‘I still drive my mum’s car – my clubs barely fit in it!’
How does shinty work?
The stick has a wee curve but a longer head than a hockey stick, there’s a lot of finesse at the top of the game. I was brought up with it and always follow it, you can hit it both sides and defenders have more loft on both sides.
My papa used to fix sticks when he stopped playing, my dad played at a high level and my papa made his sticks. When it would break he would bind it together. My dad’s favourite stick was from a pick shaft, ground down and put into head of shinty stick.
I would have less loft on my good hand as the chances of making a clean strike with my bad hand were slimmer.
Everyone seems to be trying out new clubs this week. What’s it like as maybe the only left-hander on tour this week?
It is limited whichever equipment company you are with but if something’s working then won’t change it. The new stuff is out but I’ve not got it yet, if I’m more controlled with something why would I change it?
Even from a young age the driver that I wanted wasn’t available. I’m still using the TaylorMade Aeroburner 3-wood that I’ve had since I was 17. They just can’t me out of it. I find 3-woods and putters really hard to find.
When I first got the Aeroburner I couldn’t hit it and it was in my garage for two years, then I decided that I needed something less spinny and, from 280 yards if I have a go at one and hit it good then it will get there. If I mishit it it still goes, if I mishit others they just spin too much. The European Tour is premium so hopefully it will be useful for me.
How easy – or hard – have you found sponsorship to come by?
I’m not an easy one for sponsorship, I’m from a small town, which is two hours from the nearest city and I’m not in a prime location. But I signed with Bounce Sports and have done their amateur to pro scheme where the top ams get sponsorship from Aberdeen Asset, Scottish Hydro and Scottish Golf for the first two years if you’re still on the Challenge Tour.
I’ve been with TaylorMade since I was 16 so that’s a no-brainer for a club deal.
I’d also like to do more stuff locally but it’s difficult as it costs to have a spot on your shirt have to pay but I try to boost my home club, Glencruitten, as much as I can. I always like to keep stuff closer to home.
What’s Glencruitten like?
It’s a parkland, no par 5s, a par 62 and some of the par 3s are beasts. My competition lowest score is about 4-under so it’s not as if it’s a gimme. People laugh at the par of 62 but it’s very hilly.
I played something like 29 events in 33 weeks last year, which is too much but I had to do it, and Glencruitten is somewhere without any hassle.
We’ve already heard a lot about Cameron Champ in the States, what was it like playing him in the Walker Cup?
Yeah, I gave him a good seeing to there (laughs). He was consistently 50-80 yards ahead of me and so straight, I couldn’t even think about playing the guy. So I had to play the course.
If we both played our best then I would probably lose as he was hitting shorter irons in but the chances of him playing great when I’m playing great are slimmer as I was always hitting in first and putting so much pressure on him.
What was the return match like the following day?
I felt like he was out for a bit of revenge but I’m one of them guys who, until I’m beat, I’m not down. It was some match and I was hanging in there, he started really playing well and I holed a 40-footer at 16 when he was very close. He then holed from 20 feet for par at 18 after hacking out and I was 15 feet away for a birdie.
We were beat as a team so I thought if it drops, it drops but don’t hit it six feet by. I hit it three feet by and smiled at him and I thought, ‘Come on, just give us that!’ He did. He’s a really nice guy.
What do you make of the Scottish Amateur final being played over 18 holes?
I don’t know what the plan is there. I would have lost 4&3, maybe more as I came back a bit at the end of the first round.
You want it to be a marathon and not a sprint. Even if you are up in the morning, whatever the score you are always thinking of what could happen and vice versa so 18 holes is a bit short. I think it should be 36 holes for a final.
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‘I was hell bent on improving – Tiger was hitting shots your brain could not even fathom’
From the Alps Tour to the heights of Augusta National
Mark Townsend
Been watching and playing golf since the early 80s and generally still stuck in this period. Huge fan of all things Robert Rock, less so white belts. Handicap of 8, fragile mind and short game
