When Pádraig Harrington won the Open Championship in 2007, he became only the second Irish golfer ever to win a Major, ending a drought which dated back to Fred Daly's victory of 1947. But Harrington's great achievement was more than the breaking of a hoodoo: it was the start of the most glorious period in the history of Irish golf. Harrington retained the coveted Claret Jug in 2008 and added the US PGA championship that same year. In 2010, Graeme McDowell had a breakthrough Major win in the US Open and was succeeded as champion in 2011 by the phenomenally talented Rory McIlroy. The remarkable run of Major champions from Ireland was continued that season when Darren Clarke claimed an emotional victory in the British Open to add his name to the list of great champions on the Claret Jug, and most recently by Rory McIlroy who in 2012 also struck gold in the US PGA. From Carnoustie to Royal Birkdale, Oakland Hills to Pebble Beach, and Congressional to Sandwich and Kiawah Island, The Irish Majors is the story of these great victories and of the background to Ireland's golden generation of golfers. Philip Reid has the inside track on these wonderful Irish triumphs and he brings it all home in this celebratory book.

Discover how to reach your greatest potential in golf by focusing only on the shot in front of you—nothing before or after—with the world’s preeminent sport psychologist, Dr. Bob Rotella. Acclaimed sport psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Bob Rotella has advised countless professional golfers, as well as athletes in individual and team sports at the amateur and professional levels, on how to flourish under pressure and win championships. Rotella strives to make average athletes exceptional. With his decades of in-depth research and practical experience, he has encouraged people worldwide to persevere through adversity in a dozen internationally bestselling titles. In Make Your Next Shot Your Best Shot, Rotella’s message is simple but effective: to reach your greatest potential in golf, you need to set your sights high and always think positively. He wants you to aim for something incredible: free your mind, concentrate on your process, accept whatever happens, and commit to making your next shot your best shot. Rotella shows you how to focus your mind, create a routine for success, persevere, and overcome failure. Drawing from lessons learned in other sports, this book is about how to train your mind to play in the moment. It’s about spending your lifetime chasing greatness—and having a ball while doing it.

Maybe the game of golf wasnt invented in Ireland but to most visitors it seems that way. After all, there are more golf courses per square mile in Ireland than in any part of the world. A golfing visit to Ireland will be the trip of a lifetime for many reasons. First, links courses sparkle like an emerald necklace around the coastline of Ireland. It is subjective to pick the best from so many great courses but here are a few: Royal Portrush, Portstewart. Royal County Down, Baltray, Portmarnock, The European Club, Old Head, Waterville, Ballybunion, Tralee, Lahinch, Doonbeg, Connemara, Carne, Enniscrone, Murvagh, Ballyliffin and Rosapenna. Second, the past two decades have brought world class resorts with the finest facilities and championship level courses, including The K Club, Lough Erne, Druids Glen, Mount Wolsely, Killeen Castle, Glasson, Galgorm Castle, Slieve Russell, The Heritage, Powerscourt, Adare, Fota Island, Dromoland Castle and many more. Third, visitors can enjoy over 400 private golf clubs scattered throughout Ireland where greens fees offer excellent value and local members make you feel at home. Not least, the 19th hole is a great opportunity to meet local golfers. An old saying puts it like this: There are no strangers in Ireland, only friends you havent met before. The successes of Irish golfers on the international circuit has also put the spotlight on the great golf found throughout the Island. Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley, Shane Lowrey and others have been not just successful competitors but wonderful ambassadors for Irish fun and hospitality. I hope you and your friends will come to experience golf in Ireland for yourselves. I can assure you a warm welcome and some wonderful memories. Joe Byrne Executive Vice-President Tourism Ireland

Hard-hitting Rory McIlroy was always destined to become a professional golfer from the moment he recorded a 40-yard drive aged just two. His first hole in one came when he was nine and he played in his first professional European tour event as a 16-year-old in 2005.Despite high expectations, Rory keeps a cool head on his young shoulders and lets his golf do the talking. His maiden victory came in the 2009 Dubai Desert Classic, where he endured a nail-biting final hole, and he has since gone on to win multiple events around the world.After falling apart at the 2011 Masters, his final breakthrough came in June 2011 when he won his first major, the US Open. An incredible 2012 followed, in which he became the number one ranked golfer in the world. But in 2013, despite high aspirations, Rory did not fare well in major tournaments - not, that is, until the end of the year, when he won the Australian Open by one stroke.In 2014, he raised his game still further, winning two more majors in an incredible four-week spell - the British Open and the USPGA (the latter for a second time) - bringing his total tally to four majors. Now, with Rory back at No 1 in the world rankings, Frank Worrall presents the fascinating story of one of golf 's greatest ever talents.

Beginning with Fred Daly, Ireland's first competitor who played in 1947, and progressing to various participants, Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley, this work covers two generations of proud sporting achievement by Irish professional golfers.

Padraig Harrington is one of the world's top golfers. This book celebrates Harrington's extraordinary achievement, in his own words and in the words of Ireland's finest sports writers, lavishly illustrated in colour throughout.