BMW PGA Championship Superstar Professional-Am: Sky Sports activities’ Josh Mugridge brushes shoulders with Gareth Bale and co at Wentworth

What’s it wish to brush shoulders with the likes of Gareth Bale, Ollie Pope, Michael McIntyre and among the world’s finest golfers? Sky Sports activities golf producer Josh Mugridge was fortunate sufficient to just do that as he took half within the BMW PGA Championship Professional-Am at Wentworth…

I arrived on the golf course, pulled up within the automotive park and immediately there was Ben Foster and Troy Deeney, taking the mickey out of one another.

I acquired a carry right down to the clubhouse on a buggy, wandered in for a fry-up and ended up sitting on a desk with Jamie George, Ben Earl and Ollie Pope – it was all, frankly, a little bit bit weird.

Dan Walker was in there too, Michael McIntyre making folks snicker. I used to be about to make folks snicker too – however in a barely completely different approach, with a few of my golf photographs!

I believe I used to be extra excited than nervous after I awoke – albeit a little bit bit drained too. I would solely had 5 hours’ sleep, having come house early from a lads’ vacation in Turkey the place sleep was, as an instance, non-compulsory.

I would secured my place on the Professional-Am as a part of the Golf Basis’s ‘Unleash Your Drive’ competitors, which raises funds to attempt to get golf into each faculty within the nation.

You play again in Could, with the most effective 30 scores attending to play at Wentworth within the closing, from which solely the highest three qualify for the Professional-Am, with my second-placed end securing my spot alongside Jamie Jameson and Jess Pilgrim

The three of us acquired a bus out to the par-three tenth, which was our beginning gap, the place we met our professional Harry Corridor.

Harry is without doubt one of the finest folks we might have requested to spend the day with, and his caddie. They have been so nice, so relaxed.

I made a decision Jamie was going to go first off the tee as a result of I did not fancy being the primary one to hit.

I hit a six-iron to round 15 ft, however, on the eleventh tee, I despatched a ball approach proper and needed to shout ‘fore’ for the primary time. That is once you actually discover how many individuals there are.

That is what I used to be most nervous about, hitting somebody within the crowd. I am a bit wayward with my driver typically, so I used to be anxious about taking somebody out off the tee!

After sending yet one more one proper on the thirteenth, I used to be blaming the wind at this level.

On the 14th, I finished and had myself a steak sandwich that was out there on that tee, whereas the one different factor I keep in mind from that gap is we had a fully fast putt, which gave you nice respect for the tour gamers and the way unbelievably good they’re at judging pace.

My judging of pace wasn’t precisely nice all day.

On the seventeenth inexperienced, after earlier hitting a stone-cold prime with my second from 380 yards – which offered some severe leisure to the group of individuals watching – I hit simply as unhealthy a putt.

Harry’s caddie informed me it was uphill – ‘belief me, I do know it would not look it, so give it an opportunity’ he mentioned.

I actually gave it an opportunity, managing to not solely get it to the outlet however see it roll previous it and off the entrance of the inexperienced – a lot to their amusement.

Then it was to the well-known 18th, a gap you’ve got seen rising up – Nick Faldo’s shot there to win in 1989, Alex Noren’s unbelievable iron shot in 2017, Luke Donald and Lee Westwood battling it out in 2011 for world No 1 taking place there. All these belongings you’re pondering of.

I hit a very good drive after which a five-iron straight on the flag. My eyesight is a bit garbage, so I could not see if I had acquired all of it the way in which there… that’s till I obtained my first correct golf clap of the day from the grandstand.

It was an unbelievable expertise. There was Peter Crouch and Steve Sidwell watching on from the hospitality packing containers whereas I am making an attempt to putt for an eagle – figuring out full properly, that on my vacation in Turkey, I had a guess with one of many lads that if I holed an eagle, I would bounce within the ditch. That was very a lot in my thoughts.

Then, as we walked off the inexperienced and down the steps – I am an enormous Spurs fan – stood there was Gareth Bale. I requested for a fast image and he duly obliged for me and my sister. He’s, by absolute miles, the most effective participant I’ve ever seen at Spurs, so it was nice to satisfy him and add that to our day.

My sister Hollie was my caddie for the day. We now have been going to Wentworth to look at the Professional-Am since we have been youngsters, so it was particular to have her there, for her to be a part of it.

As we made our approach around the entrance 9, the eighth gap was in all probability the spotlight of the day on the golf course.

I did not realise after I first hit a shot with my wedge… however then, all of a sudden, there was a gaggle of three or 4 folks shouting ‘go in’. Harry additionally began saying, ‘that is acquired an opportunity’.

I am there frozen, watching on because it so almost drops in, grazing the sting of the outlet. A four-foot putt to comply with… just for me to hit it approach too onerous!

Once more, cue extra mocking of my placing skill. Truthful.

We ended up ending second within the afternoon wave, which was nice and gained a pleasant Sonos speaker every. However first prize was a BMW for 3 months – so my missed putts proved fairly expensive to the workforce!

Tommy Fleetwood’s foursome containing Spider-Man Tom Holland, and his twin brothers, ended up registering the most effective rating of the day on 31 underneath.

However what an expertise. I picked up a few freebies alongside the way in which, a brand new set of golf sneakers, a J Lindeberg hat, a yardage guide and a few golf balls – a pleasant bonus, six additional balls for me to lose! There was additionally a caddie bib, with my identify on it. It was all a bit surreal.

You by no means actually suppose you may ever get to do one thing like this and I will seemingly by no means do it once more. It is the most effective experiences I’ve ever had.

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