Welcome back to Linked by Golf, the podcast exploding the
journeys of people linked by the game.
I'm your host Ross McGuire, and today's episode is a special one
as I'm joined by John Gallagher, Scottish Amateur Champion, 2005
British Amateur finalist and one of the most distinctive players
to come out of Scottish amateur golf in recent decades.
We talked about his run to the final at Royal Birkdale in the
Amateur Championship, the night he couldn't sleep for dreaming
about Augusta and what it really takes to compete at the top
level of the amateur game, from county golf with the Lothians to
representing Scotland in international stage.
But more than that, this is about the field journey from a
teenager falling in love with the game on the Pennland House
to the grade of Professional Golf, to still competing and
still loving it. Today.
Let's go over to John. John Gallagher, how are you
doing? Great to have you on the show.
Across Good to see you mate. It's been a while.
Only 20. Years now, about 20 years since
we were down. Obviously we were talking about
11 trophy there. Even the news 4 summers was a
special moment when we first met.
That was pretty special as well, but no good great to obviously
be on the show. I really enjoy your stuff.
I've watched all your, you know, mostly all your episodes.
I love to speak like looking at all the old guys and their
stories and and I guess I'm one of the old guys now, right so.
And then and then John, you were playing, it's a privilege of
playing Thumbry yesterday. So what's the course like?
No versus what it used to be. I felt the changes are very.
Good. Yeah, we sort.
No, it wasn't actually. We were on the baguette.
We weren't on a big course yesterday, but I was through I
was through supporting a really brilliant charity and the John
Hudson Foundation. I've been going to this event
now for the past 10 years. I think the the clothing come
there that helped me out with 1977 names been helping me for
quite some time. They sponsor the event and and
through that I've got to meet like John himself and not just
John, all the other guys and better the mix.
There was Rangers players back in the day and and Celtic
players and I do love football. So it's great for me to go and
the probably last thing they want to talk about is football.
But I'd be over there chatting about what was this like?
What was that like? But no, we had a great day
yesterday would have Douglas was was in our team, who was the ex
Celtic goalkeeper and then just a great day, just a brilliant
day. So Brown, Brown to be able to go
through Robert the Bruce is it's a beautiful order.
It really is. It's an amazing golf course.
It's a tough golf course, Robert, the press say is really
hard with all the golf bushes and stuff for.
That yeah, it's tight. It's a lot tighter than I
remember. We've done the British Amateur.
They are. Let me see.
I think it might have been 2009 and I struggled on the recourse,
to be honest with you, and done probably better on a big course.
But yeah, it's a really tight golf course.
But I have to say the condition of it yesterday was was
exceptional. I've been very fortunate.
I've played, I've played some of the big links courses this year
already. I've been up to Kings Barns,
I've been on the Old Course and Dumb, Dumb Bars in beautiful
order and I've been and Castle Shoot as well for that.
And yeah, just growing to play. We've got some great lengths,
golf courses in Scotland, Ross, so we're very fortunate, you
know. Absolutely, I'm a jump straight
into pleasant time John, but how did you get into the game but
got you're going? I got into the game and my dad
worked on golf courses and he was a green keeper course
manager and I was young. Let me see, I think I was quite
late to playing golf. I was 14 when I started playing
and it was like golf course on the side of the Penitent Hill
Swans. Then.
That's where I kind of grew up. And yeah, I remember the summer
I was playing football for North America at the time and I was
kind of in and out the team. And I remember my dad saying to
me said, son, if you don't, if you don't play golf this year,
I'm not going to bother renewing your membership because you've
been a member for two years and you've never played yet.
And I went up there at the time and it was a pile of juniors.
It was, it was a great junior, like like probably most people
from our generation, there was a lot of juniors at the time at
golf courses. And I just fell in love with it.
And that summer holiday, it just, I just kind of just got
the bug. Did I say?
And there And yeah, I was just constantly up there.
My mom, my mom and my dad would drop me off.
And I was there from like 7:00 in the morning until like dark.
It was just amazing. You know, it really was.
It was a great upbringing and playing playing golf as a
youngster. Brilliant And then what was your
progression like? Because I mean I know you're a
professional now, of course you have been for many years, you've
had some great achievements. But what was your progression
the game like I. Did pick up the game quite
quickly at just kind of started, started going up to Swans then
and my hand, it was all handicapped at the time.
And I have to be honest, we know Ross, the new handicap system,
something that I've not mastered or did US even want to get in
because it's just too complicated for me.
No, but, but yeah, I just, I remember the first handicap I
got, it was 18 and by 16 I'd won the junior championships, or
within two years I've won the junior championship and I was
down at 5:00 and I can actually remember the time when I got cut
to scratch and which at the time was a big deal on the old
handicap. Yeah, UPS, absolutely.
It was a. Group of guys, I was 18 and we
went up to Royal Dornoch and we've done a 36 will open.
And I was actually talking about this just last week because we
were up there playing an event and it was one round on the
street and one round on the on on the Royal Donic itself.
And I was like 5 or 6 over around the so-called recourse.
But it was really tricky and I shot level part on the back
course. So I was up .1 on the recourse
and then I got absolute annihilated.
It was like standard scratch was like 3 or 4 above par and from
like I don't know, it was maybe like .9 or one one dead to like
a we don't scratch, which was great.
I remember it. Yeah.
It was good. It was a good feeling, Yeah.
So I think that. Especially door knocking.
What you make of the courses up there?
How do you find? It's amazing like that.
I just think that the landscape up there, like I think the drive
up is probably the best 4 hour drive we have, you know, and
I've done a lot of driving down South and the bigger roads, not
one that I care for too much, but the drive, the drive up to
Avi Moore is just about up through Avi Moore.
It's beautiful, right? And you got there I had a great
Sunday. I I drove up there stopped and
are they more than a bit of practice?
Probably the best back backdrop in practice facility if you're
going to hit some balls there and then went up to cap Cabal
Highlands had eighteen holes around that golf course and got
to door and I can played the golf course the following day.
And I mean, it's just, yeah, it's a beautiful place.
It's I mean, it's up there for me.
It would be. It's definitely one of the top
five links golf courses that I'll have played probably, I
think. Absolutely and I just circling
back on your I guess your amateur golf John.
So you got to 18 you're off scratch.
Where did it go from there? Were you playing like county
team and then starting to play back opens and.
Stuff So I broke into and I watched Jennifer with Scott
Knowles and he was my captain when I got at the both ends team
and it was an amazing. It was an amazing because it was
a big deal for for me to play in the county and I really enjoyed
it. And yeah, I got into that team.
I wasn't really in the Lothians boys at the time because I just
there was guys just better and they've been playing more and I
kind of got in a little bit later Tennessee.
But when I got into the county men's team out of it, I think
that I made my debut at Northumberland, which is like a
12 man team. And Oh yeah, it's like it's a
great, it's a great competitive. It's a great day, a couple of
days, but you go down there and I quickly realized Scott being
the captain and all the other guys, that was more of a social
for the guys. They were in for a better social
and golf, but and they were competitive, but I kind of got
into and we had a great. I remember them having a great
conversation with Scott about four in the morning coming back
along the road. But but no, we had a great, we
had a great team that the guys weren't brilliant.
We had some brilliant players, guys that Scott touched on, you
know, guys that maybe never wanted to play take their golf
down on the level on regards to. It wasn't through ability.
It was probably just time or family.
But we had some brilliant players and Simon McKenzie, who
was my partner, he was, he was exceptional amateur golfer them.
So it was great to play with him.
And I still play with them. I'm still still, I still catch
up with Simon, you know, probably 3 or 4 * a year.
We'll catch a game. And, and obviously like that,
Keith Nicholson and there was guys from Silver knows, you
know, Tom Caldwell, Keith Riley, these guys were, it was just
brilliant for me to be in that environment and playing with the
older guys and learning from them because that's what I was
doing. I was just picking up Nuggets
from these guys every time I got up, you know, and it was like,
it was good. Yeah.
And also it was brilliant. And the Lothian is a great set
up. I was at Dalmhoe for what, three
years? Oh, a huge amount of time.
But we played, you know, some really good league formats in
the winter and the summer. Then the championship was always
good courses. So in What's Your memories are
just playing golf across the Lothians.
Yeah, just I mean we played, I mean I played we we were one
county championships when the area team championships a couple
of times. And at the time it was a it was
a six man team, you know, 7 in the squad.
One was sub and and I it was just a great comradery.
You know, we had brilliant trips away and playing against really
good players and and it was just I just seen it.
For me, it was just a natural regression because I was doing
quite well at the Golf Club that I was growing up.
I was I'd won the club championships and I'd won the
the men's and then you went away clean audience and I didn't I
didn't. I mean I didn't win bro it I
don't win loads of opens, but I want a few of them.
And yeah, the six man team events, the match play stuff was
stuff that I really liked and I really enjoyed.
And as I say, I think just being round even till this day, like
when you're playing you it's great to play with great golfers
because you're learning off them, you know, and I think
that's one thing that I would say young people now is if you
get the opportunity to play with better golfers, take it, you
know, even if you feel a little bit uncomfortable about first,
because that's only going to help you in the end.
You know, playing around guys that are great chippers or good
drivers of the golf ball or people who've managed the golf
ball really well. And that's that's all right
benefit for for young people. And that and that's what I took
from being in the Lothians. I just, you know, I had great
foursomes part. I said Simon McKenzie had Scott
Walker, who was another W London member, and our record was
really good at the two ball foursome.
So and it was, it was, it was good.
We had a good time. We won.
We won quite a lot actually. We've done quite well with that.
Yeah, it was good. Absolutely.
And then John, your, your, your golf obviously continued to
improve and you won the 2005 Craig Miller Park Open, which
led to some incredible runs over the next few years.
So talk us through that stage and how you got through that
progression and what things happened next.
At the time, Ross, I was green keeping at the time at Merchants
of Edinburgh and I approached the Golf Club.
So we were, I've been green keeping since I'd like school at
16. And we approached the Golf Club
because my form was getting quite well.
I was doing quite well on the load and said we we wanted to
go. We wanted to try and test
ourselves at the next level and went to the golf course and
asked them if we should go down a three day week.
And the club agreed to it, but they kind of said that we need
to work. You know, it was like, I think
it was like 36 hours in the three days or something like
that. And we kind of quickly decided
that that probably wasn't going to benefit me.
I would be probably pretty spent by the time I got to the
Thursday, Friday, because our tournament started on the Friday
and the amateur golf, as you know, you would go down, yeah,
you'd go down sometimes in the Wednesday night for the Thursday
practice or Thursday morning for the Thursday afternoon practice.
And then, and then it was like a Friday, Saturday, two runs on
the Sunday. So my parents at the time, they
decided to, you know, they, we've got a plan in place.
We said they're going to support you for the for the two years.
So that was at the start of 2004, and I'll be honest, we're
off the first year off I had had from not working.
I can't I wasn't wasting my time, but I wasn't utilizing my
time as well as I probably should have.
Was I put the golf course playing with my friends a lot,
maybe not practicing as hard and just having a bit of a almost
like about my jolly, but probably not doing it because
it's just doing it because I probably didn't know how to get
the best of my time. Yeah, in 2004 there was some
good results. I was third in the Scottish top
plate London links, which was a it was a big tournament.
It was an international tournament and Richard Ramsey
actually won it that year and at London and I was I was tied 3rd
at the time. So that was that was my first
kind of big result in amateur golf.
But there wasn't really a lot to follow up.
But then at the start of 2005, I'd kind of worked hard over the
went art and they probably learned from a mistakes a little
bit from the previous year and was just an update our place.
So by the time Kigmar Park came round, which was our first kind
of 72 hauler, I was playing. I was playing really well and it
was a really tough day. The weather was really rough in
fact, and the winning score wasn't all.
I think I might have been 8 or 9 on the par for the four rounds,
but it was really windy and they probably shoot me at the time
with the way I played golf because I was quite.
I would hit a quite low grown up on the countenance and low shots
and punches. Just keeping the ball is low and
yeah, I went out at the time with the in the last day, the
last day, six holes was with Jimmy Mccleady who he was an
established amateur played in the Scotland team at the time.
I think Jamie had maybe won the Scottish Youths as well.
So he was very well established and I went out and I managed to
manage to went over the last, you know, 36 holes which got me
out of the winning a back tournament and the amateur game
which was great. It was, it was at that point was
the biggest thing I'd won, right.
Obviously some county stuff, you know, when in the at when the
county championships not won the champion champions and
Edinburgh, which was great. But yeah, that was certainly the
the first of the first of a big one, you know?
Yeah, and your form obviously continued.
So you go to the 2005 Price Amateur at Royal Barton, but I'm
having to open this year, so talk us through that.
Week that was that was an amazing week.
So what I mean, what happened was after Jay Miller Parker was
on a bit of a high with and I felt a little about the dip.
Actually after that I didn't. I kind of lost a little bit of
form and we had the Saint Andrews Links trophy the week
before at Parkdale and my parents said we'd entered all
the tournaments and I went up to Saint Andrews and I'd had a
really bad, I'd played poorly and I'd shot 5 over.
And I don't think I've ever done this before or since till this
day. But I signed for fall over and I
walked out the tent and I'd say to my and he was like, no, son,
I think you are, you are 5 over. So we actually stood and we went
through the scores and then I went back in and I'd said, Oh, I
think I've made a mistake. And I actually hadn't really
even left. There was a little packet fence,
but they're like, oh, you're DQ D, you can come back tomorrow
and play, but you can't play in a competition.
I was, I was, so I wasn't in a great frame of mind.
I was just like, oh, this is this is not good.
And I didn't go back. And so I did.
I was DQ D And I said to my mom and dad, I was like, oh, I'm not
sure if I'm going to bother going to Parkdale.
And my dad was like, well, with energy, so you're gonna have to
go down. Amazing, honest.
It was amazing. Also, I was like, right, OK,
Dad, right. So kind of went down there, went
down with my friend Mark Kerr at the time.
We drove down in his car and they arc.
I mean, the whole week was quite chaotic because when I think
about how we prepared at the time, you know, we weren't
prepared and properly. We were out the night before,
you know, the practice rounds and enjoying Southport, what
Southport has to offer. And when we had a great time,
played the practice round at Southport feeling particularly
poor and then got to Birkdale and it just really switched on.
Like it was just something that can't I enjoyed the land.
I mean the like the golf course is absolutely amazing.
That was pristine. It's probably changed a lot
since when we were there in 2005, right enough.
But we went and we played and I got, I think I was maybe 1 / 1
or two over in the first round at Birkdale.
And then I shot level part of Southport, which got me into the
match play. And I think Andrew McArthur at
the time, he'd shot the course record, the amateur course
record, which was 66 for under. And I think I was maybe 72.
And so it was a good start to the week to get in the match
because that was the goal. And like anything, like any
match player event, Ross, like when you get in, you know, it's
like if you're any of these big tournaments when there's like
200 and odd people playing, yeah, you're going to have to
have luck. You're going to have to play
well and you're going to have to take your take your chances when
they come. And I kind of done most of that
most of the week. And it was a great week for me.
I was actually recently down there, but it's not not at
Birkdale. I was next door at Hillside.
And the feeling of even just going down there after, you
know, 20 years, 21 years, it does come back to me because I
look at the street that we stayed on, I was, I was checking
into places and going, I'll get beat.
I'll just check in for one night because I'll be getting probably
beat today. And when that first game in the
morning you'd be, you'd win the afternoon you'd go no got a
place to stay and you'd be drivers to streak trying to
look. I was going to say back in the
days with the Airbnb. On your.
Book and talk, calm and all that.
It's like, so you're on a Lord St. trying to find and I stayed
in some really questionable places, to be honest with you,
some of the places were not great.
I'm sure they would have told some stories that the wolves
could talk. They would have told some
stories, but I I was, I was definitely, when I think about
it, people, the people at Southport really embraced me.
So I was kind of down the Ramone and a tease mark about it, a
tease mark about at the time, but I wasn't happy.
But he would agreed that he was going to stick around in Caddy
or I was going to stick around in Caddy for him.
But he ended up billing the first right.
So that that was there. That was a bit of a conscious
moment, but but now we we had a we had like we had a good
weekend there. By the time I got to the final,
which was obviously an unbelievable achievement for for
someone, you know, two years prior was winning county
championship or, you know, just to represent the Lothians, to be
in that, that, that a tournament and then the final.
It was amazing. And we had gathered up a lot of
support from the guys at Southport, the people the
members of like Southport were coming out and carrying for me.
They were pulling my bag and I didn't know them.
They were really why it was amazing.
It was amazing and I had a lot of great support and just really
fond memories of that week because it ultimately the goal
when my parents decided to support me, the goal was to play
for Scotland. That's what we were trying to
do. We were trying to get to the
Scotland team, which at the time I probably thought was was
achievable, but I knew I needed to kind of do some really good
stuff to get in there. Because I think being in the
Scotland team for five years, for four and five years, it's
once you're in you're you're in there and you're playing well
and the eyes are on you. But if you're if you're not in
the team or you're not and you've got to be doing really
good stuff to get in there. And they obviously get into the
final in British Amateur and that would achieve that because
that opened up a few doors and we ended up going on some great
trips and now represent Scotland for for four years, you know.
Yeah, and I mean, just talking more about the Amateur
Championship as well. Of course, he does lose in the
final eventually, which is an incredible result.
John T Even just, well, first of all, get there, then qualify,
get through all the match play rounds, all the guys you'd be on
the way. Did the Masters, did it come
into your mind before the night before anything or what was it
like? Well.
I mean, we had a we had data say it was a good runner.
It was a bad run probably when you think about it.
We had a lot of Scottish guys that were got beat in the final
of the British Amateur. There was there was a few, you
know, in quick, quick succession and all.
Sure. Wilson when I think in 2000 and
maybe four, I think he won it. Saint Andrews.
Yeah. So it was the year after and I
didn't speak to Michael shoot about this, that that night I
was on such a high when I got to the final, I couldn't, I
shouldn't, I couldn't sleep. I never slept a wink.
I never slept before the final of the British Amateur.
And when I spoke to Michael, I'd shut my eyes.
I just think about playing at the Masters or I think about
playing the old court. And it was, it was mental.
It was absolutely mental. And I couldn't, and I just
couldn't relax and. And a guy from Edinburgh came
down, came down to help me, Jimmy, Jimmy Finley, who used to
manage the Craigal team that I played and, and he came down and
caddied for me in the quarters and the semis and he was
brilliant. And an e-mail and I goes, John,
I'm going to treat us tonight. We're going to, I'll get you
somewhere nice. And we stayed in like a really,
really nice place. It was like I'd been staying in
these kind of like little like pokie B rooms like that would
tell you that we're a bit mental and certainly I'm staying on
this beautiful big bed. I've got a bath and like, oh,
this is amazing as I meet and I just couldn't relax.
I couldn't relax. I was just I'd shut my eyes.
I think Master shut my eyes. Thank you.
Open, yes, open. I mean Brian, Brian who ended up
going on it obviously to beat me in the final.
He was an established he was a top amateur at the time.
He'd won the European Amateur and he.
If you've been enjoying the show, please do remember to
follow on your favorite podcast platform and share it with a
friend. Now let's get back to the pod.
He he obviously, well, he just dealt with the situation a lot
better than I did. But I remember the final, it was
at 5:00 and 4:00. It was I was probably never
close enough, but there was a couple of pivotal moments in the
game. I I3 parted 17 and Brian made an
unbelievable birthday. So I ended up looking like
going, you know, back to two ended up going 4 three-part the
last and the first round. And yeah, I went went in and
four down and I just couldn't really get in the game.
But it was AI like I like rough weather and went but the wind
was really tough and and he obviously enjoyed the wind as
well. He's from, he's from Ireland and
I know he played a lot of links golf growing up.
So he dealt with the situation a little better than me.
But it was probably just probably just experience, you
know, it was experience. He was an experienced amateur.
I was at, although I was 26 at the time, I was quite late, late
to the game. So I was probably an
inexperienced amateur and but nonetheless, it was a great
week, man, it was a great weekend.
It took after after losing I and I was so I was, I was proud of
what I'd achieved because I'd played some brilliant players on
the way. That the guy, the guy who was
probably the most impressive would have been Julian Garrier.
I played him in the fourth round.
Oh. Yeah, and he won it the
following year. And I remember, I remember
playing Julian and you know, I've actually met him since when
we were playing. I met him when I was worth
playing an eventual in 2015. I hadn't seen him for a long
time. But we spoke about the British
Amateur and I said to him, you know, I kind of robbed them a
wee bit because like I'd said at the start about talking about
this week, you need to be lucky and you do it, take your chances
and you've got to be good. I got all my think.
I used all my luck against him. He was an amazing golfer.
He was just, he hit it so well, he hit it so far and he kept on
looking out and I lost the first one.
I was never, I got a square on 17, but I was never squared
until 17. I was one down after one.
I was at 21 and then I squared on 17.
I'm birthday 17 and Julian made he made a six down the last he
made he double boogie the last. I won the last toll with a
boogie and and and and and that's what I'm saying.
Ross like that was probably my lucky more.
But we had had some unbelievable games.
I played Kate Watson and I remember being I think I was
maybe 4 or five up with six to go and I had to last 6 foot in
the last two in the game. And I remember that was the
first time I'd actually remit. That was the first time I'd
actually physically shaked try a part and I hold this part like
don't ever do that to me again. And I mean, I don't know these
guys at the time, I just met them, but I unbelievable and
and, and in the semi final, obviously I played against Lloyd
Scotland, who he was, he was absolutely number 1.
He was top man, not just in Scotland, He was one of the best
players in the world, if not the best at the time.
Absolutely. He was an exceptional golfer and
got over 18 holes on match play. Anything can happen.
And you know, I managed to manage to see off Lloyd and get
to the final and that opened the door.
I mean, I'm not sure if I'd got to the semi finals.
That probably wouldn't have paved the way for me to play for
Scotland. They might not have.
I'm not sure if it would or it wouldn't have.
But it was a great week for me. Ross.
It really was man. And I'll look back on it now.
Probably still afraid, but that's that is the one that
hurts the most. It's the Masters.
Like it took a we never go over that.
It really did. And I spoke to Mike well,
because, you know, we have the opportunity every year.
If you want to, you can go and dream and play in the open.
You don't get that with a master.
Just like, you know, to say you're one game away from that
was, I mean, it was good effort. It was a good effort for me,
yeah. Yeah, and you said to open up
some doors, so that got you and a ticket that did.
I get in the Scotland team for the moment and National was out
here. That the so I remember having a
chat with Ian Ray at the time who I didn't not not really met
Ian and even though I was flying at the time, I was sick in the
Northern America. The ranks have just came out and
I was ranked well and the world rankings and he was a kind
intimated. He said we've got 9 definites
and there's six. There's two from sex and you're
in that sex. And I was thinking bloody
hellman, like if you know, but I remember being a bit shocked
when he said that. But you know, I can remember
like thinking right, OK, I still need to keep going here.
And they asked. I did.
I've done well for the end of that season and I think I
finished the Norden matter. I think it was second in
Scotland in order I met it and that that the time that was when
like, I mean everybody was playing in the event.
So you'd go to the Tenant Cup and like Scott Jameson be
playing or Richard Ramsey be playing and Lloyd.
So there was loads of guys playing.
So you're ordinance. I mean it was kind of like a
true reflection and I'm not sure how it is now.
I mean, from what I'm going to believe, a lot of guys don't
play in the 72 hours because it's bad for their handicap or
they're all drankens and it kind of fame.
Yes. Crazy.
It's a shame that you know, your best players don't feel that
they can play, you know, because they're wanted.
If they go and play, they drop a few points in the ranking and
then they can't get any A tournament.
And that that just doesn't make sense to me.
But that's the way it's went. But, but I was second in
Northern America and we got picked for Royal St.
George's, which was an extremely crowded moment for me.
We went down there, we had that great team we had, we just had a
great team we had, I roomed with Andrew MacArthur.
I mean he was, he was top player, great ball striker
obviously by Lloyd. We had Richie Ramsey, we had
Jamie Mccleady who who was an exceptional golfer, we had Eric
Ramsey who had a great run in the Open and we had to get well,
the great team and I just fitted in well and I think I won 2 1/2
out of five points for the 1st for my first moment Nationals,
which was which was I was really happy with and we won it.
We won it. We won it down at Saint George,
which we had won it for a long time.
We got we got a tanking off. I think it was Wales beat us in
the first game and then we we turned it on against England and
we we've done well against Ireland.
So it was, it was a great week. It really was.
It was a great week, yeah. Absolutely.
And I think we haven't even touched the point, John.
And I do think this is true, but I think you're probably the best
candid goal from the world. So how did that shape your
development as you went through from being a junior all the way
through to point for Scotland and get into the amateur?
Finals and all. Obviously we hadn't touched on
that, but the grip is something that is actually probably more
popular now, dare I say, because Matt Fitzpatrick's using it for
the chipping and stuff. And and me, you know, it's it's
funny, the mass short game probably isn't as good as it
used to be, right? And that's probably just an age
thing or whatever. But it's I remember playing at
the time with a Kev McAlpine and Kevin and I got really, really
well when we were in the Scotland team.
There was a few guys that I could gravitate to and Scott and
the Scotland squad and Kev was one of them.
I really got well with them and we played at the Tennant Cup one
year and he was striking the ball amazing.
He came back from America and he's just like Daphani's chip
shots and not playing very well. And, and I was playing, I was
hitting the shorts and petting wedges and was like, oh, so a
couple of weeks later I've seen him at one of the events and
he's like, oh, I'm chipping cat candid.
And I was like, really? I had a look at him and he was,
he was clipping them lovely. And I'm like, it's amazing.
Like I think I've got a bit steep when he was holding it
conventionally, so he'd come into a wee bit steeper and yeah.
And the foot like that year he went and he played in the
Scottish Amateur and he won it and he was chipping cat
candidate, which was amazing. Like he totally just changed his
chip and with really, yeah, with within like 3 or 4 months he
went up to there and the Tenant Cup might have been maybe during
that. So it may be two months, three
months later. And that was him.
And by all accounts, he did play well that week.
So he probably never had to chip too much.
But when he was chipping, he was chipping from 50 yards and then
he would be put hold. Nick I candid which was amazing
and. I doesn't know that.
No, no idea. It was amazing and I art, you
know, he was he was a great guy. He really was and surely missed
actually, But you know the great the grappy they came about.
I just picked up Ross really naturally, just picked it up and
swinging away and and I remember going and getting a lesson.
It wasn't even a lesson. My dad knew and young at the
braids when I was like 15, my dad just to treat me like it was
a treat right when I was young. You want to go up to the braids
and we'll hit some shots on. And it was amazing because
you're like, Oh, this is class, right?
And I remember my dad going to get Ian and said, Ian, will you
come and have a look at John? So I was hitting shorts and Ian
said, if you're going to hit it like that, son, just you work
away at that. You'll be fine.
Because I was hitting the ball quite straight.
I've always hit the ball relatively straight, right.
So so I just stuck with that and on.
I remember when I get I got into Loathe's junior coach and and I
think it was Alan Pete from raffle.
I don't think I think Alan maybe just left there in the last
maybe four or five years. But I remember he was giving us
lessons and he'd went Oh well, why don't you?
Why don't we try it and we and we try and get.
So he got me and they got up and he got me holding it normal and
day or conventionally and lasted about a week.
Ross, I was like, this is there's no power, but and I
can't had it. So I need to I need to get back
to the the cross handed cat candy grip.
Yeah, but I mean, I've I've it's amazing like the social
obviously social media. Now there's a couple of guys in
America. They were over at the Masters
and are not, not, not not masters tournament the the
junior masters, you know, like these events where they're head
and drive pitch and putt and stuff and they're ripping it cat
candy and everybody's sending me what check this out.
But what is what is sad, what is very sad.
And and you know, you read the comments about people when
they're like, someday I'll have a video of a young kid, maybe 15
head and a cat counted. And he's obviously very good
because he's at this event and focus slagging him off and
ripping in the arm. And and it's a shame because you
know, you'd like to think society nowadays would be a
little bit more like, you know, if you're good enough, just
whatever you want. But you know, I can remember, I
can remember at the time, I think it was my kick, my kickin
was the guy's name. And he wrote for, I think it
might have been, it was the Telegraph maybe.
And he wrote an article. And at the time my girlfriend
actually, she wrote to him saying how disappointed she was
because we're reading the article.
And it was like it came. The angle was, you know, G1 at
the British Amateur. Because you know, if we'd had
someone like holding the club at this play.
And the article was it was pretty scathing.
And we actually seriously, it was bad.
It was bad. And my dad will definitely have
the article because my dad kept everything.
So all the cutouts and all the pictures and all the magazines
all kept. But he actually wrote back to us
and he was like, oh, it never meant to chemical.
It doesn't mean it come across like that.
And to be fair, he came, he smoothed it over, but it was a
rough. It was rough.
It was like the golf impudist will be happy that Brian anyone
or something like that, you're like, but you know, that's it.
I mean, people are sometimes scared of what's different,
right? Or they'll look at something
ago. That's that's not going to work.
And I think I think it was true. Now each on what's really nice
for the most part in golf is that coaches have changed their
philosophy. A lot of them, loads of them,
you know, they don't necessarily have kind of formula based
coaching anymore. It's pretty much look at the
person, how's their body shape, how's their rotation.
Figure out what things you can maybe amend rather than
completely change. And you have done things like I
put left-handed now and I love it.
Can imagine me doing that back in the day.
I did get the absolute back wrapped right at me, a chip cat
candid and I love it is brilliant.
So yeah, and I just don't feel any, I guess.
I don't feel any concern about people.
Sometimes guys don't even know. So I put left hand, didn't tell
him on what the 10th hole no go but.
Left hand. You put left-handed, not go I.
Yep. One of a funny one actually,
when I was up playing it, I played at the Scottish Open from
winning the Scottish Amateur we got at the time.
We got invited up to Loch Lomond to play in the Scottish Open and
it was a great week man. I mean the just brilliant,
beautiful week weekly. I had great people.
My dad carried for me and all that was amazing.
And David Howell actually came came along and he'd watched me
hitting shorts and he says, do you mind if I watch and some
shorts John and I says I'm from. So I was hitting these shots
right and I was hitting it quite well.
And he's looking at and he goes goes deep, deep conventionally
and I went no puck handed in the laughter.
He went, imagine if you put eventually that would have
everybody up and they say monkey simple.
It was funny, honestly. And he kind of laughed and he
walked off. It was it was so funny.
It was funny. It was a great week, man.
It was a great week that it was. It was really good, yeah.
As brilliant and it's teed up, we'll go back a wee bit in
history. So that was, I think you said
the 2008 Scottish Open, but you won a 2007 Scottish Amateur that
press pick no less. What a place to want it.
So talk us through that week. So again, probably a really
strange year of 2007 for me had been represented to play for
Scotland over in Spain. So we went over there was like 4
of us went to play the Spanish amateur in the Portuguese
amateur, which he Portuguese amateur was first.
And I remember playing my young guy in the qualified who never
qualified at the time. It was an exceptional goal for
Victor Dubison and he was only 16 at the time.
But oh wow, he was he hit it really well.
And I remember playing moment and he was a really nice guy.
He was good as a young guy. I remember thinking you're 16
man, in your head and like this and you're the way you are.
And so we'd been over there, played Portuguese, played the
Spanish, and that was a place called Desert Springs.
And I don't know if you've been at Desert Springs Ross, but it's
like the fairways are nice. If you go off the fairways, it's
like chaos, man. There's like rocks, boulders and
sand and it's a bit rugged. This it's, it's a nice golf
course, but I'm, I was playing one of the holes and I had a
shot and I kind of Jarred off a stone at the time and I thought
nothing of it and played out my round.
It was fine and then I woke up the following day and I felt
like someday was like stabbing my hand like constantly.
It was unbelievable. And I broke a bone in my hand.
Actually I broke The Who can ham it.
That's what it was called, right?
A little bone and end of your hand.
So went and got X-rayed. This was like so that was
Spanish amateur came back, played a couple of events in
Scotland, played the played the champion of champions and
managed one round to kick my park and was like I can't play
that had to come away. Never touched that never touched
the club waited for it to heal and went down open qualifying
and like maybe late June, early July, I think it was.
And the nine holes after nine holes felt it and I was like
this is not peeled off. So went got another X-ray and
the crack had still it was just kind of still hanging about.
So what they'd said was they were going to we're going to
have an operation. So we're going to have an
operation and the operation was going to take place like late
August. This was like maybe the July.
So we booked them for that at Ross Hall in Glasgow.
And, and what happened was I'd said to the doctor, I says,
well, can I play golf now because I've rested all year,
can I play golf? And they said, yeah, you can
play golf, but you're probably going to be in a bit of pain.
So just obviously just be mindful that you're going to be
hurt. I was like, right, fine.
So went up and all I'd done all year was just chipping pot.
I hadn't had any really fool shots.
I'd played like a couple of rounds, right.
So we get to prospect. Never, never had a practice
round. Went away and played played my
first round 1-2 and one right. So I was like, oh, that's great,
Nice to win a game, you know, because that's that's what
ultimately we're at. We're like, well, if we run a
game, that's brilliant. So we've won a game, we're
playing away. And I mean, I didn't play great
that weekend. I didn't bowl.
I wasn't, I just wasn't hitting the ball that great.
But my chipping and putting at the time was just unbelievable,
man. I mean, and then obviously as as
you, as you start chipping and putting better, the confidence
grows and you just you do start playing some good stuff and
place where I'd never played, I'd never played before up until
that week. And yeah, we had some, we had
some unbelievable games. You know, obviously I remember
like a few games and we still remember, we still talk about
them now. I think it was like I was 4 down
with six to go against Alan Thompson who was from Prestwick
who had easily 100 people out I would say.
And I managed to be on the 1st text for all that was a big
game. I remember being one down with
one down with one to play, playing the last that Prestwick
haven't not played the golf course and it was against a guy
a Les McLaughlin from Glasgow. I don't know if you know Les.
Oh yeah. The character he was, he was he
was top man and I remember him pulling out a driver and I'm
looking I'm going can he be a driver?
Can he be a driver? Like this is somebody that like
it says pure luck, right? It was lucky that and like I
said, Anthony went somewhere she need a better luck.
But my luck was this moment and I remember going to my dad is
going it's never a driver. I'm going to have three wood.
So I've stood up and I've absolutely leathered this 3 wood
and it's add on towards the green.
I'm thinking, Oh, that's good then.
And it kind of just can goes a wee bit past.
I'm like, oh, right, OK, it's no one that practice patent between
that prospect. So it's through the game onto
the button green and it's going towards the clubhouse.
But it was almost like as soon as I had the shot, I just seen
layers pretty driving away through it like a 2 hour site
and I'm looking at my ball and I'm going, Oh, is that all
right? And and honestly, Ross, my ball,
I was one down point the last stage and my ball was about a
yard and bounce. My ball was a my ball was a yard
and bounce. I had to go off the apron of the
practice partly on like a fairway and on the green 18 it
was about, it was maybe 150 feet or something.
And I managed up and I managed up and down it.
And then we have the first extra and he made a mess of the
second. But I mean that that was like
round three, you know. So if you know, if that doesn't
happen and I knocked my ball and it goes another yard, I'm out of
bounce lasers and he might go on.
I mean, run or they make it put out, but then there's no,
there's no experience in me going up to the Scottish Open
and playing. And that was that was amazing.
And obviously to win the Scottish Amateur, that was a
proud moment. I mean, that's, it's probably
not there in regards to, I think the British Amateur run was
probably more impressive for me because it was just an
international field. But there's no doubt about it.
To win that, to win the Scottish Amateur and have your your name
on that trophy, which is going to be there forever.
That was that was a big deal for me and my family.
It really was. Especially when you look at
names that on it before you turn some incredible golfers come.
Straight. And won the Scottish arm.
And the guys now obviously we've got Robert McIntyre who's who's
just doing unbelievable. He what he went on a winner and
it's not, it's not easy because there's, there's, there's a lot
of people playing in it. There's always only going to be
1 winner. So now it was, it was an amazing
week. It really was.
And that opened up not so much the doors because I was already
in the Scotland team at that time, but again at the Scottish
Open and I played the Johnny Walker that year as well.
And, and I ended up, I ended up putting off my operation to play
in the Home Internationals, which probably looking back
spoke, spoke to Andrea about this at the time.
At the time it was a good idea and I just won the match play.
So they weren't keen for me to play and I was keen to play
because I was flying and I was extremely confident at the time.
But ultimately there was a big come down after that because you
win it and then you stop playing.
And my hand was in bets and I went down and put and I
shouldn't have played because I had this this broken one of my
hand. But we got that removed and the
hands fine. The hands absolutely fine, you
know, but but yeah, at the time I probably put, you know, an
experience John would have probably went less than I need
to go get this operation rule. I'll be back next year.
But the time I just wanted to play because I just won the
Scottish Amateur and Scotland, the selectors wanted me to play.
So it was again, at any time I paid for Scotland.
I was always delighted to play because I was, I was.
I'm a proud Scotsman you know of.
Course, absolutely. And then you talked about that
maturity you would get, I guess we're years of experience, so
you didn't turn pro. So what was that process like
and how's it going I guess from then until now?
Yeah, I would say running pro at the time off the back of a
through an amateur season, which was probably I'd got back from a
turn through in 2009 and I'd got back from the operation in 2008.
So I was fine playing but I was I'd missed out on the Scotland
team and confidence a little bit low.
It's still and I'd still chucked in some decent results but I
wasn't, you know, I wasn't as probably sharp as I was the
previous couple of years. But you know, obviously I'd done
quite well at Scottish Open. All that Mister cut I'd opened
with a six day. I was lying, I think 12th or
13th after round one and I'd had some good moments and I felt
like I did feel like the time was probably right.
I just wish I'd maybe played maybe a little bit better when a
Professional Golf with a little bit more confidence.
And at the time we were playing on the Euro Pro Tour and I
quickly realized that that is that's a tough place to play.
It's you go from the extreme or you go from monster, well, you
go from playing likes like the Royal Bark Deals, Elevens, the
Saint Andrews Links, you're playing beautiful golf courses
and you go down to the Euro Pro and all our Scots.
We were at disadvantage because we were going down at their back
garden. You know, we were having to
drive 7 hours or fly down and playing golf courses that
weren't, they weren't great. And, and I think it was probably
more of a mental thing. Like if you went down there and
you were looking at and you could almost, you could lose
yourself before you even got even going because you'd be
like, this is rubbish. That's rubbish.
And again, that was, that was, that was a tough upright, that
was a tough upbringing and actually playing on that too.
And I played in it for a few years and not particularly not a
lot of success. You know, I would say, you know,
there's a few top 10s in there, but not, I wasn't close to
winning anything. And I ended up going to play
Napster, which was amazing because of the what was good
about that as it integrated the travel and you were traveling
around the world and you weren't well, you were traveling well.
We did. We did.
We went quite far, but we were mainly in Europe.
A tour that we will run felt felt more for the players like
fairly, the Europe pro was a little bit more like we're not
bothered. Just give us your money and just
get on there. And if you didn't like it, then
they come back like it was a it was a tough.
It really was Ross. It really was.
And we were maybe pampered as amateurs, but we probably were
pampered. You know, I know been in the
Scotland team and I've spoken about this.
It was amazing because you would rock up with your golf clubs and
at the airport and they come up bag for you with your stuff and
they be like your balls, there's your clothes, there's this and
you're like, this is amazing. And then you turn pro.
And I played in a few, the big I've played in some of the
European tournaments and it's totally different.
Like it's unbelievable. Like you're there for the
weekend or you're getting shuttled about America or BM.
What would you like? What, what clubs would you like?
They're prepared to just try anything and, and your food's
free and, and you know, you get accommodation rates and stuff.
But when you're playing on the Europro, it's like, I don't know
man. It's just a really, really tough
place. And I probably, I lost a little
bit of love for the game, to be honest with you when I was when
I was playing on that, because a lot of traveling up and down,
you know, you missed the cut by a shot.
You've got 7 or 8 hour drive up the Rd. from my way down middle
England or way down to London. Tough men, tough mentally.
And yeah, I think, yeah, I thought I was probably gonna do
a lot better than I did. I just didn't, I didn't deal
with it very well. And that's all right.
You know, I've tried, you know, I mean an amazing story.
Scott Jamison, who obviously was in the Scotland team with me, he
actually went to the first stage in the European and didn't get
through first stage, which which at the time was probably was a
disaster. It was he never got through
first stage and then it got an invite like a couple weeks later
and he ended up finishing second.
So once you're second, you've got enough points and then and
then and then he won an event and then Scott's like, are we
under the Challenge Tour? And obviously just he's like
he's a great player. He's a top player, you know,
and. Yeah, absolutely.
Look at the clear that he's carved out and I'm like, that's
amazing, Richard Ramsey amazing. But then on the flip side, there
was guys like that, you would have thought he'll do well and
he didn't because golf is difficult.
It's really difficult. It's such a tough sport.
You're playing against the hardest, hardest thing, probably
playing against yourself. And then then you've got the
golf course. And is the golf course suited to
your game? And then you've got another 150
people who are, I beat you, right?
So it's hard, right? So like I always think like you,
football went late. We touched on I played football.
Like you could be having a bad day at football, but you'd have
like another 9 outfield players that help you put in a tackle
set. Yeah, yeah.
When you're on the golf course, it's, you know, it's quite a
lonely, even if you've got a caddy, it can be quite long late
types. And yeah, I mean, I was young.
I was young, but I was older than most, but I was young in
regards to hadn't done a lot of mileage on and playing like from
a young age. So I like when I think about
when I was playing in the British amateur, I was 26.
There was a lot of guys that were like 2122.
Rory McIlroy was there. Rory was like 16.
Ollie Fisher was 16. Ollie Fisher was in the same
time or the he was in the other semi final in the British
Amateur, but he was only I look at the baby when I'm like just a
young boy, like 16 year old and the the semi finals of the
British amateur, right. But I, it was, it was, I mean
the game of golf is as a professional, I thought I would
have done better. Ross and I still enjoy playing.
I really do enjoy playing and I love the fact that we can play
in Scotland now we've got time Pro Tour here and it's not as
expensive as the Euro Pro used to be.
So the expense was a big thing. You know, we'd be going around
and you'd be paying a back in the knee, maybe be spending
eight or £900 a week in order to play the golf.
And which was I was fortunate I had a lot of support from from
from companies who had sponsored me.
And that that is that is the the burden of competing.
But but certainly not it's it was tough that, but there were
some good moments in there. And I think somebody I love
playing. I'd play golf every week.
I would play golf every every other day if we could play for
money, right? If we could just play for money,
like have a game and get a better competitive juices going.
I do enjoy that. And unfortunately I we just
don't have enough of that. There's not enough.
Alan Tate tried to run something and he's no longer doing it.
And I know I'm going to suffer for that because I would play 14
or 15 of them and although you weren't winning a lot of money,
give you a little bit of sharpness.
So you could go and you'd maybe win 3, but you go play a nice
golf course and it was great and I loved it, but the numbers
weren't there. And there's just, and I get
other people like if you're teaching, you don't want to give
up a day to go and play to pay maybe £70 to go and play a golf
tournament if you can go and make the underprived teacher.
So I understand that it's just not for everybody, but I'm
trying to squeeze in as many people as I can and try and keep
myself sharp because obviously we've got 16 events this year in
Europe, a Time Pro Tour and the last one didn't go very well.
I missed the cut out Rawal Darnik so I need to need to try
and get my game a little bit sharper.
I'm sure you'll be fine, John. So last time we get some quick
fire ones to get us out here. Favorite golf course in
Scotland? What moment?
Loman's beautiful. The greens that the teaser lock
Loman for the tournament are like greens.
I remember taking a divet and going.
They were absolutely amazing. Yeah, brilliant.
Most underrated course. Hey, I was a member.
I'm out for a while. That was good.
I'm out. Really good.
Underrated. That's good, really.
Brilliant. One of the best parties in
Scotland over the ocean. Amazing.
So I would probably. I'm also like Fort Rose and Rose
Marquis, they managed to have 18 hole right, They had eighteen
holes and a golf course that you could probably throw a blanket
on. It's amazing.
It's really, really quirky. Part of Scotland as well.
So 4 Trolls is up there as well, but I most would probably be #1
underrated for me. Brilliant.
Hardest conditions you've ever played?
Definitely the British Amateur and 2006 the year after in the
final we played St. George's and we played Princess
and at Saint George's, believe it or not, Ross probably had one
of my best rounds of golf I'd ever played.
Played with Paul waiting and and he said to me after the round
event, that's probably one of the best rounds of golf I've
ever seen. Bearing in mind though, he's
went on, they went in Dubai and all that.
So you'll have seen much better rounds than that.
But a short one under, I shot one under par.
I had three birdies and a double bogey and I was the next best
score was one over par. I was the only guy to break par
that day. 140 people, 100. It was mental when it was like
30 mile an hour at Saint George's.
Mental. It was tough, yeah.
I'll just, I'll just leave it that I didn't complete the
round. So it's very close to you that.
It's honestly that was total carnage that place it was.
It was so tough, yeah. Absolutely best shot you've ever
had. The best shot, or I mean there's
been some good ones over the years.
I think I'm trying to think back to like when I played the
British Amateur, it was obviously I'd had a lot of good
shots, but I can't really recall a lot of them on regards to a
specific one. But I can remember 1 playing
against Alan Thompson press work and we had driver down 15.
Now 15 is probably about, I don't know, 20 yards wide
fairway and bushes and bunnies and rough and horrible stuff.
And I'm probably the straightest club in my bag would probably be
our driver, Ross. Like see if you give me like, I
don't know, like I mean 3 woods. I'm not really keen on a three
would know, but I found a waste quicker than I found a three
would that I love Seriously man, like that.
It's tricky, but we're still trying with the three woods.
But we'll get there. Maybe when I'm 50 we'll get
there, but but not the driver. I hit down, I mentioned that was
4 down with six to go, and I think I smashed that down 15
right to the front, the Green Party.
So that would be in regards to the momentum and the shot being
tight. And it was one of the ones do or
die. If it doesn't work out, it's I'm
probably down the road, you know?
So that was a good one, yeah. Best goal for you've ever played
with? Probably, I would probably say,
well, I played the practice room.
I played the practice room. Roden McElroy, actually, he's
the top man, but I mean, he is. That would.
Work, you know. That.
He he bro, that is a really funny story, Ross.
That's right. So my friend shirts Nathan,
who's sadly no longer with us. He asked a caddy farm in the
practice days, right. So that's a really funny story,
right? So he comes up on the Monday and
he comes up with his girlfriend. Now my sponsor at the time has
given me his friend's house in Helensburgh.
So we're up. So his girlfriend comes to the
house in the morning and we go, we'll be up.
We're just going to go have a game of golf or we're away all
day, right? So she wasn't happy by the time
we got back, right? But we've got back just like
going mental and we've been away.
If we've got like 6 O clock or something, he's furious.
But we're just loving life, right?
So we're playing. So we've managed to settle that
down. Sure, he was such a great guy.
Next week for Captain the Army, life and soul at any party that
you'd ever be to was just a brilliant guy.
But on the Wednesday we're going out for a practice round and
it's the last. I'm going to go ahead and have
one more eighteen holes because it's just, you know, I feel like
I could just get a even more out the golf course.
So I've put 6 balls up, I've marked the balls, put them in
the bag and I'm playing around the frontline.
It's just me on loan and I get down 10 and I hear a whistle on
a turn around and it's Rory. So I'd never played against them
as an amateur because you're why.
But he's 18 maybe at this time or 1718.
So he's like waving. And so he comes out and joins me
and he's had one down and it was his cadre was with them at the
time. It wasn't it wasn't hard.
It was was a JP or kind of memories or Caddy's name.
But Oh yeah. So the tense a dog legs woman,
she hit down and I'm in the middle fairly and I say 6 hour
pull the six and into the water and I go to my goal.
Stan's gonna get me another ball mate.
And he goes into my bag and he goes, he chucks one.
Now I've only lost one ball and he goes, that's your last ball.
And I've went what do you mean he's like, what's your last?
No, I'd seen him, I'd seen him going over to kids, right.
Stuart was going over to the kids and given them balls,
right? Given them balls.
He'd given 4 balls of me and I've lost the ball.
Last 8 balls were ordered the lock woman.
I don't know what it's our next neurotic on scramble for about
you. Honestly, I was absolutely
mortified. So I'm just like checking it
round and putting and like, oh, it was honest.
It was hilarious. But oh man, that another funny
story before before we move on from that and we're doing quick
fire questions was snared and right.
So my dad came up to caddy from the tournament Ross right.
So he says like, well, they are ready to go and I've walked to
the tee and at the time you'd leave the punt green, it was
like a bit of a kind of walk up to the tee, maybe 100 yards.
And there's lots of people there.
There was loads of people watching.
It was great. And I've walked up the tee,
turned around that I can't see my dad and I'm like looking and
I'm like, it's my dad. And he comes running up my dad
and he's like looking all like embarrassed.
And I've went your nightmare. He's went.
I'll tell you after what should I done my offense to it went to
my dad. Pretend I'm a player and stay
here and I'll sign a autograph my dad was standing with.
But the understanding was sure, and he's signing autographs
right now. He's like a neat handicapper,
right? But he looks like a professional
golfer because he's like and my dad told me.
He's got a gear. Well, he looked amazing.
He's odd, like dressed amazing and he's like, ah, saying and I
went, what were you signing shirt?
I said Bell. He said I was signing Belmont
Fontaine and I'm like, why? I just thought it was.
I just thought it sounded funnier.
So there'll be kids out there were like McElroy, Michael said,
all these guys and belt on the flags and I was just Ned and he
was just. It was so honestly, it was
hilarious. Ross, he was so funny.
He was so funny, man, so funny. Oh, that's awesome, right?
One course you'd love, another Go out.
So really lucky, I mean I'd love to have another game at Bartel
say, and Barkdale was good. I've been lucky to play some of
the golf courses in Europe, but Barkdale would probably be, I
mean it's changed a lot since I've been down and had a few
games since the British Amateur. But I've not been down in the
probably the past 10 years. So I'm probably to go there
because I know they've changed that.
And when I was at Hillside, I was down at Hillside for a
couple of days this this year and Liverpool just next door and
had a quick look over. I mean, it's just amazing.
So it's a beautiful by a land. Like you've got Birkdale,
Hillside and then Southport all in a blanket.
It's just amazing. But Barkdale would probably the
one I'd like to have a game on, yeah.
Fantastic. Oh John Lesson has been
brilliant having you on. So great to hear all these
stories and let's hope it's not 20 years before I see you again
all. Right.
If we can, if we got a chance, let's try and catch up, we'll
get a game or something else. That'd be brilliant.
That'd be so good, man. Absolutely.
Thanks so much, John. Cheers.
I'd like to. Thank John for his time and how
open he was and sharing his experiences.
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow or subscribe
wherever you're listening. And if you know someone who
loves the game, please share it with them.
You can find the show on Instagram at Linked by Golf
Podcast for future episodes, clips, and insights.
And if you have a moment to leave a review, it really does
help us reach more golfers just like you.
I'm Ross McGuire. Thanks for listening.
Lowman Golf Tours have helped thousands of guests build
bespoke golf trips to create a magical experience.
Travel in style with an executive chauffeur Travel.
Whether it's golf on a major championship venue or one of our
hidden gems, 5 star accommodation or a boutique bed
and breakfast, or is it whiskey tasting on a private boat,
Lowman Golf Tours are here to help build the tour of a
lifetime. Whether you're celebrating a
special occasion or taking it off your bucket list, embark on
a trip that you'll remember forever.
Visit www.lomangolftours.com.