Play
Ruaidhri McGee back in the swing of professional golf and hopes his hot form leads to DP World Tour spot
Ruaidhri McGee is pleased with his standard of displays as he tries to secure a place on the DP World Tour
Getty Images
Derry’s Ruaidhri McGee is happy and hungry heading into this week’s Irish Challenge after returning to the professional sphere with a bang this year.
The 31-year-old only played one event between September 2019 and June 2022, instead choosing to ride out the Covid-19 pandemic in Florida with wife Madeline, with his only forays back into full-time golf being a trip home for the NI Open in 2020 and then an attempt to qualify for the Korn Ferry Tour in the USA.
But McGee is back into full-time life on the Challenge Tour having made his return at the Empordà Challenge in June and has settled back in like he was never away, finishing in the top-25 in four of his five events.
The best result of all was finishing as runner-up at the Open de Bretagne, just one shot behind winner Alfie Plant, and his performances have left him in 27th on the Road to Mallorca needing to break into the top-20 to earn playing rights on the DP World Tour for next season.
And as he prepares to tee it up at The K Club today at the Irish Challenge, McGee is keen to translate those displays into a promotion.
“I feel like the season has gone well. I’ve been hard on myself to try and get the win but I’ve only played five events, so to be where I am, I’m pretty happy,” he says.
“With such a long break, I’m really happy with where my game is, so hopefully I can keep moving onwards and upwards.
“Hopefully I can finish in the top-20 and get onto the DP World Tour and take it from there.”
Ballymena’s Dermot McElroy, Galgorm’s Tom McKibbin and Malone amateur Matthew McClean are also in action at The K Club this week.
Most Read
- Larne businessman Tom Topping dies after suspected farm accident
- ‘I was in the UDA…I got sickened with them to be honest’: Previously unheard voices of loyalist women in new book
- Former Co Down fireman sentenced for possessing an ‘insane’ number of indecent images of children
- Belfast city centre gift shop Utopia to close
- Big Read: Cecilia Daly on her career journey, getting married and why forecasting the weather comes with responsibilities
Top Videos
Play
Play
Play
Latest Golf
- Judge rules against group of LIV players seeking to play in FedEx Cup play-offs
- I had to learn how to love golf again: Olivia Mehaffey
- Cameron Smith refuses to be drawn on LIV Golf reports
- Dermot McElroy in high spirits as World Invitational awaits
- Leona Maguire determined to push on after staying in mix at Women’s Open, as Stephanie Meadow misses cut
Latest
- Northern Ireland workers at Spirit AeroSystems set to strike over pay from Monday
- Dating as a single parent: ‘You’ve got to be pretty resilient’
- Mark Hall murder: Man (56) arrested as part of west Belfast investigation
- Woman who punched and spat at police officers during Belfast Twelfth parade is jailed
- Dermot Kennedy to play ‘super intimate’ show in Belfast in September