Ashbourne teen hoping to make the PGA Tour

GOLF

Teenage golf sensation, Mark Muldoon has a bright future ahead of him, writes Tom Gannon.

The Ashbourne native is already competing on the national and international stage and hopes to one day make it to the PGA tour.

He is currently a plus two handicap, which means every time Mark goes out on the course, he is generally expected to shoot in or around two under par. That is some going for a 16-year-old.

Mark's love of the game began at a very young age. He was barely able to walk when he started to swing a golf club. A couple of years later, Mark and his family attended the Irish Open and at that stage, he was already keen to make a name for himself.

"When I was two, I got plastic clubs for Christmas and absolutely loved them. I brought them everywhere I went. I then got a putter and a seven iron. We went to an Irish Open when I was four. I brought the clubs along and managed to sneak onto one of the tee boxes with a ball and take a shot. It got a bit of coverage in the media at the time," recalled the Ashbourne teenager.

Mark has been a member of Ashbourne Golf Club for 10 years now. As with everyone who starts golf at a young age, the frustrating aspect of the game took some time to get used to.

"I joined Ashbourne Golf Club when I was six and just loved it. I used to get out as much as possible but sometimes you wouldn't last very long. I was really young and once I hit one bad shot, that was it, I'd had enough for the day."

A big influence on Mark's budding golf career has been the support of his parents. On the course, Mark's dad has been crucial to his development and his love of golf, while his mother has sacrificed endless hours bringing him to and from events up and down the country.

"I played a lot with my Dad when I was younger. He kept me going. He isn't the biggest golfer in the world but he played it to play with me really. My mom is also a member here in Ashbourne. She is brilliant and she brought me to a lot of the events this year."

The Covid lockdown was a challenging time for the young aspiring golfer, but it didn't stop Mark from getting out onto the green in his estate to try to perfect his short game.

"When lockdown came I had to adjust. I put a bucket down on the green in my estate and I used to try and hit the ball into it from about 60 yards. When things opened up again my short game was so good."

2024 was a big year for Mark as he realised his potential and his ability to compete with the best in his age group. He had a very busy schedule and while some results didn't go his way, he was happy with the way he played in a lot of the big events that he competed in.

"I've been golfing in regular GUI National competitions for a few years now but this year is the first year that I've realised that I'm now playing at a level where I am good enough to compete with everyone."

Competing out of his age group at the renowned Ballybunion, Mark performed exceptionally well at this year's Irish u-18s. He also had some good results in the Munster u-16s and across the water in Scotland.

"I was pleased with how I performed at the Irish u-18s at Ballybunion. I came 15th in that but I played really well. It's obviously an unbelievable course as well so that was nice," said MArk.

"There were a few events that I struggled with. At the Irish Boys u-16, I came 11th but I was disappointed with that because I had a tough last day. I came fourth at the Munster u-16s so I was really happy with that. That was at Shannon, it's a nice course and you have planes flying over your head.

"I went to the Scottish and English u-16s as well and finished fourth in the Scottish one which was a great result. "

At one stage, Mark looked like he might have success in another sport. The young athlete was a very good soccer goalkeeper and competed at quite a high level. However, an injury in 2022 was a big factor in Mark turning his attention fully to golf.

"I was playing a lot of soccer at one point. I was playing for St Kevin's and I had a few trials with a few League of Ireland clubs. I broke my forearm in a training match for Kevin's," he said.

"I was a keeper and I was backpedaling to my goal, my foot got stuck and I fell back on my wrist. I had a bit of time then to consider what to do. The golf season started in April and at that stage, I had decided to focus on golf. I still play a bit of GAA but from April to September, I am fully focused on golf."

The teenager has big plans for the future and he hopes to follow in the path of elite golfers from Ireland who have made it to the pinnacle of the sport - the PGA Tour. There is a lot of golf to be played yet before that dream becomes a reality but Mark has a clear pathway in his head about how he is going to get there.

"I plan to get a D1 college scholarship to the States. My long-term aspiration is obviously to go pro and play on the PGA tour," said Mark.

"Once you finish junior golf, you need to try and aim at the States and see where that takes you. It's where everyone is going now. The pathway is, to golf in college, go to Q school afterward and try and qualify for the tour. I've some time before I have to worry about all that but it won't be long coming around."

Mark is currently in his fourth year at Ashbourne Community School. The nature of transition year allows him to work and perfect some of the aspects of his golf game before he puts his head down and prepares for his Leaving Cert exams.

"This year I'm working on a few changes in my swing. I'm in transition year so I have time to change things. I want to get my swing to a good spot before I reach fifth year.

"I'll have to balance my studies and golf at that stage because grades are very important if I'm going to have a chance of getting into a D1 college in America. They don't take lads with poor grades. It'll be about getting that balance right," concluded the Ashbourne teenager who seems destined for the very top.