golfweloveit

Before coming to Wimbledon where she has just won the Ladies Championship, tennis world number one Ash Barty warmed up with a round of golf at The Belfry.

The 25 year old met her boyfriend, professional golfer Garry Kissick, on a golf course in Queensland.

She has a 3.9 handicap and is the club champion at Brookwater Golf Club in Brisbane. Ashleigh’s dad also played as an amateur for Australia.

Her form even captured Tiger Woods’ attention before the Royal Melbourne Presidents Cup.

“She’s got a great swing, are you kidding me?” the 15-times major winner said after watching Barty show off her skills on the banks of the Yarra River by striking a wedge to a small makeshift green on the water. There’s Ernie Els in the picture also watching her.

Ash has talked to the Australian media about her famiky’s interest in golf.

“Where did golf start for me? My dad (Robert) was a very good golfer. He represented Australia as an amateur and was taking steps to go to college and go through that pathway to become a tour pro, but it didn’t work out for him in the end. He decided to stay home and ended up giving the game away. For more than 20 years he didn’t pick up a club and I always used to muck around in the backyard with whatever old clubs I could find. Then, when I stopped playing tennis there for a while, it was an opportunity to play a little bit more golf and Dad and I started playing together a bit. I think I was hooked from that moment on.

Golf has always been a sport that’s come quite naturally to me. I mean, even my mum was a very, very good golfer herself and her whole family loves to play. I guess if there was one sport that’s truly in the Barty genes, it’s probably golf, more so than tennis”

There are definite similarities between pro tennis and golf. I think as tennis players, you have to be selfish at times, which I think is not dissimilar to golf. But then there are times in Fed Cups and team events like the Olympics where you have to come together as a team. And that’s the time that I enjoy the most – being able to enjoy it with other people and try to bring out the best in them. I think that’s what a lot of those guys love so much about the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup. When they get to come together with the best in the world and test themselves with the best of the world, it’s something they’ll treasure forever.

My bucket-list experience in golf would have to be Augusta National. I think for many people that’s on top of their bucket list, isn’t it? We had plans to go last year, which was, at that time of year, it would have been really special, but things happen for a reason. Hopefully it means that we get another opportunity down the track”

Congratulations on her blistering win on Centre Court today.

I dare you to wear them at your club…

Following on from its Women In Golf Charter, the R&A have this week launched a new initiative called #FORE everyone to encourage more women and girls into the sport.

The Women In Golf Charter, which began in 2018, now has ober 1,000 clubs, golf facilities and golf industry organisations signed up to drive change and break down barriers. The aim is to increase the numbers of women and girls playing golf globally and create more employment opportunities.

#FOREeveryone has been launched as part of the charter, with England Golf, Scottish Golf, Golf Ireland, Wales Golf and the PGA providing support materials to clubs and golf venues to attract new female golfers. Since the industry side of #FOREGolf was initiated in 2020, 740 venues have since signed up, ready to welcome new female golfers.

To reach out to potential female golfers the website FOREeveryone.com has been set up to showcase the sport, give practical advice on how to get started, the health and social benefits and to challenge misconceptions.

Chief Development Officer at the R&A Phil Anderton says

“The R&A is demonstrating its commitment to vrete greater equality across golf. FOREeveryone is the next step to have more women and girls involved at all levels.

During the pandemic when people were looking for outdoor pursuits to be enjoyed safely we saw a heightened interest including from women and girls. Now is the perfect time to ensure this interest is maintained so women and girls enjoy the sport for many years to come”.

Welsh football superstar Gareth Bale is supporting the Cazoo Open at Celtic Manor Resort, Newport July 22-25. His agents ICM Stellar Sports have signed a three year deal to promote the tournament.

Gareth is an avid golfer who wants to play a part in developing professional and junior golf in Wales.

My agents ICM Stellar Sports and I decided we wanted to make golf in Wales bigger and believe that the Cazoo Open can play a big role in that. We want to make it a real spectacle. To have the Welsh public involved would be amazing. We want to get youngsters out there to watch the players.

Juniors under 12 go free to the tournament and 13-17 have a reduced ticket price. The all ticket event, run along the covid guidelines of the Welsh government, has tickets only available on eventbrite.

Sir Nick Faldo, winner of six major championships will return to Hertfordshire the golf club where he learnt to play, Welwyn Garden City GC next week. He will be launching the 25th anniversary of the Faldo Series, and its largest championship.

The first two days will see 282 boys play over two courses at nearby Brocket Hall GC whilst 93 girls will compete at Welwyn Garden City GC. On the final day both categories will come together at Brocket Hall. The age category winners will earn an invite to the Faldo Series final in Abu Dhabi in October.

Sir Nick said “when the series began back in 1996 it presented an opportunity for me to give back to the game. How far we’ve come over those 25 years is unbelievable. Looking at 3 courses full of ambitious, talented boys and girls and hosting a competition with 375 players is mind blowing but demonstrates the exciting future for golf”.

10 further events will be played throughout the summer.

I watched this happen as it happened at the Scottish Open on Sky Sports this morning. A spectator wandered onto the tee box as Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm were preparing for their tee shots. The spectator wandered over to Rory’s bag rifled through it and helped himself to a club and one of his headcovers, put the headcover on the tee and was preparing to take a swing at it. When finally one of the officials in a blazer intervened and ever so politely told him to desist and Rahm’s caddie called for security. The spectator was then frog marched away by two marshalls holding him either side, even though in Scotland the social distancing rules are strict. What was so hilarious was that Rory and Jon sort of froze in disbelief and the spectator carried on regardless and nearly did what he wanted to do which was belt the animal headcover down the fairway.

Now this picture made me wince, I literally couldn’t do this.

If we really love golf, we practice and play as often as other commitments allow, and if we do too much it generally takes its toll. In my case a fractured lower disc which can play up occasionally, as it is now. That means that, as much as I love it, I play golf sparingly and hold my breath that “the back” wont be back.

When a big wig in golf once said to me “you don’t play golf, do you?” I silently screamed for five seconds before beaming him a tolerant smile and replied “That is not true. I play golf when my back allows”.

And that’s the thing. Golf can be a lifetime sport if it is taken with good measure, unless you’re planning to be a world beating professional, and the money involved does have an element of compensation for earning a living through a sport that can be cut short through injury. So to prolong your golfing lives, please don’t do what I did and over rotate and over practice while you’re younger. Take it nice and steady to protect your back.

I do pilates to strengthen my core.There are plenty of golf specific programmes, usually led by nubile females, Here’s one which is quite good, look after your back to look after your golf.

As advertised by UK based Golf Jobs

And until it does, hopefully some R and R for the England football team on the golf course to recharge their batteries.

For the football obsessed who also enjoy their golf, you might like to visit caddyclubgolf.com which has a wide range of headcovers and scorecard holders in many teams colours. There is an England one to sport round the golf course, after we win the Euros on Sunday. Though its the nostalgia feel for the old football grounds of Arsenal, Spurs and West Ham

I especially liked this product, the golf tidy cabinet which is £99.99. Worth a look at these products.

I was watching the Scottish Open this morning and saw Tommy Fleetwood play a few holes. He was dressed top to toe in grey, but what I noticed was how grey his face looked.

Then I realised. He was wearing heavy duty sun block.

It’s something that you don’t often see, skin that grey, but hopefully most professional golfers do wear sun protection as golfers have a greater risk of developing skin cancer, the most common form of cancer in the world.

From the professional ranks, both Adam Scott and Andy North have had surgery for skin cancer, but its something even the most casual of golfers should take very seriously.

I carry sunscreen around in my bag every day having very fair Scandinavian type skin with freckles. It’s essential to put it on for any exposure to the sun, especially on cloudy days. It’s an essential just like car keys and mobile phones for men to have in their pockets and females to keep in their handbags, and use it and reapply it, especially on the golf course. For me, always using sun protection has had the added bonus of keeping the wrinkles away!

With hand sanitiser stations being positioned around golf courses and in clubhouses, it also makes sense to have sun screen applicators available in the same place, the risk of skin cancer from UV exposure is as equally deadly as contracting Covid. Using sun block is like being vaccinated, you need it for protection.

In Australia, which has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world, there was a TV ad campaign called Slip, slop, slap. That meant slip on a t shirt (cover up in the sun), slop on the sun block and slap on a sun hat.

Now that’s wear the grey man has only got it two thirds right. Tommy Fleetwood is renowned for not wearing any cap or visor. That’s not about him turning down sponsorship money for advertising on the headwear, it’s about letting his trademark Jesus style hair flow freely. Daft if you ask me, he should be covering that up too. Though glad ro see Team GB uniform has got Tommy to wear one for the Olympics.

Safety over vanity, always rules.