PGA career call spot-on for former European Tour player Collison
02/07/2021
Mum and dad know best – just ask Andrew Collison. When Collison was in his mid to late-teens he informed his parents of his ambition to play golf for a living. They agreed on one condition: that he qualified first as a PGA professional.
“It was absolutely the right thing to do,” says Collison, head professional at the prestigious Royal West Norfolk Golf Club. “It was a brilliant decision.
“I qualified in 1991. Titleist gave a scholarship for the top-15 and I was ninth, so that was a nice start. Then I started to concentrate on my golf – the playing side.
“I wanted to learn my trade; see what other players were like, see what I was like. So I entered Qualifying School as soon as I was able. I wasn’t going to wait until my game was good enough and then try to qualify.
“It would’ve been November 1993 that I qualified – I hadn’t got through the two years before. It was in France at La Grande Motte Golf Massane, Montpelier. I wanted to get on the Challenge Tour and just happened to have a fantastic first round…I shot 8-under, so had to rethink. You can’t back-pedal; my aim was to get my card all of a sudden. So my first year was on the European Tour – in at the deep end.”
Along with his parents, King’s Lynn-raised Collison had a five-year plan in which to establish himself as a Tour player. In fact, he lasted six years across both the main circuit and the Challenge Tour. At times he did well – indeed, he claimed brilliant back-to-back wins on the Challenge Tour in 1997 and registered three victories overall at that second-tier level.
There were also good days on the European Tour, notably at the 1994 BMW International Open at which he shot a second-day 66 to secure a plum weekend draw alongside Seve Ballesteros. Collison even led for a short while that Saturday afternoon as he played alongside his golfing hero.
“A couple of holes later I dropped a shot and I felt better!” reflects Andrew, with a rueful smile. “That’s not really what you want, but that’s life – how it is. Looking back on it, I was definitely out of my comfort zone, no doubt. But it was a great week for loads of reasons…mainly playing with Seve if I’m honest. In Germany, there’s not so many people watching but pretty much everyone was with our group. My guess is they weren’t watching me!
“I remember a couple of things: on the first tee, he introduced himself as Severiano Ballesteros – as if I didn’t know. He didn’t have to give his whole name did he and I was shaking like a leaf. Then on about the 5th or 6th, he had a bunker shot of about 30 yards. He had quite a lot of bunker to carry and bit of green. Most people would’ve splashed it out, bit of run. Anyway he had this swing, a high lobbing shot and it stopped next to the flag – no run, tap-in.
“His caddie Billy Foster went in to rake the bunker and I just raised my eyebrows, walked past him and said ‘that’s a good shot’. And he went ‘that’s nothing’. How he said it, you just knew it was nothing – not even a 2 out of 10 for him. To me it was just beautiful. Billy casually kicked the sand, raked it and you knew it was nothing.”
Collison has a picture from that day in his shop at Royal West Norfolk. The image triggers treasured memories. But Collison’s life after Tour golf has also provided an immense amount of pleasure. As the new millennium arrived, he began his first role as a club professional, working at the Links Golf Club on the North Norfolk coastline. His second position was at Bungay and Waveney Valley Golf Club where he enjoyed 17 years as director of golf.
And last November he was appointed at Royal West Norfolk, just 20-odd miles from where he grew up playing the game at King’s Lynn. It’s a truly special club where on a summer’s day the sound of waves blend with families enjoying time on the beach and the call of wading birds on the nearby saltmarsh. It’s a wonderful place to be and Collison more than does his bit to contribute to the overall feel-good factor. His warm and personable style are easily apparent to all.
“I’m really looking after every member, every guest that comes along and making sure that they have the best time they can possibly have,” says the 52-year-old. “Standing in the pro shop and you say (to the uninitiated visitor), ‘You go out there, across the beach sir, through the Memorial Gates, the first hugs the dunes, the saltmarsh to your right.’ That’s pretty easy for me to say as I know that they’re going to have a fantastic time on the course and you’re not bluffing anyone.
“I feel incredibly lucky. I’m on the practice ground and I can hear the waves and I can hear people on the beach and it’s sunny. I would be amazed if there’s a nicer venue than this. I know it’s chilly in the winter but that’s alright, you wrap up. Where’s nicer?”
Collison, who has a salaried position, spends the majority of his five-day working week front-of-house in the professional’s shop. Then there’s some teaching, which occupies around 12 to 15 hours. With the job very much his first golfing priority, he doesn’t have much time for playing these days. But Andrew hasn’t completely put aside the clubs, a point indicated by a recent lesson with his long-time coach Denis Pugh at The Wisley in Surrey.
“When I play, I at least want to know what I’m doing and I get more enjoyment out of it by playing well – so I will always have lessons off Denis as long as he teaches,” explains Collison. “Whether I don’t ever play in a tournament again, I’ll always have lessons. I expect to play a tournament again but at the moment all I can focus on is here and doing the best job I possibly can.”
