Amateur golfer Matthew McClean says Masters chance is ‘dream come true’

The Belfast man will be teeing it up with the best in the world at two of the biggest majors on the calendar after becoming the first Irishman to win the US Mid-Amateur Championship last September.

In clinching that title, McClean earned his stripes to be included in the field at some of the most prestigious golf tournaments in the world.

McClean will be supported by global technology company Kainos for the next year as he travels to the USA in the coming weeks to be in the hunt for the multimillion-dollar purse in both competitions.

An optometrist by profession, Malone Golf Club trailblazer McClean said: “The invitation to both The Masters in April and the US Open in June has been a dream come true for me. The support from Kainos is invaluable and allows me to focus on my game ahead of the busy period I’ve got coming up.

"It’s the right fit and the team at Kainos have been fantastic in making sure my preparation is where it needs to be. I’m aware that millions of people will be tuning in to both tournaments and I want to give this my best shot.

“The Masters is just weeks away, but even now I don’t think it has quite sunk in yet,” he added.

"I am really looking forward to playing alongside some of the world’s best very soon representing Kainos.”

Kainos employs over 3,000 people in 22 countries and has gained a strong reputation for helping people reach their full potential.

Over the past five years, the company has demonstrated its commitment to nurturing and developing talent by supporting 6,000 young people to develop digital skills.

Kainos is following in the footsteps of one of the company’s strategic technology partners, Workday Inc., who support fellow Northern Ireland golfing star Rory McIlroy.

Malachy Smith, Workday Global Practice Leader at Kainos, said: “It is fantastic to be able to put Kainos, a company from Northern Ireland and a home-grown talent such as Matthew together on the world stage.”