Golf

I have given golf its own page as it has meant so much to me since I first picked up a club at 10 years old. My grandfather introduced me to the game and I had my first lesson at Wentworth Golf Club, where he was a member.

After joining Coombe Hill as a 12 year old, I managed to get down to a scratch handicap at 15 years old, and won both the Surrey Under 16 and Surrey Under 18 championships in the same year.

I represented both Surrey boys and Surrey mens teams, winning the national county title against Yorkshire, and was also fortunate enough to be selected for England and Great Britain & Ireland at under-18 level, latterly playing against the continent of Europe, and beating them, at Turnberry in the Jacques L’Eglise Trophy, against the likes of Nicolas Colsaerts, Rafael Cabrera-Bello and Alex Noren.

Another notable moment was an appearance on the European Tour at the Canon European Masters in Switzerland as an 18 year old, playing in the same field as Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros, two of my idols.

Golf has taught me many lessons, and afforded me the opportunity to make some friends for life. The ethos, dedication, and general life-lessons taken from golf as a sport are something that I respect, and am proud to have been a part of during my formative years.

I decided to stop playing competitively when I was 20 years old for a few reasons. Firstly, I started to lose the love for the monotony of practise and travel. Secondly, I started to question whether I wanted to do this for the next 30-40 years of my life. And thirdly, business interested me. So I put the clubs away.

I now enjoy passing on the lessons and competitive streak to my two boys, Jenson and Blake.