Cool head Luke ready to take Catalunya chance

PGA Catalunya Golf and Wellness Resort’s Luke Donnelly

LUKE DONNELLY is determined to remain patient and take advantage of a sponsor's invitation on his DP World Tour debut in the Catalunya Championship tomorrow.

Thanks to a chance meeting with Denis O'Brien when working at Mount Juliet to fund his tour dream, the Kilkenny man (25) is now sponsored by the businessman's PGA Catalunya Golf and Wellness Resort near Girona in Catalonia, which is hosting this week's $2 million event.

"I'm a very lucky boy," said Donnelly, who hails from hurling royalty as he's closely related to Kilkenny's famous Fennelly hurling dynasty on his mother's side — the seven Fennelly brothers are his uncles and Michael and Colin, his first cousins.

"I'm looking forward to it. I was hoping my first European Tour event would be in the Irish Open at Mount Juliet last year, but this is the one, and I can't complain."

Donnelly is looking to make his way onto tour via the Alps Tour and the Europro Tour and knows everything he achieves this week is a bonus. Tee times

"It's a great opportunity for me, but the goal is just to be patient and not force it," said the Kilkenny talent, who
joined at the Stadium Course by Cormac Sharvin, Tom McKibbin and Jonathan Caldwell.

"I played with Cormac today, and he asked how my season was going, and I said I've been hitting it OK, but I'm just not fully zoned in on what shot I am trying to hit.

"I have a really good caddie this week, and we've spoken a lot about picking our target lines, so that's the goal. I'm just trying to let it happen rather than trying to force anything.

"I know the course well and it's going to be all about patience. Length is not an issue around here. It's all about accuracy."

Meanwhile, the R&A has confirmed the 150th Open at St Andrews will be the largest in the Championship's long history with a record-breaking 290,000 fans set to descend on the Old Course from July 10-17.

The previous record was 239,000 to watch Tiger Woods win at St Andrews in 2000, with the 2019 at Royal Portrush the next biggest Open with 237,750.

Despite the lack of vantage points for spectators at the Old Course, there were 1.3 million applications in the ticket ballot this year, resulting in the highest-ever number of general admission tickets being issued.

A record 80,000 fans will attend the four practice days, exceeding the 61,000 who attended the equivalent days at Royal Portrush.

The 150th Open is expected to generate around €238 million in total economic benefit to Scotland.