Seán Keeling might not have outgunned his hero Rory McIlroy, but the 17-year-old Roganstown teenager emerged from the shadow of the superstar with a sensational opening 70 on his Amgen Irish Open debut at Royal County Down.
Trained by the Made in Holywood Academy at the north Dublin club, where his former coach Geoff Loughrey bases his teachings on the same tenets he learned under McIlroy’s coach Michael Bannon, Keeling made 17 pars in a row before rolling a 15-footer in near darkness on the 18th for a birdie to share 30th place on one-under.
It was one of only two bogey-free rounds carded on a day when McIlroy appeared to have saved what looked like being a forgettable opening round for the Irish contingent when he birdied the last three holes to shoot a three-under 68 to share fourth place behind England’s Todd Clements, whose five-under 66 gave him a one-shot lead over the Finn Sami Valimaki and Spain’s Alejandro del Rey.
Tom McKibbin and Rory McIlroy enjoyed positive opening days
Shane Lowry also birdied the last to shoot a 72 that left him tied for 51st, with Royal Dublin amateur Max Kennedy and Portmarnock’s Conor Purcell.
But it was Keeling, now at Texas Tech where Ludvig Aberg was a star graduate, who stole the show late in the day.
“I’m happy enough,” said the delighted Dubliner, who had to hit provisional balls off the tee at the first and second but made par both times en route to a hugely impressive debut, justifying the hype surrounding a player regarded as the next McIlroy.
“I had to stay patient on the back nine, waited for my birdie on the last. I’m happy enough with a bogey-free round there. I will take it. The first two holes could have been bogeys or worse, but I ended up making two good pars, and from there, I played pretty solid and hit plenty of greens the whole way around.
“I told myself before I went out, if you lose your patience around here, you’re in trouble. So you’ve got to have a good attitude and just be resilient. You’ll have bad shots or mistakes; it’s just how you deal with them.”
Of his debut, he added: “It is a dream come true really. I’ve been coming to this tournament for the last six, seven years and to be playing in it is amazing.”
Resilience was key on a day when a cool northwest wind gusting occasionally to 25mph made the Newcastle links a Major-like test at times, and McIlroy, playing with fellow Holywood man Tom McKibbin, who carded a three-over 74, was pleased to get off to a good start.
“Anytime you can shoot three under around this place, I think you have to be happy,” said the world number three, who was two-under through 12 holes before he bounced back from bogeys at the 14th and 15th with three birdies to finish.
“The conditions were pretty tough early on, and then the wind seemed to settle a little bit over those last few holes. So it was nice to take advantage of that and play the last three holes the way I did.”
Todd Clements acknowledges the crowd on the ninth green
Lowry fed into his Major mindset after he bogeyed the second and had his first three-putt for 361 holes at the third to find himself two-over.
But after making a great up and down from left of the fourth, he made another at the fifth and was off and running.
“I think a really good up and down there [on the fourth] helped me a lot and kind of gave me a kick in the backside I needed,” said Lowry, who birdied the ninth and followed a bogey at the par-five 12th with a stellar four at the last.
In the past, he might have struggled after such a slow start, but he’s playing so well and has so much experience that he didn’t panic.
“It’s easier when you’re having a good year to get off to a start like that and come back from,” he said.
“It just is easier. I did that pretty well today. Maybe I am changing. Who knows?”
Keeling's Journey: From Irish Amateur to International Stage
As he tees it up at the Irish Open at Royal County Down -- flying back to Ireland after just a week in Lubbock for his freshman year at Texas Tech -- the excitement of playing a Monday practice round with legend Padraig Harrington kicked off Keeling's week.
“Buzzing! Got a few days of good preparation so looking forward to getting going. Got my second cousin on the bag and he’s caddied for me before,” Keeling told Ronan MacNamara of Irish Golfer.
After 17 straight pars in Thursday's first round, Keeling birdied the last in near darkness for a 1-under 70 and followed it with a 1-over 72 to sit at even par heading into the weekend, safely under the projected cut of 2-over. Let's take a look at the career of the young golfer with a bright future from the North Dublin town of Roganstown, Ireland.
Early Beginnings and Rise Through the Amateur Ranks
Keeling’s introduction was at age six when he took up his first golf summer camp in County Donegal. Fast-forward to age 12, and Keeling was holding his own with a much more experienced and mature field in the North of Ireland at Royal Portrush. Just three years later, he won a Regional Qualifier for The Open. He was part of the Ireland U-16 Boys’ High-Performance squad and represented his country at prestigious events like the Junior Ryder Cup and the Jacques Leglise Trophy.Keeling’s rise has been marked not only by his ability to compete but by his composure and maturity on the course. Known for his precise ball striking and competitive mindset, Keeling has drawn comparisons to some of Ireland’s most successful golfers, like McIlroy.
Competing with Professionals
In 2024, Keeling received a coveted spot in the Irish Open, where he competed with professional players on one of the world's most challenging courses, Royal County Down. Despite his youth, Keeling’s steady performances and fearless attitude in this event exemplify his readiness to compete at the highest levels. His participation in the Irish Open has not only elevated his profile but also provided him with valuable experience against elite competition.
Summary of Accomplishments
Seán Keeling’s amateur career has been highlighted by standout performances in a variety of high-profile events, both at home and abroad. His consistency across multiple seasons has been remarkable, as he has climbed the World Amateur Golf Rankings year after year. Below is a summary of his notable finishes and rankings:
2024 Season:
- Spanish International Amateur: 4th
- British Amateur: Final 64
- European Nations/Sotogrande Cup: T17
- Irish Amateur Close Championship: T4
- Irish Open Amateur: T9
- European Amateur: T36
2023 Season:
- World Amateur Golf Ranking: 192
- English Amateur/Brabazon Trophy: T4
- Portuguese International Amateur: 3rd
- Welsh Open Amateur: 4th
- Spanish International Amateur: Final 16
- St. Andrews Links Trophy: 32nd
- Irish Open Amateur: T27
2022 Season:
- Irish Open Amateur: T6
- British Open Regional Qualifying: Medalist
- Irish Amateur Close Championship: Final 16
- Connacht Under-18 Boys Open Champion
2021 Season:
- North of Ireland Amateur: Final 16
The Road Ahead
Seán Keeling’s rise through the amateur ranks has been meteoric, and his results indicate that he is on a trajectory toward even greater success. With strong performances in elite amateur tournaments and invaluable experience from competing alongside professionals, Keeling is poised to continue his ascent in golf.
Keeling's Irish Open Debut: A Tale of Patience and Resilience
In the gathering gloom, the giant scoreboard by the 18th providing a translucent brightness, Seán Keeling shone a light of his own, as a putter which had been trustworthy without delivering just reward finally behaved and the 17-year-old Dubliner rolled in a 15-footer for birdie in an opening round of one-under-par 70 on his debut appearance in the Amgen Irish Open.
That putt was met with a loud roar from the sandhills around greenside, from those – family and friends and fellow-Roganstown members – who had followed him from start-to-finish and saw the new Texas Tech student deliver a display of maturity and patience that defied his young age.
Only two players in the entire first round managed to go bogey-free. Italy’s Felippo Celi was one. Keeling was the other.
After a start which saw him forced to take a penalty drop from an unplayable lie on the par-5 first hole, from which he managed to save par, Keeling was almost Faldo-esque in reeling off par after par, 17 in all, before finally rolling in the birdie putt in near darkness on the final green.
Keeling – an Irish amateur international who opted not to do his final Leaving Certificate year at Belvedere College and instead went to Texas Tech after doing a Student Aptitude Test (SATs), the same college the produced Ryder Cup star Ludvig Aberg – was the epitome of patience in navigating his way around the famed links, demonstrating the shot-making that had seen him perform so well in last year’s Junior Ryder Cup in Rome where he was an integral part of the winning Europe team.
Here, it was for himself.
With his cousin Pádraig Ó Dochartaigh on his bag, Keeling went about the task with an impressive approach that saw him join Rory McIlroy – a golfing hero of his – as the only Irish players to dip under par in the first round.
On Monday, Keeling played a practice round with Pádraig Harrington, along with fellow-amateur Max Kennedy and Challenge Tour player Conor Purcell (who each opened with 72s).
Any words of advice that resonated from Harrington? “Yes. One thing stuck with me was just be patient and be resilient. You’re going to have ups-and-downs in this game, so it’s just how you come back from that. And one thing he said as well was, ‘consistency is over-rated’ and you’re just better off winning than just making cuts or finishing top-10s. That you’re remembered for your wins.”
Keeling has that confidence of youth but also a maturity garnered from his own successes – Irish Boys’ champion, Scottish Boys’ Open champion and club wins with Roganstown in the Senior Cup and Fred Daly Cup – to make the most of this appearance in the Irish Open, earned through a mini-order of merit at leading amateur championships this past summer.
He needed permission from Texas Tech to make the return home to play in the Irish Open. That was a no-brainer decision, a chance to compete in the same field as his boyhood hero McIlroy. And other Irish players who he had looked up to.
Keeling’s belief? “Just to be the best I can be every day and see where that takes me,” he replied, with a target “to make the cut, to try and get a good run on the weekend and you never know. Why not give myself a chance to win?”
Just two years old when an amateur by the name of Shane Lowry accomplished that feat in Baltray in 2009, Keeling obviously wasn’t there. But he said: “I know what happened. Anything is possible. I’ve got to believe in myself.”
Following in McIlroy's Footsteps: A Story of Inspiration and Determination
Teenager Seán Keeling is now chasing down boyhood hero Rory McIlroy after he sensationally made the cut in the Amgen Irish Open at Royal County Down.
After opening with a superb 70 on Thursday – one of just two bogey-free rounds – the 17-year-old Roganstown talent overcame a front-nine wobble and carded a one-over 72 to head into the weekend just four shots behind his hero on level par.
“He was someone I looked up to for a long time,” Keeling beamed. “I’m trying to beat him now.
“The way I played the last few days, I feel I could very easily be four or five shots better, so if I can play like that again, I will hopefully get a few breaks go my way and if I can hole a few putts, you never know what can happen.”
McIlroy admitted he was thrilled to see the Dubliner and his Holywood protegé Tom McKibbin make the weekend.
“Ah, it's amazing,” McIlroy said. “Michael Bannon has spent some time with Sean as well. And I was hitting balls beside him the other day on the range.
“So it's very cool. It makes me feel a bit old, and I've got the grey hairs in my chin to prove it.
“But it's amazing to think that I've had some sort of influence on these guys that are now at the start of their professional journey.
Dubliner Seán Keeling makes his way down the 10th fairway during day two of the Amgen Irish Open Golf Championship 2024 at the Royal County Down Golf Club in Newcastle, Down. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
“Seán's not even professional yet, but, you know, the start of their journeys of trying to make a career in golf.
“I had my heroes that I looked up to, and it's cool to hear that I'm that for some of those guys now.”
Starting on the back nine, Keeling birdied the par-five 12th and lipped out for another birdie at the 13th that would have left him tied fifth on three-under.
But after struggling for the remainder of the front nine, dropping three shots in five holes from the 14th, he played his homeward nine in one-under to ease into the weekend.
“Yes, a few mistakes on the front nine sort of put me under pressure going into the back nine, but I steadied the ship a bit and handled it well,” said Keeling, who bogeyed the 14th, 15th and 18th to turn in one-over before sandwiching a bogey at the second between birdies at the first and sixth.
“I made some key putts on six and seven, so overall, I was pretty good apart from those few mistakes on the front nine. It felt like it could have been a bit better, but happy enough to be playing the weekend.
“On the tough holes, I hit some solid shots into the middle of the green and made a lot of nice pars. I definitely handled the conditions well and played a lot of decent golf.”
At 17 years and 11 months, Keeling is the youngest player to make the cut in the Irish Open since Ronan Rafferty did it aged 16 years and seven months in 1980.
Tough conditions are forecast for round three, but Keeling believes he can resist the temptation to take on too much.
“I am going to enjoy those conditions, embrace it rather than get annoyed about it,” he said. “I am happy to be through and to have a chance at the weekend.”
