12 Things You Didn’t Know About Matthew McClean
1. McClean was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland back in 1993.
2. According to Brian Keogh of irishgolfdesk.com, McClean took up golf at between 10 and 11, but soccer and Gaelic football were more important. At 16, McClean took golf more seriously as his game improved.
3. McClean started playing golf at Balmoral Golf Club, where Ireland’s first Major winner, Fred Daly, was attached as the head professional for the last 45 years of his life. Balmoral is also closely associated with three Ryder Cup players in David Feherty, Eddie Polland, and Norman Drew.
4. McClean is a trained optometrist, and he moved to England for three years before returning to Northern Ireland in 2017 to join Malone Golf Club, south of Belfast.
5. McClean toyed with the idea of turning professional and planned on attending DP World Tour qualifying school, but COVID-19 hit in 2020, and he changed his mind.
6. He won the 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Erin Hills in Wisconsin with a 3-and-1 victory over good friend Hugh Foley in the final. With the victory he earned places in the field for both the Masters and the U.S. Open in 2023.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
7. His close friend Stephen Gracey (a three-handicapper) caddied for him at the 2023 Masters. They went to school and University together and played a lot of golf together.
8. McClean attended the University of Ulster.
9. Michael McGee had coached him at Malone Golf Club since he was 12 or 13. For the past few years, he has worked on his short game with Golf Ireland’s National Coach, Neil Manchip (Shane Lowry’s coach).
10. His entire family, mother, Denise; father, Noel; brother, Peter; sister, Eva; girlfriend, Kate, went over for The Masters and stayed in a big house 20 minutes away. On top of his family his regular four-ball from Malone went over, as well as his uncles and some friends and family friends.
11. He played a practice round at The Masters with Shane Lowry, Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood.
12. He has said that his main goal for 2023 is to represent Great Britain & Ireland in the Walker Cup at St Andrews
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