Precocious talent is a phrase occasionally applied in a sporting context but it seems apposite to describe the performance of 12-year-old Liam Harnett who became the youngest ever qualifier in the Red Bull Final 5 club competition when he prevailed in a recent singles competition at Edmondstown GC.
He boasts a pretty decent bloodline in that he is the son of Milltown professional, John - Liam is a member of both Edmondstown and Milltown - so there is obviously a natural aptitude for the sport. It's not only golf though as he plays Gaelic football for Ballinteer St John's, soccer for Leicester Celtic and was a member of the successful St Attracta's National School Olympic handball team that won the Leinster final.
The young 18-handicap tyro first picked up a golf club at five years of age but only really started playing regularly last summer. He was given a provisional handicap of 28 after submitting three cards but was subsequently cut on observation - he attended a few junior coaching sessions - to 18.
His father John admitted: "He has a very good attitude to the game. He's prepared to work hard and practice and left to his own devices would spend every moment out on the course. Once his school work is done he can play sport. We're very proud of him and he's fairly chuffed that he is going on to represent Edmondstown in the final."
He's already represented Milltown in the Elm Park Trophy and the Fred Daly Trophy but it was at Edmondstown that he qualified for the Red Bull final 5 finals. Playing in the singles event he amassed 35 points, standard scratch for the day. He topped the field though over the final five holes (the qualifying holes for the Red Bull event), recovering from a double bogey at the 14th to finish with four straight pars.
Another qualifier for the finals at Headfort is former Kerry and Kildare Gaelic footballer, Karl O'Dwyer, a son of Laois manager Mick O'Dwyer, who prevailed at Waterville. Connacht Girls panel member, the 16-year-old Carmel O'Connor won out at Westport while nine-handicap Wade Robertson qualified at Castle Hume.
Due to return home to Australia in August, he may have to alter his plans to participate in the finals. The Red Bull Final 5 Golf Tournament for club golfers has been up and been running for the past two years. It's a format that captured the imagination as over 24,000 golfers in over 130 golf clubs throughout Ireland were in the qualifying rounds last year.
The process culminated in the All-Ireland finals staged at Heritage GC and Headfort GC last summer. The winner from each of these finals went on to represent Ireland last November in the World final at the fabulous TPC Sawgrass in Florida.
This year The Irish Times has teamed up with Red Bull to enhance the Final 5 tournament by bringing you regular updates and results on the club qualifiers.
There will be a separate men's and women's national finals in August at the Christy O'Connor-designed Glasson course, while Headfort is being used for a second year.
The number of qualifiers is being increased to five (three men and two women). Those lucky golfers will represent Ireland at the World final, which will be held at the magnificent Pinehurst Golf & Country Club, (November 15th-19th) the venue for the 2005 US Open Championship. The package will include flights, accommodation and three rounds of golf against representatives from other European countries and the USA. For further details log on to www.redbull.ie.
The Red Bull Final 5 concept is simple, rewarding the player with the best score (nett) over the final five holes of a round of golf. Statistically, the final five holes are where golfers of all standards tend to make errors due to fatigue in both body and mind.
Red Bull continues to support the game at grassroots and professional level in 2006. In recent years the company has given the cream of Irish junior talent and Irish professional golfers the opportunity to take part in the Red Bull Mastersclass with Butch Harmon and his brothers.
The Red Bull Final 5 will again be played on the Challenge and European Tours and the Red Bull mobile physio unit will be visible at all European Tour events in 2006.
