Meet the Dublin family with three prodigious talents who could be the future of Irish Golf
Once Padraig Harrington, Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy leave the world stage, Irish golf needs youngsters to fill the void. It's been an incredible 12 months for the Abom household
Edmondstown golfer Thomas Abom has already announced himself on the Irish Amateur and collegiate golfing scene at just 19 and he is one of three siblings making waves in the Irish golfing world. Thomas picked up two huge wins in 2024 and the Maynooth University student is showing no signs of slowing down as the season draws to close with his sights fixed on the Irish Intervarsity Championship in Bundoran.
The Paddy Harrington Golf Scholarship at Maynooth University has made the Kildare college one of the top destinations for young players looking to develop their golfing careers on home soil with programme manager and Palmer Cup International Coach Barry Fennelly at the helm, alongside top coaches Noel Fox, Johnny Foster and Abom’s own coach, Donal Scott, helping nurture the talent.
Last year saw Maynooth pick up the team title at Laytown & Bettystown with Thomas’ older brother Liam walking away as the individual men’s champion kicking off what has been an incredible 12 months for the Abom household, as sister Anna too capped off her fantastic season by picking up the Bridgestone Women’s Order of Merit title.
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Thomas Abom won the AIG Irish Men’s Amateur Close Championship in Dun Laoghaire this summer and had his sister Anna caddying for him throughout the week. Anna had won the Senior Scratch Cup at the same course last year and her guidance proved invaluable. She is in the early stages of her Leaving Cert year of school at Ashfield College in Dundrum.
“We were laughing about it, she won the Scratch Cup here last year so I thought I’d bring her on the bag and use some local knowledge and it seemed to work out, it makes it extra special having Anna on the bag, I’m very happy," said Michael after that victory.
With much silverware residing at the Abom home in Rathfarnham a little bit of sibling rivalry is never too far away, and Thomas is hoping to get one over on the reigning champion and big brother this year while a final round grouping involving the pair would make this week all the sweeter.
“It’s kind of like a competition within a competition, first you see how you are doing and then you see how the brother did. Internally you are always kind of thinking whereabouts your brother is and if you can beat him,” said Abom.
“We were actually saying we would love one day to be playing with each other in a final group or something because we have never played each other, we play in championships for years even in the underage times but we never actually played with each other in a group so that is kind of a goal of ours, a final group.
“If the trophy stays in the Abom household it would be a success so that’s the goal, one of us to win it but I would prefer if I did.”
There have been concerns expressed over the future of Irish golf on the international stage. Last season, Ireland had six players at the Final Stage of DP World Tour Q-School. Nobody secured cards for this year.
Only one player, Conor Purcell, made the Grand Final on the Challenge Tour last year while just three finished inside the top-70 to maintain full status on Europe’s second-tier.
In 1997, Pádraig Harrington was one of ten Irishmen in the Dubai Desert Classic field, already twice this year, DP Tour events have taken place with not one player from the island of Ireland in the field. Tom McKibbin, from the Holywood GC in Northern Ireland, is the only full tour card holder under the age of 34 from these shores.
Nevertheless, the Irish Intervarsity Championship tees off in Bundoran tomorrow morning with Eoghan Light (University College Dublin), Tom Clancy (Maynooth University) and Patrick Dunne (TUD) set to get proceedings underway at 8.20am.
96 of Ireland’s best and brightest college talent make their way to the Donegal links with a men’s, women’s and overall team title up for grabs and though this is Thomas Abom’s rookie season in college golf he will surely be one of the tournament’s top contenders having been victorious at the AIG Irish Men’s Amateur Close Championship in Dun Laoghaire before picking up a debut win on the R&A Student Tour Series in Sweden.
“I put in a good off-season doing good work with my coach Donal Scott. It was just a slow and consistent improvement until it all came together at the Close and then winning In Sweden as well, so it was very nice to win that one, it was the icing on the cake at the end of a long year,” said Thomas Abom.
“I was already on a bit of a high after the Close and I just kind of continued the good form. Definitely happy to start off my college career with that, hopefully that start continues.”
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