Shropshire student set to learn from the best

A Shropshire teenager and prospective golf pro will look to earn his stripes when he takes on some of Britain’s best golfers in Europe’s biggest pro-am.

BTEC sport student Kieran Davies, 19, has qualified to play alongside his Mile End PGA Professional James Davies in the regional final of the Lombard Trophy at Dunham Forest, above, on July 25.

The five handicapper from Oswestry is keen to learn as much as he can from his long-term mentor as he looks to follow in his footsteps and secure his own career as a PGA Professional.

Davies first picked up a set of clubs under the guidance of his golfing father, and has dreamt of turning his hobby into an occupation ever since.

Should the duo win their regional heat, he would relish the opportunity to play in the £43,600 grand final over Gleneagles’ King’s Course on September 2-3.

“James was my first golf teacher,” he explained. “I first worked with him about 10 years ago and I’ve known him ever since. He’s an excellent coach, ten out of ten.

“I’m really excited to play alongside him in this event – although it will be the first time I’ve ever played in anything on this scale before.

“I felt I played well in the qualifying round though, and it would be a dream come true to make it through to the final at Gleneagles.

“It’s somewhere that I never thought I would get to play so to have that opportunity would be amazing.”

Despite being his main sport, golf is not the only activity Davies has a penchant for.

He travels to Canada at least once a year to watch competitive ice hockey and is also rising through the ranks as a talented football referee for Shropshire’s local leagues.

“I’ve been interested in becoming a referee for as long as I can remember – probably since I was four or five,” he recalled.

“I’ve been doing it for around two years and I’ve really been enjoying it - I’ve started getting games in the mens’ leagues now that I’ve got a bit more experience.

“Ice hockey is another sport that I really enjoy and I also played tennis when I was a little bit younger.

“Golf is the one I spend most of my time on though, I’m trying to play four or five times a week now and it is definitely the one that I see myself developing a future career in.”

Other pairings playing in the Dunham Forest regional final include: Kris Andrews and Simon Priest (a) (Aston on Mersey), Guy Wills and Luke Smith (a) (Fulford), Andrew Paisley and Michael Inglis (a) (Hexham), Chris Crowder and Gary Etherson (a) (Lee Park), and Gareth Jones and Simon Hope (a) (Sandiway).