‘He was someone I looked up to...I’m trying to beat him now’: Seán Keeling relishing elite company at Irish OpenSeán Keeling and his caddie, who is also his cousin, Pádraig Ó Dochartaigh, line-up a putt on the 17th at the 2024 Amgen Irish Open at Royal County Down. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho
The memory bank on McIlroy’s side is fresh, too: “Ah, it’s amazing. Michael Bannon has spent some time with Seán as well, and I was hitting balls beside him the other day on the range. And I remember Tom came here to watch me in 2015 at the Irish Open. He was playing at some US Kids event over in England and they got the boat back and came and watched me.
There have been messages of support in recent days from his college team-mates and also from his brother Patrick, who is on a scholarship at the University of Louisville. On the links, though, that bond with his cousin/caddie has been noticeable and reaped its rewards in impressively saving a round that threatened to get away.