McGrane scoops the top award

Tina Turner's 'Simply the Best' was blasted out seconds after Damien McGrane was announced as the winner of the Meath Chronicle/Cusack Homes 2010 Sportsperson-of-the-Year award at the Knightsbrook Hotel on Friday night. It was appropriate anthem for one of Meath's best-known sportsmen who now has another trophy to add to his already considerable collection. His latest award was won almost three years after he achieved the best result of his career to-date. Back in April 2008 McGrane finished top of the leaderboard at the Volvo China Open, his first and so far only win on the European Tour circuit yet the Kells golfer can also look back on a very fruitful 2010. Last October he went very close to notching up another victory on the Tour when he finished second to Graeme McDowell at the Andalucia Masters at Valderrama earning €223,710 for his efforts. It represented one of his biggest pay days since he first started out on the European Tour in 2004. Losing to McDowell was no shame as the in-form Ulsterman had a remarkable year culminating in the high-pressure, memorable putt at the 16th hole in Druid's Glen that secured the Ryder Cup for Europe. However, it was McGrane's achievements on the fairways and greens over the past 12 months that garnered him the type of support to win the Meath Chronicle/Cusack Hotels accolade. While he had his share of disappointments in 2010 starting competitions in sizzling form before slipping back down the field, he also had his good days. He produced a measured, consistent display at the UBS Hong Kong Open in November clocking up good scores over the four days. He finished with a round of 63 for a share of 11th place and a cheque of €30,295. Throughout 2010 McGrane secured six top 10 finishes, no mean feat in the ultra-competitive world of professional golf, when fractions can make the differance between success and failure. It was that type of form that helped him finish the year 119th in the world rankings with a total earnings of €782,719. When Mícheál †Muircheartaigh opened the envelope to reveal who the overall winner was on Friday night there was real sense of suspense and anticipation among the 300 guests. And when his name was called out members of McGrane's family, who were present, showed their genuine delight. It was left to his uncle Gerry McGrane to make the long trek up to the stage to receive the trophy from †Muircheartaigh. The recently retired RTE commentator whose own broadcasting career extended to near 60 years, recounted the day when he was playing a round of golf with friends. They accidentally met up with McGrane who was getting in some practice and the Kells man asked if he could join them. †Muircheartaigh was impressed that such an accomplished golfer should want to play, to be even seen, alongside a group of “scruppers.†It showed a lack of arrogance and warmth not always apparent in the golfing profession. Gerry McGrane explained how Damien was at the time of the awards “almost certainly†in his bed getting some badly-needed sleep after a day's exertions in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. Just that day McGrane had made the cut in what was his first major event of the year and Gerry McGrane hoped that it was a sign of things to come. Gerry added that his nephew would be “absolutely delighted†with the award and that it meant a great deal to the golfer to be honoured by his “own peopleâ€. It gave him a great boost as he trekked through the various golf courses around the world that there were people back home urging him on, helping him through the bad days and sharing his delight and sense of achievement when the bounce of the ball went his way. Back in 2003 in an interview with the Meath Chronicle Damien McGrane spoke about how much it meant to him to be the only golfer in Meath involved in the European Tour. “I think it is nice for people in Meath to have a player on the European Tour, somebody that they know and can follow and identify with,†he said. “I spent most of my life around the area and I'm very much a part of Meath.†He's still out there on the world's top golf courses representing the Royal County, competing with the best. On Friday night he was simply the best.