European TourBrian KeoghGavin Moynihan, Mount Wolseley, Dubai Duty Free Irish OpenComment

Moynihan signs Mount Wolseley deal; now to hole some putts

European TourBrian KeoghGavin Moynihan, Mount Wolseley, Dubai Duty Free Irish OpenComment
Moynihan signs Mount Wolseley deal; now to hole some putts
Gavin Moynihan

Gavin Moynihan

Happiness is a long walk with a putter and all Gavin Moynihan needs to make life complete is to see a few putts drop at The K Club this week.

Eight months after joining the paid ranks, the former Walker Cup hero from The Island is loving life on the road.

Not only has he just signed a new deal with the stunning Mount Wolseley Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort in Tullow, he’s all set to tee it up in this week’s €4m Dubai Duty Free Irish Open.

What's not to like?

“I’m loving it,” he said as Colin Byrne, his caddie this week, prepared his bag for a practice round alongside Jack Hume, Peter Lawrie and Paul McGinley.

"I was just doing some work with Phil Kenyon there because my putting hasn’t been quite up to standard. I am hitting it lovely but to only finish one under in Italy last week was just about the worst score I could have shot.”

Last week’s missed cut was only Moynihan’s second from four tries this year and he believes it’s just a matter of time before he is firing on all cylinders.

“I just need to tidy up my putting because my driving has been good and the wedge game is solid,” he said. "But inside 12 feet on the greens, I have not been myself really. So I will just keep working on it. 

"I’m not worried at all. It will eventually click back into place eventually. I’ll just let it happen. I am not really capitalising on how well I am hitting the ball.”

Sponsorship is crucial for a tour rookie and 21-year old Moynihan is delighted that he is now has a new partner in Mount Wolseley Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort in Carlow where he made his professional debut at the Volopa Irish Challenge last year.

“Mount Wolseley is a golf course I know well and the hotel and the rest of the facilities there are second to none. I love spending time there and I’m proud to be associated with the Mount Wolseley name and the Tetrarch Capital brand.

“This is a big week for all of the Irish guys playing at The K Club and one you really look forward to.

“The eyes of golf fans all over the world will be on Ireland this week and I’m obviously hoping to put in a good performance.”

Getting used to life as a professional is not easy but Moynihan is gathering experience on a daily basis.

“I am not trying to treat being a pro an different to the amateur game,” he said. “The competition and the cut is obviously the biggest difference. 

"At professional level, you need to play well to make the cut. At an amateur event, if you play well you are contending. So you have to play well every hole. 

“On the Challenge Tour, if you play well, you might find you are 30th or 40th. It’s just that extra step up. But I’ve enjoyed every minute of it so far. Every week I have learned something new and enjoyed it and every week I have found something new to work on.

Playing with other players is a huge help too. For instance, I played with Jose Manuel Lara last week and I had a good chat going around and learned a lot from him. 

"He is a good player, obviously, but he is not an impressive striker. And yet he got around in three or four under par. So you learn from that kind of golf. It is just about scoring. 

“He didn’t have his best stuff that day and he shot three or four under. It is just that and course management, and staying patient. 

"If you are one over through five or six, you don’t need to get worried. You have just got to let it happen. And it’s great to have Gary Hurley and Cormac Sharvin and the other Irish lads out on tour, especially in the evenings.”

As for Mount Wolseley, the luxury hotel, spa and golf resort is located just one hour from Dublin and also within easy reach for golfers travelling from points as far apart as the midlands, West, South and Eastern regions.

Damien Gaffney, Managing Director of Tetrarch Hospitality, said: “Gavin is a very exciting young player and we're pleased to be linking up with him at this stage of his career. 

“There’s obviously a lot of attention on Irish golf this week and we’re proud to be in a position to reaffirm Mount Wolseley's status as one of the best golfing destinations in the country.”