FIPPA Newsletter - April 2008.
Welcome to this edition of the FIPPA Newsletter.
TRACEY MCGRATH - PPUI
LADIES CHAMPION AT HCP1
Pitch and Putt success came early to Tracey McGrath. Back in the late 1990s, she was twice Irish girls champion and holds the all-time scoring record for that Irish Strokeplay championship. As an adult player, she has won many tournaments and championships. She has represented Ireland internationally. Now after securing a Catalan Open success in HCAP1, she must be ready for the ultimate glory in Ireland, a first national individual ladies championship. How did the Co. Offaly
star view her success in Catalonia?
Q1. Congratulations on your win at the Catalan Open. How proud are you of this achievement?
Thanks John, I’m delighted with the win. It’s my first individual win on the international circuit. With the game being different from what we are used to playing in Ireland we have to adapt to playing with 3 clubs and manage longer shots and bigger greens so it was a challenge and I’m happy I did so well.
Q2. What were the key factors in your success?
Making as few mistakes as possible and keeping the 4’s, 5’s and 6’s off my card and enjoying the experience of it all!
Q3. A few words about your nearest rivals?
After the first 36 holes it was very tight. I was level par and one shot ahead of Catalan Pilar Montero on +1 and two ahead of anther Catalan Marilyn Holmes on +2. So the final round was played more like a matchplay game between the three of us. One bad hole and you could lose your lead very easily. But luckily enough I had a steady round and in the end made fewer mistakes than Pilar and Marilyn and won by four shots.
Tracey McGrath
Q4. Does international Pitch and Putt have a future?
I think so definitely. I’ve only realised over the past year and especially from our trip to Italy for the European Team Championships how popular our sport has become in Europe and even further afield. The level of popularity of the sport has been matched by the increased level of competitiveness of other countries. This is a major development that will improve even more in the future. It’s easy to see this by the increase in the number of International Opens this year. The opens will always be a huge attraction because it’s not only a chance to play a game you love but you get the chance to see a different part of the world at the same time. As a juvenile I never thought that I would be travelling to Italy or Spain to play pitch & putt! Maybe someday the game will become professional!!
Q5. Your comments about the Hcap 1 course and the Catalan Open experience generally?
I was really impressed with the course and loved the open experience, travelling to Catalonia seeing Barcelona again and playing. It was my first international open so I really didn’t know what to expect or what standard the courses in Catalonia would be like. But I have to say that they have great courses and facilities. We played a few other courses in the area on our trip and the there were a lot of terrific courses and shots. The HCP1 course was amazing from the landscape of the course to its greens. The Catalan Open overall was a great experience from the competition itself to meeting people and having a great laugh.
Q6. What memories will you take from your international appearances for Ireland?
Playing with the best players in Ireland and being lucky to have the honour to play alongside Ger Ward and the sadly missed Peggy Campbell, who was always an encouraging figure for everyone. It is a great honour to represent your country in any sport and I will never forget the experiences. Hopefully there will be a few more chances to represent Ireland again in the future! I will always remember the great times we had both on and off the course.
Q7. I don't think there is any doubt you will play for Ireland again. What else is there for you to achieve in Pitch and Putt?
I think that Pitch and Putt is a game that has an endless list of achievements to conquer! On a personal note, I hope to win a Irish National Strokeplay or Irish Matchplay title in the near future. Also, I hope to help our Offaly ladies inter-county team claim a medal at Leinster or National level.
Q8. Tell us a little about Tracey McGrath away from Pitch and Putt?
There isn’t much to tell! It is hard to get away from the game…when I’m not playing Pitch & Putt is always a topic of discussion at home. Our local course is only five minutes from our home in Clara so my family are very much involved in the game too. Dad is an avid senior player along with my brother who is heavily involved with club and county committees so there is always a lot of banter in the house. I’m involved on the county committee too as P.R.O. Away from Pitch & Putt I love all sports especially GAA, soccer and golf. I’m lucky to have a job that I enjoy also. I work with the GAA at GAA headquarters in Croke Park so I live and work in Dublin week days. I studied Sports Science & Health in Dublin City University for four years and I have just started a diploma in Legal Studies in Dublin Business School two evenings a week so I am kept busy and out of trouble in Dublin! Outside of sports and work I love the cinema or spending time with or going out with my friends and having a laugh!
Q9. Why don't more young women play Pitch and Putt? What do you enjoy about it?
I’m not sure. I suppose there are a lot of distractions and other sports that are more attractive to young women these days. Golf, I guess is a contributing factor. It’s a popular sport that gets ever increasing media coverage. So popularity of golf is always going to grow along with the number of golf courses in Ireland.
I played a little golf when I was younger but I just didn’t have the time to play as much as I would have liked. I think this is the main thing I like about Pitch & Putt. You can play a round in 40 minutes or you can spend as much time as you like playing the game in a day. It’s an inexpensive game that can be enjoyed by all and played from a recreational to a competitive level. I just love the travelling around to different parts of the country playing with my Dad and brother and meeting so many people and those I’ve known for years. To sum it up Pitch & Putt is a community of both players and friends!
Q10. Will you play more international Pitch and Putt Opens?
If I can get the time off work I hope to play in a few more definitely!
(with John Manning)
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