Tour star’s former coach eyes personal glory

The former coach to European Tour star Lee Westwood is set for his own day in the limelight as he plays in the Senior PGA Professional Championship at Foxhills.

Lindrick PGA Professional John King, 55, mentored Westwood from a club junior into one of professional golf’s most promising young talents.

The Ryder Cup player was part of a thriving junior section at the South Yorkshire club – one which is still producing top talent and will be fully behind their coach when he takes to the fairways for the £37,190 tournament on May 13-15.

For King, the championship marks the start of a three-event run which will define his summer and prove to his pupils that he still has the skills to mix it with some of the top professionals in Britain and Ireland.

After his journey to Foxhills, King will play in the ISPS HANDA PGA Seniors Championship at Close House and will enter qualifying for the Senior Open.

“Even though my main focus is the club, the work I do there and particularly the coaching, I feel it is really important to prove that I can continue to play,” he said.

“When you’re out there helping someone deal with the pressure of standing on the first tee or defending a lead, it helps if you can draw on personal experience and tell them that you have been there.

“Besides I still enjoy competing – as a professional golfer you always want to be out there playing.

“And Foxhills suits me, it’s pretty tight but I’m good off the tee. I feel it’s somewhere I can go and really challenge. I won’t be going there to make up the numbers!”

On Westwood (above) King, who has played in several European Tour events himself, admitted attitude was the main attribute that delivered him to the top table.

“Lee was an amazing story, he came here as a local lad with a lot of talent and he just worked incredibly hard to get to the top.

“He made a lot of progress as an amateur but just kept pushing and got himself on the European Tour.

“From there he made his first 13 cuts and just built up his momentum. He had an amazing, positive attitude and it’s lovely to see him playing in Ryder Cups and competing in the top events.

“We’ve got young lads coming through at the club now who he is an inspiration to and hopefully they can go on to reach a similar level.”

Other players from the north of England competing at Foxhills include: Mark Daubney (Wetherby), Tim Rastall (Mottram Hall), Gordon Townhill (Brough) and Duncan Williamson (Kirkhill).