The Tiger Tamer !!!!!!

Do you remember when as kids we’d tell ourselves what we would like to be or do when we grow up. Whether it be a fireman or a policeman, maybe even a spaceman or a rocket scientist, only for some of those dreams and ideas to fall away by the wayside as time marched on and we got a little older. Well this year as many of you know i set myself a task to be better than Tiger Woods was at his worse, my #tigerchallenge, when he hit a career low point by shooting 82 earlier in the year ( obviously this became even worse when he shot an 85 last month ).

So i put myself in the capable hands of PGA Coach, Peter Finch, over at Trafford Golf in Manchester to hopefully cast some of his golfing magic in to a basically average, slightly ageing, 19 handicap golfer whose scoring record to date was, as the saying goes, below par and not going in the right direction. I would be happy if i was to finish a round in the low 90’s or hopefully, though rarely, the high 80’s. Even when i started this #tigerchallenge there were time when i thought i might have bitten off more than i could chew.

So armed with Coach Finch’s help and advice off i went in search of the magic number……. 81 !!!!!!! .

Round after round went by still hitting shot after shot, though still not getting quite close to my ultimate target until one saturday morning when at last a semblance of shot consistency came and i hit a personal best on the back 9 of 40 to give me a total for the 18 holes of…… 83 !!!!!!. Damn it, so close !!!!! .

Well as you can imagine i was on quite a high right then with a renewed confidence that maybe, just maybe, this might actually be possible. Back i went to the practice range hitting ball after ball, wedge shot after wedge shot, mid irons, long irons, if fact every type of shot i might need to use to get my game to where i need it to be.

So now let me bring you to today’s round, an official medal competition played at my local club,Tinsley Park in Sheffield. Arriving at the club for my tee time of 7.30am with my playing partner, Paul Bentley, the day didn’t get off to the best of preparations due to a late night of drinking, dining and dancing and with the added effects of only 3 hours sleep and quite an impressive thunderstorm during the night, off we strolled armed with coffee and a bacon butty on to the first tee. Amazingly the course was in extremely good condition following the storm but unkown to me there was to be a storm of another kind but not of the type you might be thinking of.

Double bogey, par, bogey then double bogey was followed up with a birdie, par, bogey, bogey, par for a front 9 score of, surprisingly, a 41 !!!!! Mmmmm ok !!!!

On to the back 9 now, par followed par, par, bogey, bogey, double bogey then par, bogey and finishing with another par. As i started to add up the final totals, slowly it was starting to dawn on me that this was looking to be a close score. Once, then twice, i rechecked the score…… BLOODY HELL, I’VE DONE IT……. 81 !!!!! i’ve finally beaten my #tigerchallenge.

Before i finish this lengthy blog i would i would just like to thank once again the inspired coaching from Peter Finch, everone go and check him out on his youtube channel or get in touch with him at the Trafford Golf Centre, if he can help put my game  on the right path he can help anyone’s game. See you soon coach, massive thumbs up !!!!

Also a big thanks to the Bunker Mentality golf clothing for making me look cool and ” wear it well ” on the course doing this challenge, proud to be an ambassador, cheers Robert Hart.

My Name Is Still Ian Roberts And Welcome To My World.

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