Brian Cahill - In Focus

Brian Cahill of Lakeside won the All Ireland & Munster Junior Strokeplay titles and also the Tipperary Intermediate Matchplay to his growing list of honours in 2009. A quiet, unassuming young man, I take a look at what makes this player grow from strength to strength in such a short space of time.

1.Hi Brian, you seemed to have really seemed to improve in recent years, what drove you to become involved with the game.
I was always interested in golf from a young age and pitch and putt was the easiest thing to start off with as you only needed two clubs and I got hooked on the game very easily from there.

2.Is it fair to say that you played very little competition when you first started playing? Who or what influenced you to become involved in competitions at Lakeside?
I started playing when I was 15 but found it very hard to get into the course from where I live so didn’t get in often. It was only when I got myself a car and I got in 2 or 3 times a week that my game improved. From there I decided to take it seriously and play competitions.

3.Winning the Munster Strokeplay in Bruff was obviously a great achievement, how did you prepare for that tournament?
I didn’t know anything about the course so when I qualified for the event I made sure I familiarised myself with the course. I went down four or five times before the event to get practise in so I wouldn’t be nervous on the day and I’m glad to say it worked out well.

4.I had the pleasure of watching you win your All Ireland Title in Tralee last July. What was frame of mind entering that competition, when so many people had you as one of the favourites to win?
I was very relaxed going into Tralee. I didn’t pay much attention to people saying I was one of the favourites. I once again familiarised myself with the course and it’s surroundings to ensure I was properly prepared. I made the long trip down to the course 4 times before the event with the brother to get to know it.

5.You were leader entering the Final 18 of the All Ireland. This must have brought new pressures to you. How did you manage to deal with your nerves as you began that crucial round?
To be honest I was really nervous starting the final round, which led to an early 3 putt when I was thinking birdie, that gave me the shock I needed to calm down and I played solid after that.

6.You then went on to win the Tipperary Intermediate Matchplay at Lakeside shortly after your All Ireland Title. This obviously showed that you could compete at that level. Was this a very important factor to win in this grade and show progression through the grades?
I think it was as it gave me the belief that I can also challenge in this grade and not only the Junior grade. I think it gave me me great confidence for 2010 at this level and I am really looking forward to this season.

7.What do you think of the re-introducing the Provincial Matchplay for Inter & Juniors?
I think it is a brilliant idea as most of us at the inter and junior grades love matchplay but don’t get to play it often enough where we can compete. I just hope everyone else agrees and enters to make sure these stay for good beyond the three year trial

8.You have received many awards from various organisations since your great achievements. Is there any award that stands out for you?
There is the award I received from my fellow members from Lakeside in recognition of my achievements for 2009, which was a great honour as the members of the club have helped me so much to improve my game. To win what I have in the past year was fantastic and I like to thank the members for presenting me with it and for all their help and advice over the years.

9.In your opinion, what do Clubs need to do to attract new members to the game?
I honestly think having a wide variety of competitions in your club where everyone has a chance of winning a competition or a prize can encourage people to join. It is important that new members stick at it, enabling them to improve their game and enjoying themselves more. I also think having teaching days once a month so people who want to learn are able to and it would be of great benefits to the clubs also.

10.Can you see yourself ever getting involved in the Administration side of the game with Lakeside?
At the moment NO but I’m always a person who comes up with ideas so maybe in the future.

11.I recently heard that you entered the Irish Open. How important is it to you that you qualify for this event and possibly play against the best players in the world?
This is really important to me as I am learning the whole time. I am anxious to improve my game and there is nothing better than to try and qualify for the Irish open where all the best players in the world will be so I can compete with them and learn from them to improve my game.

12.I am of the opinion that you could become a great player with more experience. Have you certain goals in 2010 that you would like to share?
My main goals are to qualify for all the Major Competitions I enter and after that anything would be a bonus.

13.Does playing for Tipperary at the Inter County Championships something you see coming your way over the next couple of years?
It does in time, hopefully I can represent Tipperary as it would be a great honour for me.

14.You also had a great year at Lakeside last year at local level. Do you think competitive practice enables your game to become stronger than normal practice?
Without a doubt there is nothing like having a card in your pocket to focus you to play well. My game improved more in the last year since I started playing competitions at Lakeside every week than in the previous 10 years combined is a good example of that.

15.You will be hoping to add the All Ireland & Munster Intermediate Titles to your long list of honours this year. What is your experience if any of both Ryston and Riverdale?
Ryston, I played in the Scramble last year got to grips with it very easily, I really liked the fast greens and as for Riverdale I play there quite a bit as I work in Nenagh so know it very well.

Brian, once again thanks very much for your assistance in this interview. I wish you all the very best in 2010 both on and off the course and I sincerely hope you are in the winners enclosure once more.

(with Paul O’Brien)