Golf

Neal Toner proves a cut above the rest as he provides onsite service at Irish Open

Popular barber and owner of JFH Social ensuring the professional golfers look their best as they battle for glory at Royal County Down

'I know it’s something they already have on the PGA Tour with a guy called Monty. The players are familiar with him and know the quality of service they are getting,' says Neal Toner. Photograph: Caryn Levy/PGA Tour
'I know it’s something they already have on the PGA Tour with a guy called Monty. The players are familiar with him and know the quality of service they are getting,' says Neal Toner. Photograph: Caryn Levy/PGA Tour
Paul Gallagher
Thu Sept 12 2024 - 19:00

Where does a person get a decent haircut around this place?

Not your typical chat around a golf tournament but this week it’s not an issue at the Amgen Irish Open where resident barber Neal Toner is on hand to trim and tidy all sorts of swingers at Royal County Down.

Toner is the owner of JFH Social, a highly sought after barber service in Northern Ireland with premises in Belfast and Newcastle.

However, this week he has set up camp in the RCD clubhouse and, such has been the demand from players looking for a cut, he’s barely had a minute to take breath. It won’t be any great surprise that Shane Lowry made the biggest impression on Toner.

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“I’m the resident barber I suppose for all the players on the DP World Tour this week,” explains Toner, taking time between cuts to chat with this unkempt reporter by the stairs to the upper echelons of the players’ area in the clubhouse.

“I have a lot of local celebrities who are clients. The likes of Jimmy Nesbitt, boxers Carl Frampton and Michael Conlan plus some English footballers come over to me too.

“I have a mobile facility that I use from time to time, and I’ve pretty much wheeled it in here this week and it’s working perfectly.”

Toner got wind of the Irish Open coming to Newcastle through his dad a couple of years ago and quickly wrote a proposal before trying to contact the right people at the DP World Tour.

“I reached out on LinkedIn and went on Google. I also approached Kevan Whitson, the head pro here at RCD, to see how I might become the resident barber for the week. About a year later I was standing at my son’s football match when I got an email through from the DP World Tour saying they had done their due diligence and that I would be a great fit.

“Look, I had to go through the full accreditation process, police checks and stuff, especially working with blades and being around the best players in the world.”

Toner is a pretty cool customer, towering at well over six feet tall, fit as a butcher’s dog and very much has his own style. He’s the sort of guy you would think takes everything in his stride, but the sight of his fairway idols has left him somewhat in awe this week.

“It’s pretty mental when you think about it. I’m in such a privileged position this week, looking after the players at the clubhouse. I’ve literally just had Shane [Lowry] in the chair for about an hour, he wanted his hair and his beard done. It was taking that long, the guys were starting to queue up outside,” he quips.

“Shane was a revelation, he really was. I hadn’t met him before, but we talked about a lot of personal stuff, behind-the-scenes stuff in that hour. I also know the extent some of these guys and their families will go to get their hair cut.”

The messer in Lowry was also on show, even before he sat in Toner’s chair.

“I was cutting away at Andrea Pavan’s hair when all I could hear was these footsteps coming up close behind me and it was Shane. I said: ‘First of all Shane, it’s really nice to meet you, but a man of your stature really can’t be creeping up on boys like that’. So, we got off to a great start.”

It was coming to day’s end on Pro-am day and at that stage Toner had cut hair for 64 players. The days are long, but Toner wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Look, I couldn’t be in a better place. There is also a real trust factor both ways, and I see that this week.

“The guys that are more serious about their look and style were hearing good stuff about what I’m doing. The chat quickly went around the locker room, to the point some lads were saying you might need a haircut next week, but you really need to get it done now with Neal.

“To hear the compliments from all the guys is a real confidence boost for me personally,” added Toner, who would welcome the idea of doing more events like the Rolex Series on the DP World Tour.

“I know it’s something they already have on the PGA Tour with a guy called Monty. The players are familiar with him and know the quality of service they are getting.”

Toner has enjoyed the best of craic with the players. Richie Ramsay was hilarious according to Toner, who even got his number after the trim.

“Matthew Southgate was another, Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston was class, so too was Ryan Fox.

“Rory [McIlroy] hasn’t been in yet, but hopefully he will. To be honest cutting Shane’s hair took me back. During the cut I was thinking ‘fu*k I’m cutting Shane Lowry’s hair here’.

“As Shane and I talked, I told him my dream coming to the Irish Open was to cut Rory and Shane’s hair, and that’s no offence to any of the other players, but they are idols to an Irish golf fan like me. Anyway, when Shane was done, he stood out of the chair and said, ‘well, you’re halfway there, and now I’m going to make the second half happen by getting Rory here’.”

Turns out a short, back and sides along with plenty of banter and some meaningful chat is not so hard to find this week with Toner proving to be a cut above the rest.