For the past few months young Jessica Carty has been playing below the golfing radar.
That is away from the usual attention her game attracts here in Ireland.
From the age of eleven she has represented Ulster – and in this game of golf with all its jargon of birdies and bogeys and fades and draws, she has played her way into the headlines.
Irish Girls Champion in 2012- full international that same year.
Ulster Ladies Champion 2013 and winner of the order-of-merit in that same season.
Her game now is about what next and she’s hoping that her four-year scholarship in Denver will pave the way to the professional game – either in Europe or the States.
“Her short game needs to be a lot stronger to make it on tour,” Holywood Club professional and coach Stephen Crooks told the eamonnmallie.com website.
“I think we will see a great improvement over the summer,” he added.
Jessica will be 20 in October and comes from the same Holywood golfing stable as Rory McIlroy.
Indeed, the Carty and McIlroy families own much of the club’s recent history and success.
Jessica’s dad Eamon and Rory’s dad Gerry have both been club champion.
But the focus is now on the next generation of players.
“Jessica is now in the best place to improve,” Crooks commented – believing her scholarship will prepare her “for greater things”.
She was the university’s low scorer recently in Georgia shooting a one-over 74 to help Denver to a top eight qualifying spot in a prestigious competition.
In a few weeks she will be back home for the summer – the Irish and British Amateur Championships big in her plans.
Already, she is on the plus side of the handicap system – the line that marks out the game’s special players.
So, what next?
It will be the hard work and golfing play she will need to breakthrough into the professional game.
We know from her results so far that she is good. The question is, is she good enough to take those next steps?
In McIlroy, Holywood already has its headline player and star and, now, it has someone else looking at those higher places and stages within the sport.
Keep an eye to her play as Jessica Carty comes up from under the radar for those next big challenges at Enniscrone in mid-June and then a week later at the Royal St George’s Golf Club.
