Paul Gallagher talks to GUI head coach Neil Manchip and witnesses the hard work put into Ireland’s top amateurs
IN HIS role as national coach to the Golfing Union of Ireland Neil Manchip has been an integral cog during the most successful period in Irish amateur golf.
Recent achievements didn’t happen by accident – rather they were a direct consequence of a clear blueprint drawn up by the oldest golfing union in the world which in turn shaped the GUI’s state-of the-art National Academy which opened at Carton House in 2006.
With his hands-on approach to players such as Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Niall Kearney, Manchip offers unique insight into their collective desire and sheer will to win – and the set-up .
Last year, Ireland won virtually every team event entered at all levels, including successfully defending their European team title.
This season has seen a more refined return as individual performances have far outweighed team success, with Kearney winning the prestigious Brabazon Trophy (English Amateur Open) for Ireland for the first time since Ronan Rafferty and Peter McEvoy tied in 1980.
Alan Dunbar secured the St Andrews Trophy which had never been won by and Irishman. To top it all Lowry had an astonishing Tin Cup moment in defeating Europe’s best at Baltray to land the Irish Open while still an amateur.
This sort of unprecedented success is not down to any one factor, rather, it’s a case of all the parts working in harmony to ensure amateur golfers in Ireland are afforded every opportunity to become the very best they can be.
Manchip has been at the top of the coaching structure for over five years since leaving his previous position as professional and coach at Royal Dublin.
During this time the GUI have undergone the biggest transformation in their 118-year history in moving to their headquarters at Carton House in Maynooth, where the National Academy is also housed.
Lowry turned professional immediately after Baltray in May, forgoing the opportunity to compete in the Walker Cup earlier this month, which meant Kearney was the sole Irish representative on the side at Merion in Pennsylvania.
“We were all disappointed because Paul Cutler and Alan Dunbar were well in the frame,” explains Manchip, “Paul especially, as he had been such a consistent performer – his 14½ points out of 15 has been a phenomenal record in the European championships.
“It was very tough for him not to be selected. At one point we had four guys in the shake-up then Shane went pro and the other two weren’t selected.”
Lowry’s joining the pro ranks was hardly surprising as so impressive have Irish competitors and teams been these last two seasons, it’s inevitable some star performers are lost to the paid ranks and the process becomes cyclical. After so much team success in 2007/08, McIlroy and Johnny Caldwell turned professional after the Walker Cup as did internationals such as Richard Kilpatrick and Gareth Shaw around the same time.
“Paul Dunne is the standout young player at the moment,” adds Manchip. “He’s the only player to have won the Irish boys twice and will go for three in a row next year. He also captained Britain and Ireland to a win over Europe in the Jacques Leglise Trophy this year.”
All told, Ireland is punching well above its weight so what does Manchip attribute this apparent conveyor belt of success to?
“Our big philosophy is golf should be fun and if we become too far removed from that notion then performances ultimately deteriorate,” he says. “Golf is different to other team sports as it’s made up of individuals who all need to be treated differently.
“Often poor performances are directly linked to attitudes on the day, when trying too hard, becoming complacent, defensive or even impatient.”
“It’s like meeting a woman for the first time, of course you are going to have some nerves but the question is are you caring about it or worrying about it?
“There are three basic levels of human behaviour; thoughts, feelings and actions. Everyone gets nervous in different situations, whether you’ve been picked for your club team for the first time, your province or your country and there is a certain level of stress attached to that. It’s not about being positive or negative, but rather accepting that whatever happens, happens.
“Seasons are made up of tournaments, tournaments made up of rounds, rounds made up of holes, holes made up of shots and the only thing you can control is your next shot. The old cliché “one shot at a time” is absolutely spot-on but is often looked at glibly. All we can hope for is that our guys play with freedom and express themselves,” adds the dry-witted Scot, who believes there is no better example of this than McIlroy or Lowry.
“Rory and Shane would have a lot in common; they both just love playing golf. Rory is definitely the best I have dealt with, no question. The way he learns is so impressive too. Lots of people make the same mistakes over and over but he learns so quickly and that’s why he’s so good so young.
“He doesn’t play like a 20-year-old because he has been around the block so long and that experience has shown in the majors this year. He’s a very smart boy, too, and adapts to situations.
“He has fantastic natural ball-striking ability, he’s a long hitter, straight, his short game is fantastic and his putting has really come on, but his biggest asset is he just loves playing golf. The bigger the situation the more drive he has whereas other players panic. He has always loved to show off but in a good way.”
Manchip’s mantra for Lowry at the Irish Open was intriguing, to say the least, with the ultimate aim of obtaining this freedom of expression he refers too. “Before the final round we discussed the situation and I said ‘let yourself go out there and make a mess of it, don’t worry about a bad round or trying to prove yourself or defend a lead – just go and play. Whatever happens we’ll still have a drink afterwards and it’ll be a great experience’,” recalls Manchip, adding, “most guys don’t perform because they are afraid to screw up.”
As the season winds down attentions turn towards the elite panels and winter coaching programmes. Increasingly, the GUI and Manchip emphasise fitness and dietary initiatives for their top players but they don’t go overboard.
“The fitness aspect is a balancing matter. It’s not like we’re training these guys for the 100 metres, explains Manchip. “We aim to enhance flexibility, stability and strength and a good base for that is yoga.
“Sure we have some gym bunnies who are super fit and that’s fine, but what does it really add to their golf game? It’s not like you have TO run between shots, fitness is primarily for longevity and injury prevention.”
Manchip, like Shay Smith, The GUI general secretary, cannot over-emphasise the benefits of the National Academy, which provides the union’s essential facilities but is also available to golf club panels and the public.
“Undoubtedly the most significant move in the history of the GUI has been moving out headquarters to Carton House and establishing our own National Academy,” explains Smith, adding that Pádraig Harrington played a key role in the design stages.
The GUI bought a quarter of an acre to build their new headquarters and the Mallaghan family, who own Carton House, donated another 22 acres from the estate’s 1,200-acre footprint for a “peppercorn rent” of €1 a year for 999 years.
Aside from Manchip the academy has two full-time professionals, Ken Fahey and Louise Darcy, who works with the summer camps for kids. Add in Carton head professional Francis Howley and his team plus Henry Byrne, who deals with the Titleist National Fitting Centre, and you have the complete package.
“A bulk of the funding came from a one-off €15 levy paid by every affiliated golf club member in the country which raised €2.6million,” explains Smith.
“We received €500,000 from the Government for the academy – not the HQ – and a €100,000 grant from the RA. The Leinster branch also purchased 2,000 square feet for around €800,000.
“Add to that we moved from our old base in Eglinton Road in Donnybrook which was bought for IR£12,000 in 1972 and sold in 2003 for €2.9million.
“All told, the overall spend was around €7.6 million, quite an investment for a union that only owned a house on Eglinton Road,” adds Smith, who says the academy costs in the region of €200,000 to run each year.
With top level facilities and structures in place the GUI are always keen to keep their top talent here in Ireland.
“We’re never fond of players going to universities in America. Now we can say there is an educational programme in place through the Paddy Harrington Scholarship at the University of Maynooth and the Sports Science programme,” adds Smith.
“We can’t overlook the support we get from The Irish Sports Council. Our role is to develop the game of golf and the Sports Council provides grants through the Sports Trust to assist players making the transition from top amateur to the paid ranks.”
With the GUI on such a sure-footing there will be no end just yet to the conveyor belt of talent coming through the ranks.
