Blakey On Tour, Vol. 3

Volume 3 has me in Hua Hin, just three hours of Bangkok for the 2023 International Series Thailand. We are back at Black Mountain Golf Club, where last year Sihwan Kim won with an amazing score of 26 under par.

This year we tried to toughen the course up slightly, keeping the tees back, the greens fast, and the pins located in challenging positions to provide some protection to the astronomical distances the players are hitting it now. And low and behold it was one of the Australian journeymen professionals, who does not hit it astronomical distances, that played his way strategically around the course on his way to victory. Wade Ormsby was the victor and a well-deserved winner.

In my previous blogs, I've given an overall impression of the job and what I experience; as well as the day-to-day duties of a referee. So, on this occasion, I thought we would change things up and get an insight into all the juicy gossip on the players!

The days of players drinking every night before play and still shooting under par and winning the golf tournament certainly isn’t as prevalent anymore. Sure it still happens occasionally but with social media and the player’s individual brands, the young players don't indulge in the “extracurricular” activities much anymore as it only hurts their image and more so their ability to play.

As a newbie on Tour, I haven't managed to infiltrate the inner circles so soon as to fill my Rules book with stories. But it is evident that professionalism, athleticism, and achieving elite status are in the forefront of players’ minds these days. Going through all the preparation, speaking with their team of coaches and advisors, to then just going out and undoing all the good work, is not a viable medium- or long-term plan.

Now, I'm not saying that golfers are saints and they never do anything unscrupulous (Tiger Woods/Phil Mickelson), but those that do, either have a lot of people helping them or find it hard to fit the mold of a professional golfer nowadays. There are golfers we hear about with stories of alcoholism, or drug addictions, that can get themselves right, and come back to glory, and there are many that don't. It's getting rarer for someone with a drug or alcohol addiction to function on the golf course and make an impact on the weekend. Stories of these golfers can still be found, but only by those in proximity. 

So, what do the golfers do to let off steam? That is a good question, and without going into it too much, many golfers enjoy the company of their team/friends to go out with at night and indulge in the local food and tourism. Many will hit the gym and get their body right for the long strenuous season of golf. Whereas others might find the company of a local friend to be their indulgence. 

But speaking of staying fit and healthy, golfers don't take the knocks of a rugby player, but they are continually twisting and manipulating their bodies to swing at maximum speeds for a long period of time. From practice day Monday through Wednesday, to playing four rounds. A golfer will hit more than 1000 shots, which can wear down the muscles and joints and stiffen up the back, thus consistent drinking and partying are rarely providing the required rest the body needs to recover. 

It's easy to see those that who are at the top of the tree in professional golf can reach riches unseen by the ordinary punter, but there are those down the bottom that will lose money seeking that tournament of glory that will hopefully lead to a lifetime career. It is not uncommon for a player who arrives on a Monday and misses the cut on a Friday, to spend AUD$2,500 in accommodation, $2,500 in flights, $500 for the caddy, $200 for food, and another $500 for incidentals. Hence, if you add inebriation on top of that, the pressure mounts, and the only smart decision is to stop acting up or get a 'normal' job.

Although I haven't quite provided insight into the extracurricular activities of the professional golfer, you start to get an understanding of why this is the case. I will endeavour to feed through the interesting stories in the future, but at the same time, the reality is for the 5% of interesting ‘I can’t believe that’, there is 95% of ‘wake-up, play golf, go to bed’ as well.