By all accounts, the amateur-to-professional transition in golf is as perilous a step as walking into the House of Flying Daggers. If you’re not trying to find your feet on the slippery rungs of the paid ranks, then you’re trying to find some funding to help you clamber up this laborious ladder.
Back in 2010, Scottish Golf Support Ltd (SGSL) was handed £1 million of government funding to help smooth this rocky road of transition but it seems who gets it, why they get it and what they have to do to get it remains shrouded in the kind of questions that would have Scooby Doo and his cronies louping into the Mystery Machine and having a good sniff about.
According to the SGSL blurb, “only players that fulfil the minimum criteria are supported and that current minimum is a Challenge Tour card or better for men and a Ladies European Tour card or better for women.”
This season’s recipients of funding of around £23,000 each were the female trio of Kelsey MacDonald, Gemma Dryburgh and Sally Watson. Paul Shields, meanwhile, was told to apply but, having moved up on to the European Challenge Tour at the end of last season, by virtue of making the cut in the European Tour’s qualifying school final, he was informed that it was a “unanimous decision” not to award him any backing.
When one door closes, though, another one opens. And this particular door just happened to be opened by a former Open champion. Paul Lawrie has welcomed Shields into his flourishing Foundation and will provide the Glasgow youngster with all manner of benefits, be it financial assistance, potential sponsorship and the kind of approachable, phone-me-anytime source of knowledge that can be priceless for those trying to establish a foothold.
The knock-back from SGSL was a sore one and while he is keen to stress that it’s not “sour grapes”, Shields, the former Scotland amateur cap who turned pro in 2012 and served his apprenticeship on the PGA EuroPro Tour, remains somewhat mystified by the whole process.
“It’s disappointing and they seem to be saying that by gaining a Challenge Tour card it’s not enough to show that you’re progressing,” said Shields. “In that case, 2015 was a step backwards. Are they saying that I’m destined to fail?
“I was told to put my name forward and put a golf cv together. They wanted stats – scoring averages etc - which I provided. They said my stats weren’t good enough. They said my sports science stats weren’t good. I mean how can a guy playing the EuroPro Tour afford sports science? I’ve got a £9.99 a month gym membership. What does sports science stats mean anyway? I asked them and even they didn’t know. I got a long winded answer.
“Like a number of other players I’d just like to ask the questions: what is the criteria? And what are they actually looking for? Nobody really knows. I was in the Scottish Golf Union squads for eight years, turned pro in 2012 and have grafted away myself. What does the future hold for others coming through?”
The timing of Lawrie’s assistance has provided a perfect pick-me-up for Shields who will swap Kirkhill for Kenya next month when the Challenge Tour season starts. “I’m hugely grateful to Paul and it arrived on the back of some disappointing news that was still quite raw,” added Shields, who was twice a runner-up in the Scottish Boys’ championship
Lawrie, meanwhile, is more than happy to help. His growing stable includes upwards of a dozen professional golfers as the Aberdonian continues to lead the way when it comes to support and commitment to the game in his homeland.
“I don’t know the ins and outs and it’s difficult for SGSL to support everyone but it might be better for them to give lesser amounts to people and then you can support more players,” suggested the former Ryder Cup player. “We give out smaller amounts which means we can support larger numbers. They get a retainer up front and performance bonuses during each event. The players can call me anytime, we take them away for small events abroad where a lot of good work gets done, and they have full use of the facilities at the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre.”
It’s a nice little bundle and one that Shields is both thankful for and eager to make the most of.
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