He’s no Butch Harmon – but mild mannered Brendan McDaid is fast becoming Ireland’s Dr Golf.

Over the past few seasons, tour players and ordinary hackers have been coming to this 41-year-old guru in droves as they search for that healing touch.

And they’ve found it.

Professionals such as Dublin’s Peter Lawrie and Kilkenny’s Gary Murphy have made the pilgrimage to his HQ - the Brendan McDaid Golf Academy at Rathsallagh House - over the past few seasons.

And it has paid off for both of them in a big way this year as they clinched their cards for the millionaire European Tour for 2003.

Lawrie leapt from 79th to fourth on the Challenge Tour in the space of two years and had already secured his promotion to the main tour before he won the end of season Challenge Tour Grand Final.

And Murphy regained so much of his old confidence under McDaid that he won back his tour card with ease at the qualifying school in October.

But just what is the secret behind the success of this quiet man from Skibbereen?

State of the art video training technology, including the ASTAR golf computer, is a big help.

The pros say that McDaid’s biggest asset is that not only does he gives them confidence in their own ability but he can demonstrate exactly what he is trying to teach.

A talented player himself, McDaid showed his class when he tied for seventh with Des Smyth at April’s Smurfit Irish Professional Championship in Westport.

Explained Lawrie: “Brendan is a very good player in his own right. He allows you to work with what you already have but the difference between Brendan and other coaches is that he can show you what he wants you to do.

“Where other well-known coaches struggle to explain what they mean, Brendan can simply hit the shots.”

McDaid had the talent to become a tour player himself but his love of teaching has led him to become addicted to the “buzz” of seeing others do well.

He said: “I love helping people and as someone once said, coaching good players is the next best thing to winning. If you coach someone who wins or gets a tour card that’s wonderful.

“But I get as much of a buzz out of helping the high handicappers improve as I do out of helping Peter Lawrie and Gary Murphy.

“Players on the Challenge Tour will tell you that Peter went from being one of the poorest drivers on the tour to being one of the best this year. His swing plane was way out so we fixed that

“But he has a very good short game so as he improved the number of fairways he could hit he also improve the numbers of greens. Add in his short game and that was it.

“Gary was the opposite and his swing plane was a little over the top but I had very little to do with him really. His pitching was poor for the level he wanted to play to so we helped with that a little.”

Born in Letterkenny in Donegal, McDaid began his romance with golf when the family moved to Skibbereen in the 60s.

Thanks to his father, he joined the local club went on to become a champion at boys and youths level, beating teen sensation Ronan Rafferty several times on his way to a string of titles.

He explained: “At 16 I was Irish Youths champion. At 17 I won the Munster Boys and beat Ronan Rafferty in the final on the 20th in Killarney. At 18 and 19 I won the Munster Youths and I played for Britain and Ireland at Boys level and was a member of the first Irish team that won the European Youths championship.

“I suppose that if I knew 20 years ago what I know now then I’d be out there with these guys on tour – I really believe I would.

“If you get a break at the right time you can go from strength to strength. Gary and Peter have played well this year. But you need a little bit of luck too.”

McDaid never had enough luck when it came to tour school time and he failed to win his card by three shots in 1983 and again in 1989.

“If I had gone a week later that first time I would have made it. The first week all the Walker Cup players went through,” he recalled. “If I had shot the same score the following week I would have qualified easily.

“But I’ve no regrets. I’ve been teaching since I turned pro in 1985 and I’ve been a teaching professional in lots of different places from Frankfield in Cork, to Paris, Portlaoise, Lee Valley, Harbour Point and now here at Rathsallagh.

“I’ve been here three and half years now and they’ve been the happiest days. I love Rathsallagh – it’s a magnificent place with wonderful views.”

But while the Butch Harmons, David Leadbetters and Bob Torrances of the world watch their pupils battle for major titles, McDaid is happy to see ordinary players shave a couple of shots off their handicaps.

“That’s the really enjoyable part for me. Helping somebody enjoy his or her game a little more,” he said.

“I’ve got top players like Suzie O’Brien, Paddy Gribben, Ciaran McMonagle, Raymie Burns and amateurs Colm Moriarty and Justin Kehoe but the ordinary high handicapper is my bread and butter.”

Hundreds of them will be out on the driving ranges over Christmas, thrashing thousands of balls in every direction with the new drivers that Santa Claus has brought them for Christmas.

But McDaid has just one tip for the New Year - leave the big stick in the boot of your car..

He said: “When you go to the driving range every one is out with their woods – but they are only grooving errors. Slicing drivers. And if you groove a slice you will see a slice all the time. So get out the short irons and practice those if you are a high handicapper.

“Practising carelessly is the worst thing you can do – hitting driers for the sake of hitting them. We all get a buzz out of hitting one over the fence but it’s not going to make you a better golfer.”

Judging by the results his pupils have had this season, it might be worth a try.

(Shorts)

(Seve)

Spanish legend Seve Ballesteros will be back in Ireland in 2003.

On his last appearance here, the five time Major winner was disqualified from the Murphys Irish Open at Fota Island for signing for an incorrect score.

The Spanish maestro, 45, hit four balls into the water at the 18th and then signed for an 87 instead of an 89.

But the Nissan Irish Open is sure to attract the man back to Portmarnock, scene of his third and last Irish Open win in 1986.

His manager Baldomero Ballesteros told SunSport: “There is an excellent chance that Seve will be back to play in Ireland next year.”

(Clarke)
Darren Clarke will make a second visit to the Qatar Masters next season, and help a Junior Golf project in the Gulf State.
The Dungannon giant will give a clinic for youngsters at the Qatar Masters from March 13-16.

(Mac)
Graeme McDowell has saved manager Chubby Chandler from his worst year ever.

The Ulster rookie is the only rising star in the ISM stable after a disastrous campaign by big names Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood and Paul McGinley.

Irish duo Clarke and Paul McGinley are two of the season’s biggest losers according to the Official World Golf Rankings.

Clarke slumped 12 places in the ranking form ninth to 22nd while McGinley has fallen to 102nd from a high of 35th in 2001.

It was even worse for Westwood as he plummeted from 28th to 183rd.

But McDowell’s win in the Volvo Scandinavian Masters in August marked him out as a future banker for Chandler.

(Report)

The penny has finally dropped with the PGA - golf is no longer a game for the old codgers.

Tiger Woods has attracted millions of new fans to the fairways - most of them under the age of 44.

According to research there are currently 1.34 million golf club members in the UK and Ireland but over FIVE MILLION who regularly play on a ‘pay and play’ basis.

PGA chief executive Sandy Jones said: “The ‘Tiger’ effect has significantly increased awareness and has helped to raise the profile of the game.

“There are more than 3,000 golf clubs in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It was certainly surprising to discover that the number of regular non-club players is four times higher than the total number of golf club members.”

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© Brian Keogh 2002

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