Erin go birdie: Here are the 10 best Irish golfers in history, from Fred Daly to Rory McIroy
For the sixth time in the history of The Players Championship, there may be more green among the galleries than on the playing surface of the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass for the final round of the PGA Tour's marquee event.
Rory McIlroy hopes the luck of the Irish holds again.
The 2024 Players, the 50th in history, will be decided on St. Patrick's Day again, weather permitting, as it was in 2019 when McIlroy shot a closing 70 to win at 16-under-par 272 in the tournament's return to March after 12 years in May.
Four times before 2019, St. Patrick's Day fell during tournament week, in 1977 (the first round), 1978 (the second round), 1989 (the second round) and 1990 (the third round).
St. Patrick's Day is both a religious and cultural holiday that commemorates the date the foremost patron saint of Ireland is said to have died in 461 AD. It was made an official Christian feast day in the early 17th century, is celebrated in Ireland and Northern Ireland as a public holiday and celebrates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland through St. Patrick's missionary work.
According to the Columbia Encyclopedia, St. Patrick was born to a British family when it was ruled by Rome and was kidnapped when he was 16 years old by Irish raiders and forced to work as a shepherd in Ireland.
St. Patrick wrote that after six years he had a vision in which God told him to flee to the coast, where a boat would be waiting. It was, and after returning to England, he became a priest.
St. Patrick then returned to Ireland to spread the Gospel.
Since St. Patrick's Day traditionally has allowed Catholics to break Lent for one day, it has become, over the centuries, a day of celebration, with parades in most large cities in the United Kingdom and in the U.S.
But since the PGA Tour's Florida Swing has traditionally been held in March, St. Patrick's Day also can mean some golf to go with the imbibing. And in honor of that Irish holiday, here are the top Irish golfers in history:
Rory McIlroy
Born: May 4, 1989 (Age 34)
Birthplace: Hollywood, Northern Ireland
His story: McIlroy isn't 35 years old yet but already is the best Irish player of all time. The record says it all: four major championships, the 2019 Players, three FedEx Cup titles, 24 PGA Tour victories, 17 DP World Tour titles, 38 victories worldwide and a total of 122 weeks as the world's No. 1-ranked player. The working-class kid from Hollywood still isn't done.
Padraig Harrington
Born: Aug. 31, 1971 (Age 52)
Birthplace: Dublin
His story: Harrington goes into the World Golf Hall of Fame in June to become the third Irishman to be enshrined. Harrington matches McIlroy's 38 worldwide victories (for now) and won the Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 (becoming the first from Ireland to win the Open in 60 years) and the PGA in 2008. He won six PGA Tour titles and 15 on the DP World Tour and is also among the most affable professional golfers in the world.
Darren Clarke
Born: Aug. 14, 1968 (Age 55)
Birthplace: Dungannon, Northern Ireland
His story: Clarke achieved worldwide notoriety when he beat Tiger Woods 4 and 3 to win the 2000 WGC Match Play Championship. Clarke went on to win the Open Championship in 2011 at Royal St. George's and has 27 professional victories. He played on five Ryder Cup teams, with Europe winning four, and was the captain in 2016. He has won four times on the PGA Tour Champions and in 2022 became only the fourth player to win the Open Championship and the Senior Open.
Joe Carr
Life: Feb. 2, 1922-June 3, 2004
Birthplace: Dublin
His story: Carr was the first Irish player inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, based on a spectacular amateur career. Carr won 42 amateur events, including three British Amateurs, played on 11 Walker Cup teams and was the first Irish player to be invited to the Masters, in 1967, where he made the cut and finished 55th.
Christy O'Connor Sr.
Life: Dec. 21, 1924-May 14, 2016
Birthplace: Knocknaccara, Ireland
His story: O'Connor learned the game as a caddie in his hometown and went to capture 64 professional titles (43 on the DP World Tour) and join Carr in the Hall of Fame in 2009. O'Connor played in 26 Open championships but never played in a major in the U.S. He declined 20 invitations to play in The Masters. His nephew, Christy O'Connor Jr., won 16 tournaments and two Senior British Opens.
Fred Daly
Life: Oct. 11, 1911-Nov. 18, 1990
Birthplace: Portrush, Northern Ireland
His story: Daly was the first professional from Northern Ireland to make it big, winning 28 tournaments. He was the first Irish player to win the Open Championship, topping Reg Horne and American amateur Frank Stranahan at Hoylake in 1947. The year before, he was the first Irish player to win the Irish Open.
Graeme McDowell
Born: July 30, 1979 (Age 44)
Birthplace: Portrush, Northern Ireland
His story: McDowell became the first player from Europe to win a U.S. Open since Tony Jacklin in 1970 when he captured the tournament at Pebble Beach in 2010. He won four PGA Tour titles and 11 on the DP World Tour before joining LIV Golf in 2022.
Shane Lowry
Born: April 2, 1987 (age 36)
Birthplace: Clara, Ireland.
His story: An Irishman won the Open in Ireland. Lowry shot a course-record 63 in the third round and went on to win at Royal Portrush in 2019 by a whopping six shots over Tommy Fleetwood. It was his sixth professional victory after winning the WGC Bridgestone Invitational in 2015, beating Bubba Watson by two shots. Lowry also held off Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm to win the 2022 BMW PGA Championship.
Des Smyth
Born: Feb. 12, 1953 (Age 71)
Birthplace: Drogheda, Ireland
His story: Smyth had a long and productive career in Europe. He is the only man to win DP World Tour events in four decades, and when he won his eighth event at the Madeira Island Open in 2001, he was the oldest to ever win on the Tour, at 48 years and 34 days old(Miguel Angel Jimenez broke that record 11 years later). Smyth has won twice on the PGA Tour Champions and has 23 professional victories.
Harry Bradshaw
Life: Oct. 9, 1913-Dec. 1990
Birthplace: Delgany, Ireland
His story: Bradshaw's father was a club professional and his three brothers all played, so Bradshaw's destiny was sealed. He won the Irish PGA 10 times, the Irish Open twice, captured five DP World Tour titles and played on three Ryder Cup teams.
Which Irish players were eligible for this year's Players?
McIlroy had problems with the Stadium Course early in his career, missing the cut in his first three starts. But he then had four top-10 finishes in seven years, capped by his 2019 victory. He's struggled since, missing the cut in 2021, tying for 33rd in 2022 and missing the cut last year.
Shane Lowry has been playing well at the Stadium Course in recent years and has tied for 35th, tied for 13th and tied for eight in his last three of eight career starts. He is best known so far for his hole-in-one at No. 17 in the second round on Saturday in 2022 after most players had difficulty keeping the ball in play on a cold, windy day.
Seamus Power is eligible and will be making his fourth start. His best finish was a tie for 33rd in 2022.
What other Irish pros made The Players field?
Harrington had the most success in The Players among natives of Ireland or Northern Ireland before McIlroy's victory. Harrington, from Dublin, Ireland, had 15 career starts at the Stadium Course and had back-to-back seconds in 2003 and 2004.
McDowell made 11 starts in The Players, with a top finish of a tie for ninth in 2016. He had the 54-hole lead by one shot in 2011 but shot 79 in the final round and dropped into a tied for 33rd.
Clarke had 10 starts in The Players, with one top 10, a tie for sixth in 2003.
David Feherty, a native of Bangor, Northern Ireland, would up walking more fairways at The Players with a microphone in his hand than a golf club. He had one career start in The Players, missing the cut in 1985 after rounds of 73-82. He later worked for NBC and was an on-course reporter at The Players from 2016-2021.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: From Fred Daly to Rory McIlroy, Irish golf champions have been a gutty lot
