Gavin Moynihan summed up the sense of shock in Irish golf when news filtered through of the sudden-death at the age of 75 of the great PGA professional Hugh Jackson at the Connemara Pro-Am this morning. 

We wrote earlier this month about Bobby Browne's retirement after 48 years of loyal service to the members of Laytown and Bettystown. Last weekend, many of his fellow professionals including Ryder Cup player Des Smyth and multiple European Tour winner Michael Hoey turned out to pay homage to the great PGA professional and teacher.

We’re only guessing here but one suspects that Dr Bob Rotella, the world renowned mental guru, would love Gavin Moynihan.

“Golf is a game of mistakes and unpredictable fortune,” the Doc wrote in Golf Digest back on 2004. “Golfers who understand and love the game accept it rather than fight it. They realise the essence of golf is reacting well to inevitable mistakes and misfortunes.”