It’s been a quite a year for amateur golf in Great Britain and we asked some our leading players what were their stand-out moments and also asked them to look ahead to 2022
‘I had 172 to the flag and had to hit a hook over more wasteland to get to the flag. I hit it to eight feet and made birdie’
1) Your best round of the year and why?
That was probably my first round in the Lincolnshire Poacher Open. I shot -4 playing very poorly but just kept chipping away and holing putts. I think I had 24 putts for the round. Good golf isn’t all about shooting -8 or -9, it’s sometimes rounds like that that your more appreciative of as a player. I ended up winning the event by four having shot -3 in the afternoon.
2) Your best shot of the year and why?
This is a tough one as there are two that spring to mind. The first was at Seacroft in the Bramley Finals where I had 205 into the 15th into a stiff breeze and hit a 4-iron to five feet and made birdie to close my match out. The second was last week at Troia in the European Men’s Club Trophy where I was absolutely stimied behind a tree on the 12th and my ball was sitting in Sandy wasteland. I had 172 to the flag and had to hit a hook over more wasteland to get to the flag. I hit it to eight feet and made birdie but had I not have pulled it off it could have been a double bogey or worse. I’ll go with the latter!!
3) The best shot you saw and why?
Again there are a couple. One of them was by Darryn Lloyd who was one of my team-mates in Portugal. He played a shot in the practice round for the English Champion Club at Knole Park that was just a pretty shot!! He had 194 to a back right pin and into the wind and he’s hit a cut 5-iron to an inch, how it didn’t go in is beyond me!! The other was by James Crampton who was our other team-mate. He was my partner in the finals of the Elsham Foursomes at Elsham and he holed a 20-yard bunker shot on the par three 12th after I’d pulled my tee shot. The greens were rapid and it was slightly downhill all the way and it went in dead weight.
4) Your favourite moment of 2021 (this could be personal or something completely random but golf related)?
Favourite moment is without doubt qualifying as a club to play the European Men’s Team Trophy at Troia in Portugal by winning English Champion Club with Spalding at Knole Park. I’ve had a few individual wins this year and I captained the Lincs Mens team to the Anglian League trophy being undefeated but nothing will top that experience in Portugal and the support we received was incredible.
5) Your hopes and ambitions for 2022?
I’ve got a few swing changes to make this winter so it might be a long one!! My main goal is to compete in everything I play in. I know my best is good enough on any stage so my ambition every year is to win trophies. I want to defend the County Championships and if I do that I also then want to win Champion of Champions which I have also won before. On a team front, I want the county first team to win the league and Eastern County foursomes as well as qualifying for county finals. If Spalding can qualify for the European Men’s Team Trophy again it’s also back at Troia so that would be a shame wouldn’t it!
6) One thing you would change about about golf for next season?
I’ve struggled with my driver a bit this year so that is something I want to change. To become consistent off the tee allows me to shoot low scores as my iron and wedge play is good and gives me plenty of birdie opportunities. That then ties in with everything above and will give me more opportunities to win.