HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A TOURNAMENT,
IS THERE A DIFFERENT ROUTINE FOR DIFFERENT
TYPES OF EVENTS (STROKE PLAY V MATCH PLAY)
AND FOR DIFFERENT COURSES?
“To be totally honest, it doesn’t change too much. Along
with my caddy Smartie (Jonathan Smart) we get the
mapping of the course done as well as we can and that’s
about it really. Whether we’re trying to score as well as
you can or beat another player it doesn’t’ really change.”
YOU HAD AN AMAZING AMATEUR CAREER, WHAT
ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ASPIRING GOLFERS
LOOKING TO MOVE UP THROUGH THE SATELLITE
TOURS TO THE TOP TIER?
“I knew I was a top-level amateur and just kept trying
to do the same things knowing it would take me where
I wanted to get to in professional golf. Luckily it has.
You’ve just got to trust in what you’re doing and if you’re
on the right tracks and doing the right things you’ll get
there. If you’re talented enough you will break through,
regardless. Some people it takes a bit more time and
others do it quickly.”
THE LIFE OF A TOUR GOLFER IS EXTREMELY HECTIC,
HOW DO YOU BALANCE THE TIME BETWEEN
WORK, TRAVEL AND YOUR FAMILY? WHAT’S THE
KEY TO PERFORMING WELL ON THE COURSE AND
ENJOYING THE BENEFITS OF YOUR JOB?
“It’s about time really. You just need to organize your
time really well, spending good quality time at home
with Nic, the dog and my family, relaxing and doing
normal things and then spending the right amount of
time in the gym and the right amount of time on the golf
course practicing to allow you to go golf tournaments
and freewheel and enjoy what you’re doing.”
DO YOU HAVE “GOOD” FRIENDS ON THE TOUR
AND WHO DO YOU SPEND MOST OF YOUR TIME
ON AND OFF THE COURSE?
“It helps. I’ve got my two best friends out on tour
caddying. John caddies for me and Sam caddies for Pete
Uihlein. I spend a good bit of time with Pete, Horsey,
Waring, a lot of the English lads stay together. And Nic
comes to 15 events a year which is nice.”
WE SEE THE LIKES OF POULTER AND WESTWOOD
SHARING PLANES TO AND FROM EVENTS, HAVE YOU
HAD THE JOYS OF BEING ON ANY OF THOSE FLIGHTS
AND ARE THEY AS GOOD FUN AS THEY SEEM!
“It is good fun. It’s one of those, when you do it, it’s more
for the convenience factor to get to and from a place as
quickly as possible so you can prepare for the next week.
If you want to try to win most weeks you need to prepare
correctly and if it can save you six or eight hours travelling
then it could pay dividends in the week to come. It’s
incredibly convenient but it’s also a good laugh!”
IF YOU HAD TO GIVE ONE PIECE OF ADVICE TO ANY
ASPIRING YOUNG GOLFER WHAT WOULD IT BE?
“Work hard and work clever.”
DO YOU HAVE A MOTTO OR QUOTE THAT YOU
LIVE BY OR STICK TOO?
“It’s the same as the last answer really and that’s not far
off. The older you get, you more you realize that quality
of time spent practicing and training is more important
than just the amount of time you spend. The more and
more you realize that the more efficiently you can work
and the more you get from it.
ISSUE 03 | YOURCADDY
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