You are viewing: October 2007

Shoe Count: Ginn sur Mer Classic at Tesoro

FootJoy- 70%
Nearest Competitor- 15%

2007 Year to Date Total- 68.2%

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Shoe Count: Frys Electronics Open

FootJoy- 71%
Nearest Competitor- 14%

2007 Year to Date Total- 68.2%

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McNeill Wins Frys.com Open

FootJoy ambassador George McNeill closed with a final round 67 (-5) to claim his first career PGA Tour victory at the Frys.com Open. McNeill, who was working in a pro shop last year before winning the Tour's Qualifying Tournament to earn his card, finished with a 264 (-23) total for a four shot victory over his nearest competitor.

George wore a pair of charcoal croc print Classics Tour golf shoes (style # 51290) for his maiden win.

FootJoy was the overwhelming golf shoe of choice at the Frys.com Open with 76% players lacing up the #1 Shoe in Golf. FootJoy gloves also grabbed a hold of the top spot in Vegas with 42%.

The win was the 19th for FootJoy shoe wearers on the 2007 PGA Tour.

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Classics Tour golf shoes

O'Tooles of the Trade- Last rounds and a look back

The last couple of rounds here in Ireland were definitely a fine way to finish off such a great adventure. We made our way across the Shannon River on the Tarbert-Kilmer ferry and arrived into Doonbeg on a crisp, sunny morning. Aside from the world class facilities at Doonbeg, what I find most appealing is the sense of welcome you get from all the staff at the club and lodge. Many clubs with the reputation and the stature of Doonbeg do their best to make you feel like they are doing you a favor by allowing you on the grounds…..not here.

After hitting a few balls on the range our caddies were waiting for us on the first tee. The opening hole at Doonbeg is one that just seems to get better every time I play here. When the sun is shining in the morning and splashes across the first fairway, you are awarded with a view from the tee that is unparalleled. Our match came down to the last hole but I decided to play most of it in the first fairway rather than the 18th. That being said, we lost the match and toasted the round with a nice lunch on the deck outside the clubhouse pub.

We spent the next few hours in the pubs having more than few pints thinking our golf for the day was over. That would turn out to not be the case. A couple of my buddies had gone back out on the course in a buggie to get some additional pictures. When they got back to the pub, they were followed by a group of 5 young boys between 8-12 years old. Apparently, they had challenged my buddies to a match for 50 euros and seemingly wouldn’t take no for an answer. We negotiated a 1 hole match playing from the tips for 50 euro; best score from each group wins.

We went back out got out clubs and congregated on the first tee where most of the folks from the pub came out to watch us tee off. Needless to say there was quite a wide variety of tee shots among the group including mine which went a good 70 yards. As we made our way down to the fairway, the boys had us rolling as they were giving us the needle from tee to green. They certainly weren’t afraid to talk a good game and they had been blessed with the gift of gab. They also had creative ways of finding their balls in the rough. (Most would drop out of their pocket). Lucky for us we won the hole and instead of trying to claim $50 I decided to give them each two sleeves of Pro V1’s which they gobbled up and ran off with. Good fun!!!

The next morning we rode up the coast to Lahinch for my final round of my trip. The weather was overcast, drizzly, and windy which was fitting I thought after the wonderful weather I had for my trip. Lahinch has that small club feel with a modest clubhouse and pro shop and the starter always welcomes you with a smile. My group finds Lahinch to their liking even though most of us spend a lot of time in the weeds rather than the fairway. During our trip we had played a match each day in teams of 2, each day rotating partners. Unfortunately, one of the members of our group who shall remain nameless had gone 0-8 in our first 8 matches. Lahinch was his last round for redemption and wouldn’t you know it came down to the 18th hole. His team was down 1 heading into 18 and he had an 8 foot par putt to win the hole and halve the match. Low and behold, the putt dropped and he was off the schnied.

We spent our last night in the town of Doolin, north of Lahinch. It has been my tradition to always spend my last night in Ireland in this wonderful little town. Known for its world class traditional music, the pubs in this town are always buzzing and full of people from all over the world. Doolin treats us well and we take in a fantastic music session at McGann’s pub and close the night across the street at McDermott’s. A fitting end to a fantastic trip.

Looking back, it’s hard to believe this trip has come to an end. I feel truly blessed as I am one the fortunate few who was able to live out one of their dreams. First, I want to thank FootJoy for taking a chance on a complete unknown. Being able to partner with such a great brand in the golf market allowed me to make this dream a reality. Secondly, I wanted to thank North and West Coast Links, Discover Ireland, and Fairways to Heaven Golf for all of their support as well. Lastly, I wanted to thank my very understanding wife. I still am not sure how exactly I got her to agree to this adventure but from the very beginning she has been my biggest supporter and I know I am truly blessed to have her by my side.

Thank you all for keeping up with my adventures over the summer. If any of you have any questions about my trip or golfing in Ireland in general feel free to contact me at irish-golfer[at]hotmail.com. I hope you all found it an interesting read and I can’t urge you enough if you have a passion for golf, make a pilgrimage to Ireland. It is a magical place that will leave you with memories to last a lifetime. Hit em’ straight!

-Mike

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Shoe Count: Frys.com Open

FootJoy- 76%
Nearest Competitor- 10%

2007 Year to Date Total- 68.4%

Shoe Count: Valero Texas Open

FootJoy- 73%
Nearest Competitor- 14%

2007 Year to Date Total- 68.0%

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