McDonagh coaches Ireland at World Deaf Golf Championships

The 12th World Deaf Golf Championships were held recently at Carton House, Co. Kildare with the home team supported in their bid for success by assistant PGA professional, Kelan McDonagh.

The bi-annual tournament, recognised and supported by R&A and sanctioned by the World Deaf Golf Federation (WDGF), brought the world’s top amateur Deaf golfers together to compete in individual and team competitions.

The 28-year-old McDonagh, a former Irish amateur international, is currently based at the GUI National Academy. After graduating from Maynooth University in 2011 with a degree in Economics, Kelan turned professional in 2015 at Tullamore GC before moving to Lahinch GC and then to his current base in 2016.

“I joined the Professional Golfers' Association as I’ve always had an interest in the golf swing and golf coaching as a whole,” said Kelan, a native of Roscommon.

“My current employment allows me to teach every day and the job satisfaction I get from that is second to none.”

Since the WDGF was established in 1995, the international governing body for the sport of golf among Deaf people worldwide has hosted the bi-annual event in 11 different countries, and Ireland was the 12th such event.

“I first got involved with the Irish Deaf Golf team in the spring of 2017 where I conducted a few day sessions with them at the GUI Academy,” added Kelan.

“They then requested I look after the team as head coach for the 2018 World Championships at Carton House.

“We did a lot of work at the Academy over the winter of 17/18 and then progressed on to the O'Meara and Montgomerie courses at Carton House for on-course preparation nearer to the tournament start date.

"They were a super bunch of men and women to work with, travelling from all over Ireland to attend coaching sessions."

It was Ireland’s second time hosting the World Deaf Golf Championships and the event set a new record with over 100 golfers from 19 countries joining the 16 golfers that made up the Irish team.

Kelan added: “Naturally at the beginning, it was a new experience for me coaching wise as it was a new form of communication for me.

“I had an interpreter with me most days to help communicate with the group. I soon got comfortable with it and hopefully, I found the best way possible to coach each individual.

“Some worked best off visuals and demonstrations, while others needed me to explain it to them with the help of the interpreter. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity and the experience. It has certainly helped me in my personal development as a coach.”