Glenn Towler - a young Irish all-rounder

Fourteen year old Glenn Towler is a leading juvenile on the Irish circuit and won the All Ireland Boys Matchplay championship in 2016. The Cork native journeyed to Portal del Roc in April and walked away with the Under 18 title. fippa.org is thrilled that Glenn gave us the following interview.

fippa.org (Q.) How proud are you of winning the Catalan Open?

Glenn Towler (A.) I am extremely proud to win the Catalan Open this year in Portal Del Roc as it is a notoriously tough course but thankfully I was able to overcome it and win against some very tough competition.

Q. It must have been quite an experience to play alongside former World strokeplay champion John Walsh in the final round?

A. It was surreal to play against someone of John’s calibre, even though we were playing against each other he still acted as a mentor to me for which I was very grateful.

Q. Your family has great sporting pedigree?

A. I have been greatly influenced by my brother Ryan (who took the Catalan Under 18 Open in 2016) and Dad Dave who have enjoyed a lot of success in Pitch and Putt, especially Ryan who has won numerous accolades for it. In soccer he has inspired me to try to be as successful as him. Also my uncles have been very successful in soccer and my aunt Liz Towler who has represented Cork for camogie and Ireland for soccer. My grandad George Towler, who is currently President of Blackrock Rowing club, was a great soccer player and rower in his youth

Q. Who have been the biggest influences in your Pitch & Putt career?

A. I am very grateful to the following who have been so influential to me - Ray Murphy, John Walsh, Weeshie Murphy (coach of the Cork juvenile team) and my dad Dave Towler, who has been by my side constantly with support and guidance. My family are also very supportive.

Q. How much did you enjoy the international challenge against Catalonia last year

A. The quality of their players was excellent and we had to really dig deep to win. This is by far the greatest moment of my Pitch & Putt career.

Q. Which do you prefer soccer or Pitch & Putt?

A. Even though I thoroughly enjoy both sports, I would definitely prefer P&P.

Q. Evan Carry has moved onto the adult ranks. That opens up opportunities for this year’s juvenile events?

A. Evan was by far the best juvenile player I have ever seen and his achievements speak for themelves but there are some exceptional juvenile players, like Cian Murphy, Cian Mulcahy, Cillian Courtney and Patrick Mitchell to name but a few, so in Evan’s absence it definitely opens up the opportunity for the rest of us to win some titles.

Q. What are your future international ambitions in Pitch & Putt?

A. I would definitely love to try and retain my Catalan Open title and would also like to compete in other tournaments in Hollandand England.

Q. You have travelled extensively to European tournaments, how much do you enjoy playing courses outside Ireland?

A. I enjoy it immensely as it is a challenge when playing on a different course and against players that I wouldn’t have competed against previously.

Q. What are the characteristics of the Dutch and Catalan courses that make them different from Ireland

A. First the weather. We definitely don’t enjoy as much good weather as they do abroad but we are fortunate to have excellent courses in Ireland so there really isn’t much of a difference between the courses.