A Quick 18 with Tom Egan

The late, great Tom Egan

Monkstown’s Tom Egan passed away yesterday, April 17, at the age of 89. We were fortunate to catch up with this lovely gentleman in October 2018 to do A Quick 18 for the Irish Independent.

Tom Egan will forever be remembered as the first man to make eight birdies in a row in official competition. But for all his achievements, many of his fondest memories involve playing with friends at his beloved Monkstown.

1 Sadly, golf is off the agenda these days. But I believe you recently had a birthday.

Yes, I was 88 a month ago. But I haven't played for the last two and a half years. I used to love my Wednesday golf but all good things come to an end.  I am glad just to be alive! (Laughs)

2 How did you get started in the game?

Unfortunately, my father Frank died when I was eight and they tell me he was a three handicapper. When he died, my mother, Anne, gave me a present of a four-iron and a putter. And as we used to live in front of the fourth green at Monkstown, I was up there every evening practising my chipping and putting. 

3 Who influenced you to take up the game seriously?

We had a lovely professional at the time, Jim Higgins, whose brother Jack was the professional at Cork Golf Club. Jim was a lovely man and gave me great encouragement.

4 It was another six years before you became a full member of Monkstown but I believe you weren't long getting your handicap down. 

You couldn't become a member until you were 18 but when I was 17, the club had its monthly meeting and gave me a 12 handicap and I went out in the 1947 President's Prize the next day and had a 78 less 12,  to win it with a 66. I was cut to nine. 

5 By 1950 you were down to scratch and went on to reach the final of the South in 1951 before winning the Close in '52 and the East in '62. What do you recall of those days?

As Monkstown didn't have a Senior Cup or Barton Shield team at the time, Cork asked me to join them and in 1952 we got to the final of the Irish Senior Cup and lost to Malone. But it was played at Royal Belfast and I stayed on and won the Irish Close there beating Tramore's JC Browne at the 41st in what was a 36 hole final in those days.

6 That loss in the final of the 1951 South really signalled the start of something big, didn't it?

Gerry Gilligan, who was from Waterford and worked in the bank in Limerick, beat me in that final. But it's true, for the next ten years I had lots of success in the scratch cups in Castletroy, Muskerry, Cork and Douglas. My fondest memories are of that East of Ireland in 1962. In the third round I was the first person to have eight birdies in a row. It was equalled many times but not surpassed until Mark Calcavecchia did it in 2009. 

7 How did you manage to keep that run going? 

Well, it was nearly a relief when I took a par at the 10th! I didn't hole any chips or anything. I holed a couple of long putts alright but to do it in Baltray was wonderful. I had been going there for a long time and I loved playing in it and always remember going out in 30 and coming back in 37 for a 67 in that third round. Everyone was raving about it afterwards but nobody was saying anything about my partner, Brendan Edwards, who was out and back in 34, only one shot behind with 68.

8 Driver or putter?

I wasn't long off the tee. Chipping and putting was my forte thanks to all that practice I got when my mother gave me that putter when my father died. The putter was good to me. 

9 Links or parkland? 

I always loved links, especially playing with Christy O'Connor Snr in Royal Dublin. Nowadays players would drive you mad with their yardages and what not, but Christy had a great eye. He'd look up, see it and bang! 

10  When were you happiest on the golf course?

I was happiest when I played well, not necessarily when I was winning. It was always nice to play well. I used to love playing with everyone, whatever their handicap, especially back home in Monkstown. We had great times.

Irish Independent coverage of Tom Egan’s 1962 East of Ireland victory at County Louth

11 Who’s your sporting hero?

The five-time Open champion Peter Thomson. I remember watching him in Woodbrook as a young man and always thought he was magnificent — a very straight hitter who was very good around the greens. He left an impression on me. The six leading amateurs were invited to play in Pro-Ams in those days and I remember I loved playing in those events with the likes of Brian Huggett, John Panton, Dave Thomas, Peter Alliss, the Hunt brothers and the Spaniards, Sebastián de Miguel and his brother Ángel. 

12 What's the most nervous you have ever been?

It was in 1953 when I was asked to play in an exhibition with Jimmy Bruen against Henry Cotton and George Crosbie. Cotton idolised Jimmy Bruen, who would go over to Portugal with his wife Nell, who happens to be in the home here with me and my wife Angela. She was 100 a month ago.

13 You got 54 caps for Ireland between 1952 and 1969 so you played with many of the greats. You've been a great advocate for Tom Craddock but what about the million dollar question — if Joe Carr plays Jimmy Bruen, who wins?

I'll have to be careful here. But in my estimation, with both at their best, Bruen would win a 36 hole match 5 and 4. Why? Because he was a marvellous putter. They all spoke about his length but he was wonderful on the greens.

14 Name your dream fourball.

That's a tough one. Christy O'Connor Snr would be one for sure and I'd love to have played with Payne Stewart. For the fourth, even though he's not playing well at the moment, I'd have Jordan Spieth. 

15 If you had just one more game of golf to play, where would it be? 

Pebble Beach. I played it back in 1980 when I was 50. It was beautiful. Incredible.

16 What’s your most treasured possession?

I was lucky to win a lot of Waterford glass and years ago, my wife Angela and I decided to distribute it among our nine children. But I kept one piece that is really special. When Nissan sponsored the 2004 Irish Open in Baltray, I was invited to play with Padraig Harrington and presented with a lovely piece for being the first to do eight birdies in a row. 

17 If you could change something about golf, what would it be?

Slow play depresses me. Growing up with my brother Barry, we played a fourball every Sunday morning with two brothers, Billy and George Locke, in an hour and 55 minutes.

18 What’s your idea of perfect happiness?

I was lucky to have an understanding wife in Angela, who presented me with nine children, and never complained when I was out golfing. She's here with me now too.