Back on the horse…

So after 6 months I finally pegged it up again as a professional golfer in a full field event. Quite a lot has changed since I last played in Bahrain for the King Hamed Trophy back in November and what an amazing, crazy, exhausting, sleep deprived sick and shit cleaning up time it has been.

Since welcoming Hugo into the world in February, to say my life and perspective on it has changed significantly would be an understatement. When I left Lauren and Hugo in Abu Dhabi this time around it was the first time I had been so torn in my decision making and did doubt if I was doing the right thing, was I ready to do this again?. Before the little ones arrival, I think Lauren was more relived when I left for events, kicking me out the door so she could have some peace and quiet but with Hugo it was the hardest thing I have done in quite some time. The feelings were just so different and now as a parent (still find that weird to say) it’s something I’m going to have to get comfortable or at least agreeable with going forward while playing professional golf.

These next few weeks I will be in in Phuket, Thailand. I have just finished my first event of four on the Mena/ Asian Development Tour. If I’m being honest, I did find this week quite challenging, as even though I have been practicing for the past month and doing some good work with my coach, nothing quite feels the same as proper competition and I have come to realize that I really need it to perform at my best. These past few months I have been trying to balance my role as a Dad, practice my golf game, coach two days a week in Dubai, bit of consulting work and still making the odd jar of granola on the side, so a little noisy overall and not massively conducive to competitive golf. My first round was far from ideal and could be seen as a complete disaster. A few years ago I would have probably been affected by it a little more but in the context of things and a neutral outlook the 75(+5) I shot was just a bit of a rusty performance and nothing more than that. A few too many wedge shots missed, a few misjudgments as the weather changed but what was most rewarding was the Bounceback in round two. A super solid round tee to green, an average display with the putter and a very competitive 65(-5) to finish level for the event but unfortunately miss the cut by 1 shot.

All in all a good week considering a day off today, was so good to be back in the saddle and thinking like a golfer again. I know it will take a few events to get my eye in properly but a 65 on day two and the manner in which I did it still leads me to believe there is life in the old dog yet! Hopefully this extreme humidity and heat will help shed some of the dad bod that has developed over the past 33 years but can’t see any signs of the tan lines subsiding any time soon. I’m used to heat coming from the Middle East but Asia is something else… you could jump in a pool and be drier than me on the golf course this week, can’t see that improving anytime soon so lots of fluids needed.

I’m next in action on Sunday-Tuesday in a jam packed two week stretch of golf, it’s gone from nothing to a lot, so let’s hope the body holds up and I can post some good numbers in the coming weeks.

Hope your all having a good week wherever you are in the world. For my fellow Wurzels, Seasiders and Bournemouth fans in Dorset, Up the Cherries! What an amazing night on Tuesday going back up to the Premier League, was well worth waking up at 1am to watch that 83rd minute winner! I was rocking an AFCB bucket hat (see photo) the following day to mark the occasion, what a crazy football hooligan I’am…

Will keep you posted how the next event goes…

Egg…Out!