Bond haunted by injury spectre

Liam Bond heads for the Devon links of Saunton and the PGA Play-Offs still haunted by the back injury that ended his tour career.

And almost a year after the shot that put him on his knees, the 46-year-old admits he still worries it will happen again.

“I have slowly got myself back playing well,” said Bond - one of 24 PGA pros chasing a number of Tour starts from October 24-27 in the end of season Play-Offs.

“But the injury happened while I was swinging – so even though I have worked with a physio and done everything I could, exercises, rehab, I am still worried every time I swing the club that it will happen again.”

Bond was getting ready for the third round of qualifying school, 30 balls into his practice session when he collapsed in pain.

“I was well prepared, playing great, I had put good rounds together in the first and second stage, I was three under. Everything was looking good,” he said.

“One swing and I was out, straight away. It dropped me to one knee.

“I tried to play through it, but after two holes I had to walk off.”

He was out of action for months, working with a physio to repair the muscular problem at the heart of his back injury,

And even though he has returned to playing – and having a serious impact on leader boards - the effects of his back injury lingers.

“When I start off now the muscles in my back are tight or they get tight during the round.

“It is always there and mentally it was a serious blow to know you were going to be out of action for a long time.”

But there were bigger issues facing the St Pierre-based PGA professional – what to do next and how to earn a living?

“I was on the flight home, after the injury hit me, and I was panicking thinking ‘what do I do now?’.

“I had pretty much lost my job for a year.”

Bond was effectively unemployed – so during the bleak days of rehab he got to work, building up one career and planning out another.

The first idea was golf tuition breaks business – Liam Bond VIP Golf Experiences.

“I had kept lots of contacts from all the pro-ams I had played in over the years,” he explained.

“So I started firing off emails and things soon picked up.”

Bond was soon drawing in an enthusiastic legion of amateurs in the UK and as far away as Switzerland and Russia, all eager to improve their games in the sunshine.

The second project is a driving range and indoor teaching centre which will be set up on land a couple of minutes outside Chepstow town centre at Hanley Farm.

Bond has permission to build a ten-bay driving range while the indoor arena will house a GC2 launch monitor teaching aid.

In all the complex will cost around £100,000 and should be open by February 2017.

“I wish it was open tomorrow,” Bond admitted.

“It has taken quite a while to get all the planning permission sorted – but I can’t wait to start teaching.

“In a way it will be going back to my roots,” the PGA trained professional admits.

“I taught a lot when I was starting out as a trainee at St Pierre, then spent 15 years playing.

“So the range will be me coming back to how I started out. But it will be fun.”

However, playing well at Saunton is at the foremost of his mind – with the chance to secure a spot in the BMW PGA Championship next year.

A top ten finish will get him to Wentworth while a third place will mean a place in the Great Britain and Ireland PGA Cup as well.

“I know the course. I have played it a lot. The weather will be the big issue. It is a great links and I have had a lot of success there over the years.

“My game is in good shape.”

Bond will be taking part in the event with the other South & West region qualifiers – Paul Hendriksen, of Ivybridge Golf Club, and Ross Langdon from the Brickhampton Court Golf Complex.