blast, playing the three courses they have there: Sandy Hills, Old Tom Morris and St Patrick's. The greens at St Patrick's were just something else – massive slopes, it felt like almost a 20-foot drop from top to bottom on some of them, and so hard to read too. But it was all about the craic, the competition, and that special camaraderie you only get with old mates. We'd do a draw at lunchtime to work out who plays who, and the losers would buy dinner and drinks for the winners that night. We're already planning another trip for next year. From a family point of view, Donegal holds a particularly special place in my heart. We had a place up at Portnoo, and family holidays always meant rounds at Donegal Golf Club in Murvagh. It's been a while since I played there, but I have such fond memories: the panoramic views of Donegal Bay and the Bluestack Mountains while taking on those challenging holes and being blown about by the Atlantic winds. Wonderful. I'll always remember our journeys to Donegal. Before my sister was born, it was me and my two brothers sitting in the back of the car with all the nonsense you'd get with three boys like that. But the journey was always a sure sign we were on our way to a proper break. And Donegal has this unique vibe. The winding country roads, sheep everywhere you look, the little towns with their wool shops and Donegal tweed. It's a place with a real sense of heritage, the peat fires, the smell of the sea, it all adds up to something quite special. And, of course, it's also where you can explore the stunning Malin Head – which I recommend to anyone making their way to this part of the world. Another place I'd recommend to visitors is Westport, nestled in County Mayo on the Wild Atlantic Way. It is a charming town with a really vibrant atmosphere, Georgian architecture and stunning natural surroundings. It's overlooked by Croagh Patrick, Ireland's holy mountain, and bordered by the tranquil Clew Bay. You can cycle the scenic Great Western Greenway, explore historic Westport House, or just enjoy lively traditional music in welcoming pubs. I've also enjoyed visits to Bushmills Distillery, which is one of the key stops on the Northern Ireland Whiskey Trail, and will happily take guests there as part of a day out. It's the world's oldest licensed whiskey distillery, dating back to 1608. It provides guided tours showcasing traditional whiskey-making processes and the tour finishes with a tasting session, which is always popular. I did a promo day there back in the day with Denis Leamy, the former Munster number 8. He was my room-mate when we were on Ireland duty together. It was quite unusual to have players from different teams rooming together, but we got on famously and he was a groomsman at my wedding. The distillery called us the Bushmills Brothers when we were doing the work for them, which we both quite enjoyed. And Bushmills isn't so far from Royal Portrush of course (in truth, you're never far away from some of the world's best golf courses wherever you are on the island of Ireland). Viewers from around the world will get some understanding of its greatness when they watch this year's Open – but you really have to play it to understand it. I find it is somewhere you can get completely immersed in the game. Each hole feels like its own little world, totally different from the last, offering unique challenges and those breathtaking views we're so lucky to have. The fifth is probably the most beautiful of all – and I know I'm guilty of bombarding people with photos from it. It's such a wonderful hole to play. It seems like it should be good to score on because it's quite short – but you've got to place your drive perfectly to give yourself the best approach to the green with the White Rocks in the background. Go too far with that and you're out of bounds over the back. Too short, and the slope of the green takes you all the way back to where you were coming from. Nearer home for me, Royal County Down is my absolute favourite. Joining the club about five years ago was a dream realised, because the place has deep family connections for me and there's something magical about it. I love just ringing up on a Saturday morning, grabbing a bite and joining a random draw. You meet all sorts of people and you always get a great game. The first tee is simply magnificent. Standing up there with the wind coming on from the left and you can see the whole layout of the course unfold – it's hard to beat. The island of Ireland is more than just where I live. It's in my blood. It's the sound of the wind off the sea, the smell of peat smoke, the laughter of friends on the golf course, and the simple joy of being outdoors. It's home, pure and simple. And you need to visit. Golf offers and packages
