I thought I may enjoy being the expert in the room but she opened the conversation by quietly mentioning she used to play off 2

Eve Muirhead visits the Golf Academy

Don’t you just hate those people who are good at everything? You know the ones: “I don’t really get to play very much these days,” and then strikes a perfect shot 200 yards down the fairway. It just doesn’t seem fair!

Well I was lucky to meet curling superstar and Winter Olympics medallist Eve Muirhead last week who was visiting the Links with Edinburgh rugby star Sam Hidalgo-Clyne to promote the St Andrews Links Open Championship 2015 Collection. Eve and Sam dropped into the Golf Academy for a bit of tuition from myself and Director of Instruction, Steve North.

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Eve was really friendly, good fun and a seriously talented golfer. I thought I may enjoy being the expert in the room but she opened the conversation by quietly mentioning she used to play off 2 and followed that up by clipping a very sweet 7 iron into the range with just a hint of fade. Aha, an elite sportsperson I see! Eve confessed to not playing as regularly as she would like but it was clear to see she still hits the ball great.

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Sam admitted to being a complete novice, but then proceeded to whack a ball with BOTH a right and left handed club beautifully 100 yards into the range. I didn’t know where to start!

The experience made it clear to me that skills you learn playing certain sports are often very transferrable to other pursuits. I’d encourage anyone who hasn’t taken up golf to give it a try; you never know what hidden talents you may discover!

June is upon us, and the US Open is just a couple of weeks away. Pinehurst is the host of this year’s event; a really iconic course in the USA, designed by Scottish Golf Course Architect, Donald Ross. Famous for the run-off areas around the greens, I expect a really tough challenge facing the players.

In terms of a pick for the Championship, the team here at the Golf Academy like the way Gary Woodland is swinging the club with his game seeming to be warming up nicely. Packed with power, Woodland has gone through extensive swing work with coach Butch Harmon and we’re impressed with the patience and dedication he’s shown. The improvements to his game were not seen straight away though. He’s had to endure a very frustrating 18 months whilst compatriots like Jason Duffner and Keegan Bradley have really shot into the world’s elite. However, he could just be a great example of how giving yourself enough time to improve and not rushing the process can bring great rewards. This is the reason we’re backing Woodland; he deserves it!

 

Words by Blair Cross, St Andrews Links Golf Academy Instructor

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