A US Open winner, Olympic Gold Medallist and me? My Close House pro-am experience
By Matt Coles
It’s something I have never experienced before, and something I may never experience again.. But how was my day at the International Series England pro-am?
Thrills, spills, excitement and self-doubt – just part of the experience I had playing in the pro-am at the International Series England event at Close House.
The tournament is part of the Asian Tour, and the first of two stops in the UK this month, with Fairmont St Andrews playing host the week after Close House.
The Asian Tour has been the outlet for LIV golfers to earn rankings points, with the two organisations teaming up.
This meant that the likes of Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell, Patrick Reed and more would be featuring at Close House.
I thought I would only be getting the chance to talk to these players, though…
How it all came about…
When I first made contact with the guys at Performance54, playing in a pro-am hadn’t even crossed my mind.
To be totally honest, I didn’t even realise that there was going to be a pro-am.
When the opportunity presented itself, and I saw the email with the invite into the pro-am, there was a mixture of feelings.
Firstly, it was excitement. ‘Of course I want to play,’ said one part of me. But then the self-doubt crept in. ‘You’re not good enough to play in a pro-am,’ said another part.
I was then told in a second email that I would in Graeme McDowell’s group if I was to accept the invite, and considering he was one of the players I wanted to speak to, it was a no-brainer.
The day itself
When I arrived at Close House and I walked into the 18th Hospitality tent, I was surrounded by famous faces.
The Premier League’s all time record goalscorer, Alan Shearer and former England cricketers Steve Harmison and Ryan Sidebottom to name but a few.
Then I found out the rest of group for the day, and I immediately shrank into my boots a little bit.
I knew about GMac already, but then I get told I’m with Matt Fryer, one of the most prominent golf YouTubers out there. Oh, and to top it all off, Olympic Gold Medallist Sam Quek makes up the four-ball.
A major winner, an Olympic Gold Medallist and a golfing YouTuber.. What am I doing in this group?
Those first-tee nerves
Luckily, our group was not teeing off on either the 1st or 10th holes, so there were no fans around for my first shot.
I had also managed to hit a few balls on the range, and I was striking it well. That only added to the nerves, as if you hit them well on the range, usually it goes badly on the course.
The pressure was high. Especially having to follow Graeme and Matt, who had crunched drives down the middle from the tips.
Then, there was me. I was off the white tees, and as I was getting ready to hit my ball, Matt’s cameramen stood behind me and got ready to film.
I turned round to them as if to say ‘come on lads, I don’t need any extra pressure’. Fortunately enough, I took out the trusty 2-iron and hit one down the middle, went on to make par and I was underway.
How did I play?
As an 8-handicapper, my golf can be anywhere from terrific to horrendous, and we saw all of that on Wednesday morning at Close House.
The opening par was followed by two double bogeys, but there were then some pars along the rest of the back nine, including a great two-putt from 60-feet on the 18th.
My crowning moment came on the 2nd hole. From 156 yards, I hit a 9-iron to 18 inches. McDowell fist-bumped me for the shot, and my life was complete. Luckily I made the birdie putt.
Another birdie followed on the par-5 17th, before I ended the day with a par on the 11th, which was our final hole.
Most importantly, it was great fun, and there were laughs and jokes throughout the day.
My advice for anyone that ever gets an opportunity to even say yes to playing in a pro-am… Do it! You will never regret it.
It will be a day that lives long in my memory, and a story I will tell for years to come.
Have you ever played in a tournament pro-am before? If so, how did you get on? Let me know with a Tweet!
Matt Coles
Mention a European country, and Matt will tell you which resorts make the National Club Golfer Top 100s: European Resorts list. He might even throw in who designed the golf course and how many rooms the hotel has got at each one…
Matt got into the game of golf from a young age, following his old man to the local golf club. He fell for the sport, and now can’t seem to go a day without thinking about how to improve his game (Thanks Dad!). Matt has been a member of Howley Hall GC in Leeds since 2020, and is just about managing to maintain a single-figure handicap. He likes to remind people that he once broke 75, but won’t tell people that it was on a shortened course during the winter.
He moved to Leeds after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours degree in Sports Journalism. Matt joined NCG after almost five years travelling the world with the Professional Squash Association, working on events in all four corners of the globe.
Matt currently plays a Cobra King LTDx driver and RadSpeed 3-wood. TaylorMade monopolise the rest of his bag, with a SIM UDI, M5 irons and both Milled Grind and HI-TOE wedges, along with a Monza Redline putter. He uses a Vice Pro Plus golf ball, because he’s a bit different…
Away from golf, Matt is a Manchester United fan, and a keen runner, having ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (his first and possibly last), in May 2023.
