At just 17 years old, Seán Keeling has firmly established himself as one of the brightest young talents in Irish golf. It's understandable why some have dubbed him "The next Rory McIlroy." After all, his game is being refined at North Dublin's "Made in Holywood" Academy by Geoff Loughrey, who uses lessons learned under McIlroy’s coach, Michael Bannon.

As he teed it up at the Irish Open at Royal County Down -- flying back to Ireland after just a week in Lubbock for his freshman year at Texas Tech -- the excitement of playing a Monday practice round with legend Padraig Harrington kicked off Keeling's week. 

“Buzzing! Got a few days of good preparation so looking forward to getting going. Got my second cousin on the bag and he’s caddied for me before,” Keeling told Ronan MacNamara of Irish Golfer.

After 17 straight pars in Thursday's first round, Keeling birdied the last in near darkness for a 1-under 70 and followed it with a 1-over 72 to sit at even par heading into the weekend, safely under the projected cut of 2-over. But a disappointing 81 on Saturday dropped him well down the leaderboard. Sunday was much better, as three birdies early on the back nine got him to even par on the day, but three straight bogeys to finish resulted in a 3-over 74 and a 67th-place result. 

As Keeling heads back to Lubbock to begin his freshman year at Texas Tech in earnest, let's take a look at the career of the young golfer from the North Dublin town of Roganstown, Ireland.

Early Beginnings and Rise Through the Amateur Ranks

Keeling’s introduction was at age six when he took up his first golf summer camp in County Donegal.  Fast-forward to age 12, and Keeling was holding his own with a much more experienced and mature field in the North of Ireland at Royal Portrush. Just three years later, he won a Regional Qualifier for The Open. He was part of the Ireland U-16 Boys’ High-Performance squad and represented his country at prestigious events like the Junior Ryder Cup and the Jacques Leglise Trophy.

Keeling’s rise has been marked not only by his ability to compete but by his composure and maturity on the course. Known for his precise ball striking and competitive mindset, Keeling has drawn comparisons to some of Ireland’s most successful golfers, like McIlroy.