Six Irishmen have won majors, but according to Sean Quinlivan you can now add a seventh to an exclusive list that features Fred Daly, Pádraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke and Shane Lowry. That’s because Quinlivan considers his appointment as just the fourth head professional in the history of Shinnecock Hills as his personal major victory.
Shinnecock is an institution in American golf – the oldest incorporated golf club in America (1891) and one of five founding members of the USGA. Set on sandy terrain in Southampton on Long Island, New York, it stands alongside Augusta National, Pine Valley, Merion and Cypress Point as one of America’s great golf places.
Co Kerry-born Quinlivan has been its head pro since January 1, completing a journey that began with caddying at Ballybunion, where he learned the importance of doing a great job while making sure your customers are entertained and happy.
A native of Listowel, situated less than 10 miles east of Ballybunion’s famous Old Course, Quinlivan was one of the top Irish amateurs of the late 1990s, winning two of the biggest events (the East of Ireland and the Mullingar Scratch Trophy in 1997).
Then he gave the professional game a try, playing in four Irish Opens, and making 24 Challenge Tour appearances and several trips to Q-School on both sides of the pond. He played the Buy.com Tour in the United States (now the Korn Ferry Tour) and dabbled on the Canadian Tour, the PGA Tour Latinoamérica and the mini-tours in Florida. But that’s as far as things went.
“I had made a deal with myself that if I was not on the main tour by the time I was 30, I would pull the plug on it and get into this side of the business, and that’s what I did,” Quinlivan said. “I got to the second stage of Q-School again that year, but I didn’t progress to finals and at that point, my sponsors had just bought a golf course. Eoghan O’Connell was part of that group and I started my career in the club side of the business with those guys.”
With fellow Irishman O’Connell guiding him, Quinlivan worked his way up the PGA of America ladder, learning the ropes at The Fox Club in Florida before becoming an assistant professional at nearby Lost Tree Club in North Palm Beach. He then returned to The Fox Club as head professional for a season and a half before moving to Piping Rock Club on Long Island after a friend suggested he’d be an excellent fit for the job.
Now he’s at Shinnecock Hills, replacing Pittsburgh native Jack Druga, who in 2007 replaced Don McDougall, who had been the head pro for 45 years. Before McDougall, Charlie Thom had been the head professional at Shinnecock for 55 years.
“I was the third guy in 100 years,” Druga said.
Being just the fourth is the stuff of dreams for 47-year-old Quinlivan.
“I’m absolutely thrilled; it’s a big job over here for certain,” he said. “For me, this would be my version of winning a major.
“It’s a club that has hosted five U.S. Opens, the second-ever U.S. Amateur, the U.S. Women’s Amateur and the Walker Cup. It is certainly an iconic club in the United States, and you could argue that it is one of the world’s iconic championship courses.”
He will get to see the game’s greats tee it up at Shinnecock Hills in the U.S. Open in 2026, but the arrival of a major championship is just part of the job.
“Shinnecock Hills, in addition to being the first golf club on Long Island, the first in America to be incorporated and the first to have a clubhouse, assured itself one further distinction: it was the first golf club to establish a waiting list,” the great Herbert Warren Wind wrote of the club (which included women from day one) in his history of American golf.
“My job involves running day-to-day golf because in the U.S., it’s the club pro who runs the golf events,” said Quinlivan, who must also teach and play with members. “So you have your club events, which is really just your member events, and then you have outings and teaching.”
“I have big shoes to fill replacing Jack and the pros that came before me.” – Sean Quinlivan
Merchandising is another critical part of the job, but it’s people skills that are most highly valued, and Irish professionals have been particularly successful in the United States in that regard with the appointment of former Portmarnock Golf Club assistant Rory Sweeney as head professional at The Los Angeles Country Club a case in point.
“The Irish tend to be fairly easy to get along with, and ultimately we’re in that industry where we’re trying to let people have a good time, so I rate those interpersonal skills pretty highly,” Quinlivan said.
Shinnecock’s season started in late April, and Quinlivan knows how proud they are of one of the most iconic courses in the game. He hopes he can leave his mark in some way.
“I have big shoes to fill replacing Jack and the pros that came before me,” he said. “Whatever I can bring to the table in addition to that, I will do my utmost to do that. But in the beginning, my role is to get a feel for the culture of the club and the people, do the job put before me and work with the incredible team they have in place. Over time, if I can add value, that’s the ultimate goal.”