Michelle McCarthy - In Focus

This week I speak to Michelle McCarthy from Hillview, the new leading lady in Tipperary Pitch & Putt. Michelle, in her first season in the Adult Ranks, won the Munster and All Ireland Ladies Intermediate Strokeplay Championships and also was a leading figure on the Tipperary Ladies Team that came 3rd in Cloghogue. A former Juvenile Star, winning Munster Strokeplay & Matchplay Titles and was the first All Ireland Girls Strokeplay from Tipperary when she won in 2007 at Seapoint. Clearly looking forward to the 2010, I posed a few questions to Michelle on her triumphs to date but also her goals for the future?

1.Hi Michelle, thank you for taking the time to agree to this interview. Can you tell me about what influenced you to get involved in the game?
When I was twelve I joined Hilview because all my friends were joined. I played all the sports up there so Pitch & Putt was just one in four. I never really took much interest in it until I won the Munster Strokeplay that summer in Lakeside. It was probably the easiest to keep going as I was playing a lot of golf at the time and I guess they go hand-in-hand.

2.You were fortunate enough to win very early in your Juvenile career, I remember you winning the Munster Girls Strokeplay in 2004 @ Lakeside. This win must have been the catalyst for your domination in Munster for the next 3 Years. Would you agree?
To be honest it really never sunk in that I had won a Munster that year. I had only been playing a couple of weeks and was so young that it could have been a club competition! I remember I was playing with Martha and neither of us had been playing long so it was more like a bit of fun than a prelude to of my future Pitch & Putt.

3.Obviously winning the All Ireland Girls Strokeplay at Seapoint was a magnificent achievement. Can you recall that famous win?
It was such a windy day, as could be expected in Seapoint. Unfortunately the girls got the worst of the wind in the morning, it’s funny now to think back because as it so happened I was late for my tee-time and was almost disqualified! My golf really helped playing in the wind as it is something I had learned to deal with playing on Links courses. It really was the highlight of being a Juvenile.

4.You then reached 16 in 2008 but for some reason you didn’t seem to play much at all that season, can you explain why or what prevented you from joining the Adult Ladies grade immediately?
I was considering giving up altogether. Most of my friends had outgrown the game and I was playing so much Golf that I really hadn’t much time. The only competition I played that year was the Mixed with James Cleary, which my mother set up!

5.Congratulations on your fine achievements last year in both the Munster and All Ireland Ladies Strokeplay. Winning these events has surely given you the belief that you now can play against the best senior ladies the game has to offer, would u agree?
Maybe not immediately but certainly I hope to reach that level in a couple of years. There is a huge jump up from the intermediate standard to senior ranks so I'm not expecting much from myself this year. But I do have big goals for the future.

6.You played flawless Pitch & Putt in Cloghogue last year to finish -1 under for your 36 holes. How did you find the experience? Did you think that possibly with a little luck, ye could have actually won the event itself?
It was an amazing experience; I went out first for the team so I was hoping to bring in a good score to encourage the others. I played with Siobhan Scannell, so to be honest I was very intimidated to be playing with such a great player. At the time we obviously played as well as we could, but looking back if we had gotten a few more lucky kicks I'm sure we could have won.

7.Yourself and Martha O’Brien of Lakeside have had a very good rivalry since your Juvenile Days and this has also proved to be the case now in the Adult Grade, do you think this helps ye both to play better?
There’s nothing like a bit of healthy rivalry! As Juveniles there weren’t many other girls playing so Martha and I naturally played each other a lot. There was never very much between us, so it meant we were always struggling for the upper hand. I’m sure we are both the better player for it.

8.I have heard you are also a very competent golfer. Do you think we might eventually lose your talents to Golf?
I don’t think so. A few years ago it did look a bit dodgy, but right now my preference is definitely pitch and putt. I’ve had to put the golf on hold this year until the leaving cert is over, but I’m still playing Pitch & Putt so it has become my priority sport.

9.May I ask what keeps you playing Pitch & Putt, when you are playing golf at a very high level?
Ha I think you over-estimate my skills as a golfer! I love golf but it was hard to keep motivated as I was the only girl golfer in South Tipperary. I always felt under pressure to play well as I was receiving Irish training, I love that I never feel under pressure when playing Pitch & Putt. Also a few people keep the game interesting for me!

10.The ladies game in Tipperary is now quite competitive; surely the emergence of the younger players has helped this. Would you prefer to see younger girls in particular playing and how would we attract them to the game?
Definitely, unfortunately at the moment girls Pitch & Putt is really struggling for numbers. When I was a Junior there were several girls playing in Hillview but I’m sorry to say that only one girl remains. I think that the coaching we received from our Junior Officer, Joe Hickey, kept a lot of us playing. Kids love structure so weekly competitions and coaching is definitely the way to go.

11.I understand you are sitting your Leaving Cert this year, with the All Ireland Matchplay on the weekend before the exams, have you given consideration as to whether or not you will enter the competition?
I’ve been thinking about that lately, I love Larkspur and usually play well there. I’ll probably be prepared for the leaving cert at that stage so the matchplay would be great way to relax before the exams! I'm always playing matchplay against James Cleary and the other senior men in the club so hopefully it will pay off!

12.You are playing very well at present and your scores in the Tipperary Spring League have reflected this. Can you tell me how you prepare your game in the build up to some of the Major Competitions?
Usually I play golf! If I'm ever having trouble with my swing I go and play a round of golf, any little glitches in the swing are magnified when you hit a driver so I find out what’s going wrong. Also putting seems so easy in pitch and putt compared to golf, it puts me in the mindset that if I get on the green it’s a birdie opportunity, which sometimes I forget.

13.The All Ireland Ladies Strokeplay is on in Cunnigar this year, a course where you have tasted success before in the Munster Girls Strokeplay. I personally give you an outstanding chance of doing well down there, am I right in saying that you will enter this competition and look forward to playing there again?
It has been marked in my calendar since I heard Cunnigar was hosting this year. I love the course but the competitors have changed a lot since I won there so I'm just going to enjoy the course. It will be the first major after my exams so I can’t wait to be free to practice and play every day!

14.Can Tipperary Ladies contend again in St Annes this year Michelle?
Of course we can. I am so proud to have the opportunity to play alongside established senior ladies such as Brid Cullinan and Breda Lonergan. Our team is going to have a great mix of both experience and youth which hopefully with blend well with the new foursome format.

15.I am of the opinion that you could become a great player in the ladies game. What are your own aspirations going forward?
I want to be the best Woman Pitch & Putt player in Ireland, as I’m sure do most Ladies! Also I’d love to represent my country in a few years. This coming summer is the first I haven’t planned around the golf season so I can’t wait to finally be able give my all to Pitch & Putt!

Michelle, thanks very much for your input to this interview. I want to wish you all the best in your exams and I know that with a little more dedication to Pitch & Putt you really can become one of the top players in Munster and in a few years in Ireland. I sincerely hope you continue your progression this year, Tipperary needs it and quite frankly Ladies Pitch & Putt need players of your generation competing at the very top. I have no doubt you will continue to excel in the competitions that you play in 2010.

(With Paul O’Brien)