Shortly before 1.57pm on 3 January, Caolan Rafferty purchased a can of Red Bull and a packet of Hunky Dorys Salt and Vinegar crisps, moments later he was a father.
The midwife at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda told Caolan and his wife Hayley that they had time. He went to grab something from the shop and make a few phone calls but his daughter Maisy arrived slightly ahead of schedule.
“I had plenty of time and went down to the shop and made the phone calls to Hayley’s mam and my mam,” said Rafferty.
“I had the can of Red Bull to wake me up and when I walked back up, a midwife was running out the doors and in typical me fashion I stood to one side and said: ‘you work away, you’re more important than I am’.
“But she stopped in her tracks: ‘you’re exactly who we’re looking for, let’s go’. I didn’t know what was going on. Within five minutes we had Maisy and maybe six minutes later, I was feeding her, so it was a quick one.”
It has been life-changing, but the 32-year-old is focusing on golf this week while he has the wonderful backdrop of a new family at home.
The Flogas Irish Men’s Amateur Open Championship takes place close to that home in Dromiskin, and that will be another bonus when Rafferty tees it up at Seapoint tomorrow.
“It’s in a course that I would have played a lot growing up. I played okay around it, never had wonderful scores, but always played decent and I get to stay in my own bed for an event,” said Rafferty.
“I’ll just be treating it as an event that I don’t have to leave the house. I’m not going to be away from the family, they’ll be up the road because it’s only 20 minutes away so it’ll be a nice home feeling.
“Hopefully it will be similar to what the East feels like and if we can get a similar result to last year we’ll be chuffed.”
Home comforts are a huge benefit and Rafferty will have plenty to keep his mind occupied and away from all matters golf, when he returns each evening.
He came from a place where he once used to struggle with his mindset on the course, during his teens where he was still learning and sharpening his tools.
There was even a hiatus where he took a complete break from the game but the Dundalk golfer progressed rapidly after his comeback.
Since then he has played in a Walker Cup and Palmer Cup, represented Ireland and won silverware all around the island, including a South of Ireland, West of Ireland and last year’s precious East title. All done with the serene mentality that he is doing what he loves now.
And this year he has other more pressing matters to contemplate, becoming a father has given him a fresh approach to life in general.
“It’s definitely a change,” said Rafferty.
“It’s been great, Maisy is flying, keeping us on our toes, so it just adds a little bit more to what I would have had over the last few years. It’s balancing, family as well as work and then playing a bit of golf as well. It has been mostly work and family.
“Changing nappies (has been the biggest change). That’s probably one thing growing up, I was always kind of standoffish when it came to getting involved, I wouldn’t have had the confidence because I wouldn’t have known what I was doing, but when you’re handed a baby a couple of minutes old and you’re told to feed it, you soon learn.
“It was a kind of a welcome to the real world scenario that you didn’t expect, you didn’t know how to handle it. Every day there’s something new, we’re seeing change all the time with Maisy, and it’s just bringing something else to the house, we’re loving it.
“I wouldn’t change anything for the world.”
Rafferty has played a couple of events this year, including last weekend at The Lytham Trophy as he tried to get his game right for a tilt at another major honour.
His work also revolves around golf where he links up with PING as a club-fitter, along with fellow Irish international Colm Campbell, who is an area sales manager.
“My start times all vary depending on the venue. It could be five minutes to Dundalk if I’m fitting there, or it could be four-and-a-half hours down to Kerry,” said Rafferty.
“When you’re home in the evenings, after spending maybe an hour-and-a-half on the M50, your head would be well fried, so you don’t have much interest in doing a whole pile.
“But the lads would have said it to me in the past that your whole outlook on life will change, that no matter how bad your day was when you walk in the door and you see a little smiley head looking up at you.
“It definitely takes a lot of the stress away from the day when I see Maisy.”
Having claimed the East of Ireland so close to home last year, a rejuvenated Rafferty could have the firepower to launch an assault on the Flogas Irish Men’s Amateur Open Championship this weekend.
He has achieved so much in his career already but this illusive crown would really add a gloss to a wonderful year.
“I see it as being lucky that I get to experience all these events,” said Rafferty.
“I remember when I started playing half-decent thinking, if I could play for Leinster, that would be unbelievable and then all of a sudden I went from playing inter-pros to playing for Ireland.
“I never expected to be there and then a couple of good years and I get a call for Walker Cup and never in your wildest dreams do you think you’ll ever play a Walker Cup, but you just feel lucky that you got to do all these things.
“We all want to keep doing it then, when you get a taste of it you don’t want to stop.”
Leave a comment