239 lines
8.8 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
239 lines
8.8 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
sponsored
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offers
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best-deals-of-the-day
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8511580
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-----
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# Colin Montgomerie brings the public closer to the pros
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## Fresh from playing the European Tour in Barcelona, 2010 Ryder Cup captain,
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Colin Montgomerie, tells Katy Gwilliam why this year's Golf LIVE event gives
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the game a wider appeal and is set to be an even bigger success than the last
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one.
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![Colin Montgomerie at Golf LIVE][1]
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Colin Montgomerie at Golf LIVE Photo: Golf LIVE
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By Katy Gwilliam 10:47AM BST 13 May 2011
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Only in its second year, Golf LIVE has already made an impact on the golfing
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industry, not just in the UK but also worldwide. The event, hosted by the
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prestigious London Golf Club, invites the public to watch and learn from the
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world's best golfers in five open-air theatres. As its ambassador for two
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years running, Colin Montgomerie is delighted to watch the event go from
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strength to strength as it expands into other golfing territories.
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The motivation for the event stems from a desire to reduce boundaries between
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the amateurs and the experts. By bringing golf pros and the general public
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together in a friendly, educational environment, Golf LIVE provides a unique
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and memorable experience for golfers of all ages and abilities. Colin
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explains: "I think it's very important that we make ourselves, as pros,
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available to the general public more than we do. Generally, we turn up at golf
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courses, play our round and go home. The public has watched us play from a
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distance but hasn't really learnt much about who we are, what our
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personalities are like and how we go about certain shots, so people get a real
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benefit from it. It's just a full day out for the family, really."
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Discussing the event on a one-to-one level with Colin gives us a taster of the
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visitor experience at Golf LIVE. He comically emphasises, as if to assume it
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will come as a surprise to guests, that he and his fellow pros "do have
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personalities and are actually all right. I think it is very beneficial,
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especially for the youngsters, to understand that we are people like them."
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We continue to explore the relationship between young people and sport. For
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some, golf can be overshadowed by more 'mainstream' games, like football and
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rugby. Colin attributes this to a dearth of opportunity for the younger
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generation: "Fortunately, I was given the opportunity to become a golf club
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member at a very young age. Some youngsters aren't offered this opportunity so
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it's great to be able to give them the chance to play the game. We don't know
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where the next Tiger Woods or Lee Westwood is coming from but it's important
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that we provide young people with the opportunity to discover their talent. If
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I were a youngster at Golf LIVE I would think, "Okay, I want to play this
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game, this is okay." It demonstrates the way the game is played, the rules,
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the etiquette, the honour, and I like to believe children go home thinking
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it's a good day out."
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As well as catering for the younger audience, Golf LIVE is entertaining and
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enlightening for guests of all abilities. Highlights range from Monty's
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Masterclasses in the live and interactive theatre to 'troubleshooting'
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sessions on the driving range and each feature covers a different area of
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interest. Colin explains the importance of targeting both beginners and more
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experienced golfers: "Always in golf there is a complete range of abilities
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and that is why Golf LIVE is such a success. Although we're pros, we're
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talking to Mr Average who's about 15 to 20 handicap and, even though some
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people are better, they are still learning certain techniques from us. The
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commentaries from the Radio 5 and Sky teams are also fantastic and I think
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that golfers of all standards benefit."
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With a plethora of golf events taking place all year round, we want to unveil
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what it is that makes Golf LIVE different from the rest. Colin alludes to the
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unpredictable nature of golfing tournaments, during which players'
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performances can vary from day to day. Conversely, Golf LIVE guarantees a
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successful day out for all the family: "Visitors are paying to see the top
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pros. I've got the Ryder Cup vice captains with me: Thomas Bjorn, Darren
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Clarke and Paul McGinley. Questions will be asked about the Ryder Cup and how
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it was won so I think it's a great insight into who we are rather than what we
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do for a living."
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Before we close, we're keen to hear Colin's views on The London Golf Club.
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Despite having played on some of the world's top courses, Colin still rates
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the club highly. "The clubhouse lends itself well to the event, with great
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facilities and decent space. It's also in a super location, just off the M4.
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To host the European Open on two occasions was, I think, also a great success
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for the club."
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And Colin's favourite hole at the London Golf Club? "I don't like the 18th;
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it's too difficult!" We'll take this with a pinch of salt. "You think of holes
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you've done well on I suppose, so I like the downhill par 3 11th hole." It
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just so happens that this very hole is reserved for visitors to test their
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game against other guests, so it is reassuring to learn that the site is so
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popular with the pros.
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On a parting note that is as sincere as it is passionate, Colin adds: "I do
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hope the visitors enjoy it as much as we are going to." We are in no doubt
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that they will.
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