“I’m just thinking about playing my own game"- Naas golfer Hume relaxed ahead of Irish Open

Thursday promises to be a landmark day in the career of Naas golfer Jack Hume. While playing on a golf course less than a 20 minute drive away from your front door might not sound like a massive deal, when you pull together the factors of worldwide television coverage, thousands of spectators and playing alongside the likes of Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Danny Willett and Shane Lowry, you really have a special occasion.

For Hume, all of those factors are heightened even more through the fact that he is an amateur golfer. The fact that this year’s Irish Open is being held in the K Club in Straffan is ideal for the 22-year-old, who is continuing to steer his career on an upward curve. He is one of just three amateur players that received an invitation to the tournament, and that is not just because he is a local.

Hume was an integral part of the British and Irish team that defeated the US in the Walker Cup last year, a competition for amateurs that mirrors the Ryder Cup. Individually, Hume enjoyed a stunning career win in February of this year when he captured the European Nations Cup at La Reserva in Spain, and he is currently ranked at number 10 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

“It’s great to be able to stay at home during the event,” beamed Hume about the fact that he will be playing in a major tournament so close to home. “There will probably be a good few people out at it from around so it will probably be a decent crowd and it should be fun.”

Being part of such a star-studded field of competitors could be overwhelming to some, but Hume has been spending time with two of Ireland’s most well-known and successful golfers in recent times, so that shouldn’t be a worry. He played a full practice round with Paul McGinley on Monday afternoon at the K Club, while Peter Lawrie joined the pair on the back nine to get to grips with the course.

“It was great fun. They’re two really nice guys, and they’re very helpful. They’re two great guys to learn from really,” said Hume.

McGinley has competed in 29 Majors, while he has also registered four victories on the European Tour. Lawrie won the Spanish Open in 2008, while he has consistently performed well on the European circuit. Both men have plenty of pedigree, but Hume insisted that it was enjoyable to have ‘banter’ with both men, rather than just trying to garner advice from them.

“There’s not really a whole lot,” he said when asked if he could get any pre-tournament tips from the two seasoned pros. “We just really had a chat and a bit of banter on the way around, if you can pick up one or two things it’s always a help.”

The former Rathsallagh club golfer was a runner-up at the recent Irish Amateurs Open in Royal Dublin, finishing one shot behind Warrenpoint golfer Colm Campbell. While that was a disappointment for Hume, he is taking it in his stride and looking back on that tournament with unerring positivity.

“Obviously I wanted to win it, but I think it was a good tournament overall. I was happy enough with the way I performed, but disappointed not to get the win. You can’t always get the win unfortunately.”

He sees it as good preparation for the upcoming Irish Open, though he admits the courses are very different.

“They’re two different golf courses really. I think the only similarities will be the scoring. I think there is more of a premium on driving around the K Club, and the greens will be a bit quicker, while the rough around the greens will be pretty thick, so that will be a challenge.”

“[I’ve had] a few days off, a few days resting and I’ve just kind of got back into practising and played a few rounds. It’s just to keep sharp on the practice area and hopefully I’ll be ready to go on Thursday.”

In 2009, Offaly man Shane Lowry produced a massive shock as he claimed victory at the Irish Open in Louth, and there are plenty of similarities between Lowry back then, and Hume today. Lowry was a 22-year-old amateur who was ranked in the top 20 of the World Amateur Golf Rankings and was pretty much unheard of outside of the more intensive golfing circles.

So what are the odds of a repeat performance this year from a 22-year-old amateur? Hume laughs as I ask the question, but then comes up with a response that shows he has a certain amount of confidence in himself.

“It’s a big step to talk about that before competing in a European Tour event, but you never know. I believe my game is good enough, but it’s just a matter of playing well and putting yourself in that position and seeing if you can go that one step further and do it. I’m not really overly focused on the result, I just want to have a good week and put myself in a good position and really enjoy it.”

“I’m just thinking about playing my own game and seeing where that leads me come Friday or Saturday evening, and just trying to push my way forward.”

Just being there seems to be quite a big carrot for Hume, but once he steps forward towards the first tee, expect to see his competitive nature take over, and from that point on, the sky’s the limit.