McGrane looking forward to the next challenge

THE USPGA Championship winner Padraig Harrington had to survive some vicious weather conditions outside Detroit and throughout last week there were fears that similar forces might prey on the professional and amateur golfers that flocked to Navan Golf Club on Friday for the annual Irish PGA Pro-Am worth €12,000, but thankfully the rain stayed away. While Irish European Tour winners Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke and British Open and USPGA champion Harrington were negotiating their way through the bunkered minefield fairways of Oakland Hills, another Irish European Tour winner, Damien McGrane returned from a three-week break to support the Irish PGA and the local Navan golf club at their Pro-Am, which was sponsored by Navan Town Centre. China Open winner McGrane, from Kells, has taken a break from competitive golf since narrowly missing out on being involved during the final two days of the British Open at Royal Birkdale, but he returned to action on Friday where he was warmly greeted by the brave souls who risked the expected heavy showers that never materialised. Many of the spectators at Navan must have thought about legendary golfer Lee Trevino"s advice on how to deal with threatening thunder showers. Trevino once advised that it would be wiser to abandon an umbrella and hold a one iron over your head in a thunder storm, because 'even God can"t hit a one iron.' The prospect of rain didn"t dampen McGrane"s enthusiasm and he was eagerly looking forward to returning to the fairways, with Navan the first port of call on his voyage back to the winners circle. 'Occasions like this Pro-Am present an opportunity to serve the Irish tour and I always try to support it, that is why I am playing in Navan today,' he commented. 'It"s a local course and it"s a bonus as well because I can spend more time at home, I only get to play local Irish PGA events four times a year and this one is only up the road, so it is great,' said McGrane. 'I played in this Navan Pro-Am last year and it is very good. It is nice for the people of the area and the county to play with a professional golfer in a Pro-Am and I enjoy participating in that type of event. 'The course is very good. Last year it was in great condition and we got beautiful weather. 'The course has exactly what it takes to be a good golf course. Considering it is restricted by the racecourse it definitely provides a good test. I enjoyed my game on the course last year and I played reasonably well, so hopefully I can play well again today.' McGrane enjoyed his maiden tour victory last April in Beijing when he won the Volvo China Open with a 10 under par total. The Kells man was threatening that result for a long time and his second place finish at the Indian Masters in Delhi was a precursor to better days ahead. However, those exceptional displays are in the past as far at the Meath Chronicle / Cusack Hotels Sports Personality-of-the-month for April is concerned. 'The China Open was just one week, every week is a fresh start and a new challenge so I have to keep going with every test. The China Open is ancient history now to be honest, I have to look forward to whatever is coming next,' said McGrane. 'In my own mind that win is well and truly in the past. I have to focus on what is forward and what is coming up next, it doesn"t help with perparations for the next tournament if I keep looking back at the past.' McGrane would dearly loved to have been involved in the USPGA last weekend as his first appearance at a major during the British Open left him hungry for more. 'The British Open was very good because I had a lot of friends and family over with me, it was a good experience. It was a pity to miss the cut by a shot, but that is golf and it is something I have to get on with,' he said. 'The weather wasn"t great and I got the tough side of the draw from that perspective so that was just the way it is and I had to get on with it. 'My ambition now is to win a second tournament. That is to the forefront of my mind at the moment, the more tournaments you can win the more you get to play in and I"d love to be playing in the big ones like the USPGA. 'I will probably play in another seven tournaments this year so I will have plenty of opportunities. I am after having a three-week break and that is good, so I am looking forward to getting back into it now. 'I play most of my golf in the winter months, so from now on I"m looking forward to finishing off my season on a bit of a high,' concluded the Kells man before continuing his preparations ahead of tee-off at the Navan Pro-Am which he went on to win.