“I never really had any ambitions of being a pro until I came over here,” said Hurst, who would go on to do his PGA training at Alyth Golf Club in Perthshire.
“But I got talking to a couple of pros at Downfield where I had joined and they told me about The PGA programme.
“The whole thing really appealed to me. Initially, with my business degree, I’d wanted to become a teacher but with my growing love for golf I thought I could combine these two things and teach golf. The PGA has allowed me to do that.
“I liked the flexibility that The PGA degree offered; how you could work as you studied.”
Hurst’s competitive instincts, meanwhile, remain sharp and he underlined his talents last season when he shared the honours in the Tartan Tour’s 36-hole Order of Merit event at Strathmore thanks to a closing 65.
“I’d still like to scratch that itch of playing and see how far I can go,” admitted Hurst, whose ice hockey background has led to him playing golf left-handed.
“I had done lots of coaching and worked in the shop but over the last year or so, I’ve had the flexibility and the opportunity to get out and play more. There are some really good players on the Tartan Tour, the competition is great and I’ve learned a lot.”
Hurst’s golfing education, on and off the course, continues. “I can’t say enough good things about The PGA training programme,” he added.
“Growing up, I just played golf. I never looked into the science behind it. But through the degree, I got into such a wide variety of areas, whether it was club making, the business of golf, everything.
“If you’re a good golfer it doesn’t mean you’re well equipped for the golf industry. But you learn so much in three years with The PGA degree and I feel I have all the tools to work in it now.”
