PGA pros make Open go with a swing

A team of 22 PGA pros will be delivering upwards of 3,000 coaching sessions at the R&A Swing Zone throughout The Open Championship week. Golfers of all ages and abilities are welcome to grab a free 15 minutes session, on all aspects of the game from the swing through to the short game, with the all-weather Huxley putting green an addition to the six coaching bays.

The R&A Swing Zone has been a popular feature of Open week for more than a decade and has been instrumental in helping thousands of golfers take that next step to better and more enjoyable golf. Among the coaches is Peter Ball, a PGA Advanced Fellow Professional, who unearthed current European Tour star Danny Willett as a young kid while the week will very much be a home from home for Garry Forrester from the St Andrews Golf School.

Heather Gaunt, Scotland’s PGA coach education and development manager said, “The R&A Swing Zone is always a hive of activity and a very fun and relaxed way for anybody to get involved with golf and receive 15 minutes of expert coaching from a PGA professional. We get golfers of all abilities – from complete novices to scratch players and it’s a great experience not just for the spectators but the pros as well. We also get a fair few famous names passing through and it’s always a memorable experience for all concerned.”

The list of PGA pros coaching is as follows: Pete Ball (Balborough Links), Alan Bradshaw (Bootle), James Crawford (West Sussex), Jamie Cundy (Dudley), Lee Day (Holme Hall), Geraint Dixon (Bedfordshire), Garry Forestter (St Andrews), Tom Gibbs (Three Hammers), Martin Goldie (Bishopbriggs), Denise Hastings (Denise Hastings Golf School), Sam Johnson (Fulford Heath), Ben Jones (Garon Park), Graham Mackay (Melville), Allan Martin (Buchanan Castle), James Morrow (Chartham Park), John Mulgrew (Airdrie), Julie Ott (Elie), Steve Scott- Bowen (The Bristol), Andrew Simmonds (South Buckinghamshire Academy), Mark Taylor (Alvaston), Darren Turner (Ingrebourne) and Ron Wallace.