The R&A Student Tour Series Final takes place on Sunday at the home of golf, St Andrews with Maynooth University duo Ryan Griffin and Kate Lanigan perched at the summit of the men’s and women’s Order of Merit respectively.
Both players will be gunning to win the Order of Merit and capture the Tour Series title while also giving themselves the best chance to be selected for the International Palmer Cup team who face the USA in Lahinch this July.
Rosapenna’s Griffin holds a seven point lead over Stirling’s Will Coxon heading into the final after finishes of T16, T6, 2 and T3 in his four Student Tour Series appearances this season.
Griffin has already represented the International side in the Palmer Cup, linking up with Max Kennedy and Lauren Walsh in last year’s contest in the US and he would love to be there again in Lahinch this year.
“It was absolutely unbelievable. It was one of the best weeks of my life,” he recalls. “The Americans go above and beyond to make sure you have a fantastic time out there and this was no different. We were looked after like royalty from start to finish. Everything about it was phenomenal I have to say.
“I didn’t know what to expect because this was the best players in the world playing in this tournament.”
Griffin of course, is going for a double this week having won the Order of Merit last year and he knows going back-to-back would mean so much.
“I’ll be doing my utmost best to win the Order of Merit again to get to Lahinch because it will be unbelievable. The people you get to know is phenomenal. A lot of the Americans won’t have a clue what is going on in Lahinch, they won’t have a notion how to play it so that should be a huge advantage for us.”
The criteria for selection has changed this year. Ordinarily, the Order of Merit winners would be exempt onto the International team but now the top-5 in the final standings will be put forward for selection, so topping the OOM doesn’t categorically guarantee selection although it makes you the heavy favourite.
Lanigan (Hermitage) has been in flying form in her first year in Maynooth University and a win in Italy, two second places and a fourth place have given her a 25-point advantage over Elice Fredriksson with serial winner Lorna McClymont 105 points back in third.
Maynooth Golf Manager Barry Fennelly will co-coach the International side in Clare so she will have a front row chance to impress this week. Could that link help the stars align for her?
“That shows where the Student Series is going, it would be a huge honour to be selected on the team,” Lanigan smiles.
“There’s great competition between us and anyone can win so it gets you ready for some of the events during the year. The Palmer Cup being in Ireland is an added bonus and it’s a huge goal to make the team but I won’t focus on it too much just let the result do the talking.”
Lanigan is enjoying life in Maynooth and she is one of three winners from the university this year alongside Allan Hill and Eoin Murphy.
“We had only played one event prior in Spain where I was fourth so it was nice to get off the mark. It was all down to the preparation before I had everything I needed and I just had to go out and play the golf which I did on the last day. I ended up getting into a matchplay situation going down the stretch and it came down to the last hole and all the lads in Maynooth and Barry came out to support so that was lovely and meant a lot.”
As far as the top five goes in the men’s Order of Merit, David Kitt (6th), Allan Hill (8th) and Simon Walker (11th) could all push themselves into the top-5 with a win this week and become late considerations for the Palmer Cup.
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