by Derek Murray
On Monday 24th June 2013, I arrived at Carton House just before 8am, ahead the Irish Open 2013. I work out that this will be my 17th year attending the tournament. Back in 1996, I rocked up to Druids Glen in Co. Wicklow a fresh faced golf equipment nut soaking up the atmosphere at Irish golf’s greatest event.
The Irish Open starts for the equipment guys on the Monday or even Sunday before the tournament when the big manufacturer’s trucks roll in. In my case it actually started a whole week in advance with a call for help from my long-time friend and now full time Tour player Seamus Power.
Seamus had been poorly and incorrectly fitted by a technician with his equipment sponsor Ping in the USA and his driver and irons were in serious need of a review. He had lost a whopping 28 yards off the tee and his ill fitted driver was spinning way above optimum and his ball flight just looked dead in the air. We spent a few hours working out the problem, crunching the data and coming up with a plan of action for when the Ping tour truck would arrive at Carton House. I meet Seamus and his friend (and caddy for the day) Travis and we hit the course early for some on course club testing. The weather was glorious and I spend the time with Seamus discussing his ball flight and talking through what he wanted the driver to do and I worked out a plan to rebuild the club before Thursdays play. It was a risky move but as I saw it vital in order for Seamus to make the cut, give himself a chance and especially if the forecast was right and the wind was coming.
I walked the full 18 holes with Seamus on Monday and Tuesday, all the time looking at the course up close and making notes on what I needed to do to the clubs to allow Seamus to get the best put of them. The course at Carton House was in stunning condition and with the tricky bunker placement the consistency of the driver is high on the wish list.
My brand independence is what the players like about me and I get asked for quite a bit of input from them during my time at the tournament. It never ceases to amaze me the number of players who are full time tour competitors and are playing week in and week out with equipment that is not suitable for them and their unique swing styles. Many players sign complex agreements and contracts forcing them to play with brands and club designs that simply don’t match them or their ball flight. Many also hand over huge responsibilities to club technicians who don’t really want to know what makes them tick and therefore never fully understand the complex intricacies of how to create a club that is truly matched or linked to the player.
I manage to grab a few holes with Gareth Shaw another client of ForeGolf and catch a few shots with John Kelly, Gavin Moynahan and Shane Lowry. All the time watching and learning, seeing the players on the course is so important as I get to see the equipment in real time, this is where I can see if my shaft and build ideas can hold up under the pressure of tournament play.
I meet with the Ping guys on Tuesday and they agree that they need to sort out the driver so a quick look on Trackman and a new Aldila Phenom NL Tour X shaft is fitted. The spin rate drops 2,000 rpm and Seamus is very pleased. Job done.
The range is a bit of a zoo on Wednesday afternoon and I just double check Seamus’ new driver on the range and it’s a good opportunity to catch up with guys I don’t see regularly. Mark Murphy and Cian McNamara are always in good spirits and I even manage to catch a handshake and a Hi from Rory himself while he hits a few practice shots. I forget how long I’ve been working out on Tour and players like Robert Van Djerksen and Patrik Sjoland remind me of how long it’s been, I’m starting to feel old. I stand and chat to Michael Campbell on the putting green and grab a new belt from Hurdy from Druh Belts while he has the full tour collection at the side of the putting green.
There are eight club trucks out on tour so I spend Wednesday, Pro- Am Day dropping into them all to say hello and touch base with all the guys who travel with the tour every week. It’s a great time for me to see what’s new, catch up with the some great minds and as an independent stay in touch with each and every brand. The tour is where new club and shaft designs usually start so I get to see some prototype products on test for next season and this helps me stay ahead of the trade so I can make better decisions for my players as I know what’s coming from all the different brands. Nike launched a brand new rig this week and a quick tour around the inside is a treat not to be missed.
Stopping by my old haunt the Cleveland Srixon truck to see master club maker Loïc Monchallin putting his now famous stamp of some wedges is always a great education in the art of wedge design and grinding. He churns out over 100 wedges in those 3 days and each one a complete and perfect work of art, these players are spoilt. From GMAC to McGovern and back again the orders are lined up like soldiers on parade in the truck all waiting for collection. Special sole grinds to suit the course and players style and custom stamping make each wedge very unique and special to each player. Once Thursday comes around and all the players are happy (hopefully) the job of the club technician is all done and the trucks pack up and pull out on the long run to the next tournament on the calendar.
So out of the 10 players that played in this year’s Irish Open ForeGolf have worked with 2 who finish in the top 5 who earned €62,000 each and for the week we helped our players generate a total of €128,740 in winnings. Testament indeed that the last 17 years have definitely been worth it and there is justifiably a place for an independent equipment advisor out on Tour.
With a very worthy winner in Paul Casey it’s all over for another year and I’m already looking forward to number 18
Tags: Cleveland Srixon Golf Tour Truck Mark Murphy Seamus Power Shane Lowry The Irish Open
