BMW PGA Championship Movie star Professional-Am: Sky Sports activities’ Josh Mugridge brushes shoulders with Gareth Bale and co at Wentworth | Golf Information

What’s it prefer to brush shoulders with the likes of Gareth Bale, Ollie Pope, Michael McIntyre and a few of the world’s greatest golfers? Sky Sports activities golf producer Josh Mugridge was fortunate sufficient to just do that as he took half within the BMW PGA Championship Professional-Am at Wentworth…

I arrived on the golf course, pulled up within the automobile park and right away there was Ben Foster and Troy Deeney, taking the mickey out of one another.

I bought a elevate all the way down to the clubhouse on a buggy, wandered in for a fry-up and ended up sitting on a desk with Jamie George, Ben Earl and Ollie Pope – it was all, frankly, a bit of bit weird.

Dan Walker was in there too, Michael McIntyre making individuals giggle. I used to be about to make individuals giggle too – however in a barely completely different method, with a few of my golf pictures!

I believe I used to be extra excited than nervous once I wakened – albeit a bit of bit drained too. I might solely had 5 hours’ sleep, having come residence early from a lads’ vacation in Turkey the place sleep was, as an example, elective.

I might secured my place on the Professional-Am as a part of the Golf Basis’s ‘Unleash Your Drive’ competitors, which raises funds to try to get golf into each faculty within the nation.

You play again in Could, with the very best 30 scores attending to play at Wentworth within the last, from which solely the highest three qualify for the Professional-Am, with my second-placed end securing my spot alongside Jamie Jameson and Jess Pilgrim

The three of us bought a bus out to the par-three tenth, which was our beginning gap, the place we met our professional Harry Corridor.

Harry is likely one of the greatest individuals we may have requested to spend the day with, and his caddie. They had been so nice, so relaxed.

I made a decision Jamie was going to go first off the tee as a result of I did not fancy being the primary one to hit.

I hit a six-iron to round 15 toes, however, on the eleventh tee, I despatched a ball method proper and needed to shout ‘fore’ for the primary time. That is if you actually discover how many individuals there are.

That is what I used to be most nervous about, hitting somebody within the crowd. I am a bit wayward with my driver generally, so I used to be anxious about taking somebody out off the tee!

After sending one more one proper on the thirteenth, I used to be blaming the wind at this level.

On the 14th, I ended and had myself a steak sandwich that was out there on that tee, whereas the one different factor I keep in mind from that gap is we had a fully fast putt, which gave you nice respect for the tour gamers and the way unbelievably good they’re at judging pace.

My judging of pace wasn’t precisely nice all day.

On the seventeenth inexperienced, after earlier hitting a stone-cold high with my second from 380 yards – which offered some severe leisure to the group of individuals watching – I hit simply as unhealthy a putt.

Harry’s caddie instructed me it was uphill – ‘belief me, I do know it would not look it, so give it an opportunity’ he stated.

I definitely gave it an opportunity, managing to not solely get it to the opening however see it roll previous it and off the entrance of the inexperienced – a lot to their amusement.

Then it was to the well-known 18th, a gap you’ve got seen rising up – Nick Faldo’s shot there to win in 1989, Alex Noren’s unbelievable iron shot in 2017, Luke Donald and Lee Westwood battling it out in 2011 for world No 1 happening there. All these belongings you’re pondering of.

I hit a superb drive after which a five-iron straight on the flag. My eyesight is a bit garbage, so I could not see if I had bought all of it the best way there… that’s till I obtained my first correct golf clap of the day from the grandstand.

It was an unimaginable expertise. There was Peter Crouch and Steve Sidwell watching on from the hospitality bins whereas I am making an attempt to putt for an eagle – figuring out full nicely, that on my vacation in Turkey, I had a guess with one of many lads that if I holed an eagle, I might bounce within the ditch. That was very a lot in my thoughts.

Then, as we walked off the inexperienced and down the steps – I am a large Spurs fan – stood there was Gareth Bale. I requested for a fast image and he duly obliged for me and my sister. He’s, by absolute miles, the very best participant I’ve ever seen at Spurs, so it was nice to satisfy him and add that to our day.

My sister Hollie was my caddie for the day. We have now been going to Wentworth to look at the Professional-Am since we had been youngsters, so it was particular to have her there, for her to be a part of it.

As we made our method around the entrance 9, the eighth gap was in all probability the spotlight of the day on the golf course.

I did not realise once I first hit a shot with my wedge… however then, all of a sudden, there was a bunch of three or 4 individuals shouting ‘go in’. Harry additionally began saying, ‘that is bought an opportunity’.

I am there frozen, watching on because it so almost drops in, grazing the sting of the opening. A four-foot putt to comply with… just for me to hit it method too exhausting!

Once more, cue extra mocking of my placing means. Honest.

We ended up ending second within the afternoon wave, which was nice and gained a pleasant Sonos speaker every. However first prize was a BMW for 3 months – so my missed putts proved fairly expensive to the crew!

Tommy Fleetwood’s foursome containing Spider-Man Tom Holland, and his twin brothers, ended up registering the very best rating of the day on 31 underneath.

However what an expertise. I picked up a few freebies alongside the best way, a brand new set of golf sneakers, a J Lindeberg hat, a yardage e book and a few golf balls – a pleasant bonus, six additional balls for me to lose! There was additionally a caddie bib, with my identify on it. It was all a bit surreal.

You by no means actually assume you will ever get to do one thing like this and I am going to seemingly by no means do it once more. It is among the best experiences I’ve ever had.

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