Michael F. Cahill (born 10 December 1951) is an Australian professional golfer. In 1971, Cahill had one of the best years in the history of Victorian amateur golf, becoming the first player to win the Victorian Junior Amateur and Victorian Senior Amateur in the same year. Shortly thereafter, Cahill turned pro and quickly had success, winning the 1977 Australian PGA Championship. In the ensuing years, however, citing personal problems and "poor practice habits," Cahill's game declined. In 1980, however, Cahill renewed his relationship with former mentor Kevin Hartley and his game improved, culminating with a three wins in Western Australia in May 1982. Later in the decade, Cahill started working as a club professional, a job he continues to perform.
Early life Cahill is from Altona, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. His father, Frank Cahill, was a "famous" Australian rules football player.
Cahill later stated that he wanted to be a professional golfer since the age of 14. He modeled his swing after Bruce Devlin. He left school the following year to turn pro. However, he couldn't find a job as an assistant professional so he returned to school. At the age of 15, the professional Geoff Parslow began to instruct him on his golf swing. Leading amateur Kevin Hartley also served as a mentor. During his youth, Cahill was also a member of Yarra Yarra Golf Club. Cahill won the club championship at Yarra Yarra "multiple times" as a teenager.
In the late 1960s, Cahill graduated from Altona High School and started attending Footscray Technical College as an accounting major.
Amateur career In 1969, Cahill first achieved significant media attention for his golf at the Victorian Amateur Championship. He reached the semifinals where he played his mentor Kevin Hartley. Cahill was "soundly beaten" by Hartley, 4 & 3. However, Hartley was in admiration of Cahill's skills, stating after the match he "learnt a few things" from his competitor. The following year, Cahill earned rights to play for Victoria's team at the Australian Junior Interstate Team Matches. Cahill helped his team win the event. He also won the Kooringal Golf Club's club championship in 1970.
In 1971, Cahill had one of the best years in the history of Victorian amateur golf. In February, he played the two-round Victoria Junior Open Golf Championship. In the final round, he shot a 69, tying for the round of the tournament, to win by four strokes. In September, he played the Victorian Amateur Championship again. It was held at his home course, Yarra Yarra Golf Club. Cahill reached the finals where he faced Ken Kilburn. Cahill defeated Kilburn 4 & 3. After the match Kilburn stated, "Cahill has the ability and the potential to do anything in golf. He has more potential than any other player I have seen in my career in amateur golf." In November, he played the two-round Champion of Champions at Commonwealth Golf Club. In the middle of the second round Cahill "virtually clinched" the title with three consecutive birdies. He won by four strokes. Peg McMahon of The Age stated, "Cahill's phenomenal run of success is a record for Victorian golf." It was the first time anyone in a singular year had won the Victorian Junior, Victorian Amateur, and Champion of Champions.
Cahill continued to have success at amateur golf through the early 1970s. In February 1972, Cahill played the Victorian Junior Golf Championship in defense of his championship. He finished in fourth place, two back. In June, he played the Victorian Senior Amateur again. It was held at Kingston Heath Golf Club. In the semifinals, he played Bill Britten. Cahill won on the 36th hole, 1 up. In the finals he was scheduled to play Ray Jenner. Cahill won easily, 8 & 7. "I never really had a chance," Jenner said after the match. "He's in another class." After the event, Peter Stone of The Age wrote, "Potentially, Cahill could become one of Australia's great golfers." In late June, he was selected to represent Australia at the 1972 Eisenhower Trophy. The team finished in second place to the United States.
In June 1973, Cahill returned to defend his Victorian Amateur Championship title. He reached the finals where he faced Ray Jenner again. Cahill defeated Jenner 3 & 2. After the event, Jack Lovett, president of the Victorian Golf Association said to Cahill, "You have joined the immortals of Victorian golf."
Professional career In late 1973, Cahill started working as an assistant professional. In December, he played one of his first tournaments as a pro at the Assistant Professional Championship. He finished in a tie for sixth. In May 1974, he played the Rothman's $1,000 at Shepparton. Cahill shot 74 to tie for the win with Rob McNaughton. However, because Cahill was still a "probationary professional" he was not allowed to earn money. A month later he played the Yarrawonga and Border Open for the first time. Cahill "was the only player able to handle the high wind" and won by seven strokes. In late July, Cahill tied for the win at the Hanimex-Kooringal purse. However, he was still not eligible to earn prize money. On August 1, he became eligible to earn prize money. In mid-August, he played the Mobil $1,000 pro-am tournament. Cahill scored an eagle at the par-5 final hole to punctuate a five-shot win. During this era, Cahill worked as an assistant pro at Yarra Yarra Golf Club for Geoff Parslow.
In 1975, the golfer Norman Von Nida began to serve as a mentor and supported Cahill's career. In March, based exclusively on a recommendation from von Nida, Cahill traveled to Europe to play on the European Tour. During his first three months in Europe, Cahill did not have much success; his only earnings were 120 pounds at the Madrid Open and he needed government assistance to get by. Despite these difficulties, in July, Cahill qualified for and made the cut at the 1975 Open Championship. However, in general it was a disappointing tour of Europe. Cahill made the cut in only three of eight events and finished 138th on the Order of Merit. As of September, he had returned to Australia. He had much more success in his home country. Late in the month, he played the Queensland Open. In the third round, Cahill "burst... into contention" with a two-under-par 68. He was in solo second, one back of Mike Ferguson. Cahill played poorly in the final round but still secured solo third. The following week he played the West Lakes Classic. On Sunday, Cahill made three birdies and an eagle on the back nine to record a 67 (−4) and take the clubhouse lead. He ultimately entered a sudden-death playoff with Bob Shearer. On the second playoff hole "Cahill almost won it" but Shearer managed to go up and down from off the green. On the third playoff hole Cahill hit his approach well over the green assuring bogey. Shearer's "safe par" won the event. Terry Smith, the golf journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald, referred to Cahill as the "new Bruce Devlin", while Peter Thomson said Cahill was "a new star."
The remainder of the mid-1970s were not as successful, however. In January 1976, Cahill played the Australian PGA Championship at Rosebud Country Club. He opened with a four-under-par 68 to break the course record, sharing the lead with Bill Dunk. However, he was "disqualified" in the second round. The Australian PGA stated that Cahill was "ineligible" because he had not played for three full years as a "trainee professional." Cahill was not happy with the decision and "left the course in disgust." As of April, he returned to play on the European Tour. In the middle of the European season, he attempted to qualify for the 1976 Open Championship. During the first qualifying round, he was playing directly behind crane operator Maurice Flitcroft, who had never played golf before. Flitcroft ended up shooting an extremely high score, delaying groups behind him. This personally frustrated Cahill. "I just snapped at the 12th and accosted him," he later said. "I yelled at him that this wasn't a circus and told him to get off the course." Cahill ultimately "missed qualifying for the Open by heaps." Overall, Cahill did not have much success in Europe, recording only one top-25 and finishing outside the top 100 of the Order of Merit once again. Cahill shortly returned to Australia. He recorded a few highlights, finishing joint third at the Queensland Open and solo second at the Tasmanian Open. He also won the Victorian Close Championship during the season, a minor event.
As of April 1977, he was playing on the European Tour again. His poor play returned. During the European year, Cahill made the cut in the majority of his events but did not produce many high finishes, only recording one top-25. He finished well back on the Order of Merit again, in 85th place. Around this era, he was thinking about quitting golf. He later said, "I thought of throwing the clubs away for a while and doing something else... driving a cab or anything at all to make money." However, his former supervisor at Yarra Yarra, Geoff Parslow, encouraged him to keep going. Parslow spent a week with Cahill on the practice range "ironing out the blemishes in his swing."
In November 1977, Cahill played the Telecom Australian PGA Championship played at Yarra Yarra Golf Club, his home course. Cahill opened with rounds of 69 and 70 to put him one back of the lead after each round. In the third round he "played confidently," shooting a 32 on the front nine to take the solo lead. In the final round, Cahill started poorly with a bogey on the first hole. However, his primary competitors, Mike Ferguson and Bob Byman, self-imploded during the middle of the front nine, with several over-par holes. Cahill, meanwhile, steadied, shooting a par-36 for the front nine to put himself in "a comfortable position." Though Jack Newton and Graham Marsh "made brief rallies" there "was no great pressure on" Cahill. With a final round 70, Cahill finished at 278 (−10) and defeated Ferguson, the solo runner-up, by four strokes. Cahill won A$22,000 for his win, roughly $20,000 greater than his previous highest cheque as a golfer. It was "his first major professional victory." The win put him near the lead on the PGA Tour of Australia's Order of Merit. In addition, it also helped him earn membership for Australia's 1977 World Cup team. Due to the success, Trevor Grant of The Age wrote that Cahill was "the young Australian most likely to make the biggest impact on the international scene."
In early 1978, Cahill had a number of high finishes across the world. In January, he recorded a top five at the Caltex Festival of Sydney Open. In February, he played the Tasmanian Open. Cahill was just a shot off the lead after three rounds. He played poorly in the final round though still finished in the top ten. In March, he played the Thailand Open. In the third round, he shot a 65 (−7) to break the course record move into joint second, one off the lead. Cahill again faltered in the final round though still easily finished in the top ten. Unlike previous years, Cahill did not play on the European Tour. However, in July he did go to Scotland in an attempt to qualify for the 1978 Open Championship. Cahill was successful at the two-round qualifier. Cahill opened with rounds of 71 and 72 to make the cut. In the final round, Cahill made "one of the strongest finishes" of the tournament with six birdies to record a four-under-par 68. He finished at 286 (−2) and in a tie for 11th place. Cahill later said, "That 68 was probably my finest round." He was the second highest Australian in the field.