Swing When You're Winning

Barry McCluskey has added team glory to his individual golf awards, sinking the winning putt to help a Rest of the World team win the Vision Cup

LESS than two years on from losing his sight, Barry McCluskey is ranked fifth in blind golf’s world rankings. As he has stormed his way to the forefront of his sport, heads have turned and competition intensified, yet Barry has thrived under the pressure.

Much of the credit for that, he says, falls at the feet of his father, Celtic legend George McCluskey, who has instilled a drive and ambition that has fuelled Barry’s pursuit of the world No.1 spot.

In January 2018, Barry was officially registered as blind after a long-term progressive eye disease, known as keratoconus, intensified.

One of the first questions he asked doctors was would he still be able to play golf. Fast-forward to June 20, 2019 and the 37-year-old is surrounded by a huge crowd on the 18th green at Portmarnock Links course in Dublin, putting the winning shot in the 2019 ISPS Handa Vision Cup – blind golf’s version of the Ryder Cup.

“It was an incredible moment,” said Barry in an exclusive interview with the Celtic View. “It was a tough couple of days under pressure from the 12 most elite players from America and Canada, so to come away with the victory is phenomenal.

“It was a lot of pressure. We were 7-4 up after the doubles on the Tuesday and Wednesday, and on the Thursday I was the fifth player out. Little did I know, the first four guys had already won.

“I was one down with three to play and managed to pull it back. I sunk a 15-footer on the 16th hole to win that hole and get it back to even.