Davis flies the flag for women’s golf

A young assistant PGA Professional from Bournemouth who is looking to spend her career championing ladies’ golf is set to compete in her first national event as a pro.

Alice Davis, 19, will tee up a shot at the Galvin Green PGA Assistants’ Championship south-west qualifier over the fairways of Exeter Golf Club on May 18.

Should she finish among the frontrunners she will earn the right to play in the £32,500 championship final at Coventry Golf Club on August 5-7.

For Davis the tournament offers a chance to spread her wings after focusing on developing her coaching knowledge since completing her A Levels last summer.

She has enrolled on The PGA’s Foundation Degree Programme which is run through the University of Birmingham and gives students all the knowledge they need to succeed in a career in golf, from coaching and club fitting to playing and marketing.

Davis’ knowledge is being furthered by working at Parkstone Golf Club where she hopes to establish herself as a talented junior and ladies coach.

And she will be joined at the qualifier by colleague Thomas Green who is also completing the qualification while working at the Dorset venue.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” Davis enthused. “My golf’s not too bad at the moment.

“It’s my first time playing in this event so I’m trying not to set any expectations, I just want to go out there and get a decent score!”

Davis’ passion for coaching emerged at a young age, having taken up golf when her parents took her and her younger brother to a local course.

“There was a bit of golf in my family and they wanted to get us into a sport that we could both enjoy,” she explained.

“It obviously worked as we both still play to this day!

“As I got into it I really found a passion for coaching and that is what I see myself doing throughout my career.

“As a lady pro I really think there is an opportunity for me to help grow ladies’ golf and help more juniors get into the game as well.

“That is definitely the route I see myself going down over the next few years.”

Mike Johnson-Hill, managing director of Galvin Green UK, said: “Galvin Green is proud to be associated with such a long-standing and valued event and keen to support the younger generation of PGA Professionals who are so important to the future of the game.”

"The popularity of this event among aspiring PGA Professionals is great to see and we are delighted to be playing a small part in their progression in the game.”

Other players competing in the qualifier at Exeter include: Damian Brooks (Brickhampton Court), Nicholas Daniels (Machynys Peninsula), Daniel Dredge (Orchardleigh), Robert Johnson (Cardiff), Ross McCance (Chippenham) and Katie Rule (Falmouth).