Higgins issues a rallying call ahead of PGA Cup

07/09/2017

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David Higgins is relishing the opportunity to play for his country once again and is backing his Great Britain & Ireland team-mates to rise to the occasion and defeat America on home soil for the first time in 12 years.

Not since the K-Club in Ireland back in 2005 have Great Britain & Ireland defeated their American counterparts in the historic competition, played between PGA Professionals from both countries.

This year Foxhills Resort in Surrey is the setting as Albert MacKenzie’s side go in search of back-to-back wins in the competition for the first time since 1984.

Higgins, who is based at Waterville Golf Links in Ireland, will be making his Great Britain & Ireland debut at the event, which runs from September 15-17, and although he admits there will be pressure on the hosts, that is part and parcel of playing for your country.

“It would be wonderful if we could win and we’ll be doing everything we can to do just that, but there’s no pressure,” said Higgins, who was Ireland’s leading amateur before he turned professional in 1994

“If the team had won the last ten events it wouldn’t matter. We’ve been selected now and we’ve got to go and do a job.

"I suppose you could call it pressure, but it’s a good thing. If there is pressure and nerves then it means something to you and that’s very important.

“Getting used to the situation we’re in is something we’ll have to adjust to because there is pressure playing for your country. We need to get used to that, wearing the team uniform and stuff like that. That will be the biggest thing and whoever gets used to that will probably perform the best.

“I wouldn’t say there’s any pressure on us. We’re all competitors and professional golfers. We don’t want to go to Foxhills and not win, we’re going there to do Albert (MacKenzie) proud and we want to win the trophy.

“Getting onto the team was a great honour and a great achievement, but it wasn’t until I went over to the warm-up at Foxhills that the juices started flowing and that feeling starts to run through your veins that you’re representing your country. I haven’t done that in over 20 years.”

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ABOVE - David Higgins wons the PGA Professional Championship in 2016.

A get-together at Foxhills at the end of July allowed Higgins to catch up with his new team-mates. Many were familiar faces, including fellow Irishman Damien McGrane but it was the first time he had met Christopher Currie and Chris McDonnell.

“Eight of the lads are Tour players and I was thinking it wouldn’t really matter if the other two weren’t’ that good,” he added.

“I knew all of the other lads but I didn’t know the two Chrises. But it turned out when we went to Foxhills they were probably the best two players over the two days so that was quickly put to bed.

“I was delighted with that because not knowing them I wasn’t sure and then after that weekend I realised just what a strong team we have here.”

Despite having not played at Foxhills for a competitive event, Higgins feels the Longcross course is one he will be able to navigate following the team get-together.

“I hadn’t played Foxhills before but we got three good rounds in during that get-together and we’re going to get three more in before it starts.

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“To be honest it’s not really a course I feel I’d need to know that well, it’s straight forward enough. You have to hit it straight and there will be a huge emphasis on holing putts because I’d call it a scoring course.”

As for Great Britain & Ireland’s chance of defending the Llandudno International Trophy, Higgins added: “It’s going to be hard to get a team as strong as we are.

“We’ve got a lot of experience and I’m sure those guys (the Americans) will be very experienced players but all we can do is try to play to the best of our ability.

“We have to do our job and that’s all we can do, we can’t be focusing on the past, we must only focus on what we do that week.”

For more information about the PGA Cup and to follow all the action and live scoring from Foxhills from September 15-17 click here.

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