Moynihan confident Irish new wave will rise on tour
Gavin Moynihan
Team Ireland star Gavin Moynihan dismisses the air of doom and gloom surrounding Irish tour golf and insists the good times will roll again soon.
There were more Scottish than Irish professionals in action at September's Dubai Duty Free Irish Open where card-holder Jonny Caldwell was the leading Irishman in 54th place and the other four home players to make the cut were amateurs James Sugrue and Mark Power and club professionals Damien McGrane and Colm Moriarty.
Carlow pro McGrane, a former European Tour winner, described the showing as "a miserable affair for Irish golfers" adding that too many young players were getting caught in the "quicksand" and failing to make the grade.
While Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy have joined Pádraig Harrington, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell in the major winning club, there is concern that we are producing few rank and file players to battle it out on the European Tour and the Challenge Tour.
It's all a long way from the glory days of 2008, when quite apart from a brace of Major wins for Harrington, there were European Tour wins for McDowell (two), Clarke (two), Peter Lawrie and McGrane as well as Challenge Tour victories for Michael Hoey, Gareth Maybin and Mick McGeady - 11 high profile wins in just six months.
"It's just phases," said Moynihan (26), who took advantage of an invitation afforded him by Team Ireland Golf scheme in 2017 and emerged from no man's land to finish second to Aaron Rai in the Andalucía Costa del Sol Match Play 9, going on to win his European Tour card at the Qualifying School.
"In 2008 we overachieved by a country mile and with a few lads leaving the tour, like Damien, Simon [Thornton] and Peter, and a few young guys are just starting, Paul Dunne getting unlucky with injuries, it's just a bit of a lull.
"I think in a few years we will be back where we were before. It's not easy, but I'm convinced we will."
Moynihan is battling to regain full European Tour status, and the former Walker Cup star and two-time Irish Amateur Open champion plays the first of back to back Challenge Tour events alongside Hoey and Niall Kearney in this week's Andalucía Challenge de España 2020 looking to make his first cut in his 12th start since golf emerged from lockdown in July.
He's struggled to find his best form with the driver or make putts inside eight feet, but with those issues now much-improved thanks to his work with coach Shane O'Grady and putting coach Donal Scott, he's got high hopes for the rest of 2020 and beyond.
"The last two years the standard has gone up,' Moynihan admitted, pointing to the recent 23-under par winning tally in cold, rainy conditions in the Scottish Championship. "None of us saw that score in Scotland, so scoring has improved, and people are far more aggressive. I have been making plenty of birdies, but I ham just making too many mistakes. One or two bad swings each week have just cost me. I have to get rid of them and work on my putting inside eight feet. Once I start holing a few putts inside eight feet, I will jump up the board very quickly."
While many point to the success of French golf, which has 15 full European Tour card holders to Ireland's seven, the Portrane native believes the Team Ireland grant system, which has seen Sport Ireland invest €3 million over the past 20 years and €221,000 in 20020, will see many young Irish players make their way onto tour in the next few years.
Team Ireland awarded 13 up and coming professionals, including women Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow, €17,000 per head towards their expenses and split 28 Challenge Tour starts between Robin Dawson, Conor Purcell, Ronan Mullarney, Paul McBride, David Carey, John Ross Galbraith, Stuart Grehan and Conor O'Rourke.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, those players have managed just 10 starts between them, but Moynihan is convinced that success is just around the corner.
"France has only come good in the last few years with the money that has been pumped in there for the 2018 Ryder Cup but the main thing for Team Ireland is having somewhere to play when you turn pro - the invites. For me, that's huge.
"You can be as good as you want, but if you have nowhere to play, it's pointless. The English lads don't get Challenge Tour starts so they can have all the coaches they want out there and it makes no difference to the guys that are not getting starts.
"I got nine starts in 2017 and a few on the Europro, and suddenly I had 14-15 events guaranteed. So I think the team Ireland has done well and Des and McGinley have helped me a lot and done a very good job in my opinion.
"Once they get you the starts, it's up to you then to go out there and play well."
Moynihan is hoping to find form in Spain this week, and like the young guns waiting in the wings, he knows one good week is all it takes.
"I am just trying to win one of these two events," he said. "I don't care if I finish last or 20th. I know if I play well, I can win. It's the same for the other lads, especially next year when hopefully we will have a full calendar. I wouldn't be surprised to see one or two of them win next year. It all goes in phases."
Gavin Moynihan is an ambassador for CarsIreland.ie
