MAN OF MANY TALENTS

Anthony Wall’s long and successful playing career has come to a close, but he’s finding plenty of ways to fill his time...

- Michael Weston

Anthony Wall knew his time on tour was coming to an end long before an emotional telephone call with his wife prior to the Sicilian Open in 2018, in which they spoke until the early hours. In the Pro-Am, he had been “awful” – so bad that he pulled out and never went back. After 22 years, 519 tournaments, and 58 top-ten finishes, he was done. Injuries had caught up with the 42-year-old – serious ones. Enough was enough.

The Londoner enjoyed every minute of his time on tour – except the periods where he would lie on the floor in excruciating pain. He tasted victory twice. His first title came in 2000 at the Alfred Dunhill Championship, his second 431 events, and 16 years later – a European Tour record – at the Paul Lawrie Match Play. Despite being forced to retire, he’s grateful to still be involved in the game as a coach and commentator.

“To drop off the cliff all the way down to doing something completely different would mentally have been quite difficult,” he says, just as he’s preparing for a stint on BBC 5 Live Sport. It’s hard work, but so was hitting hundreds of balls every day. In the end, his ‘old school’ approach did for him. “It takes its toll. I wouldn’t say I was injury-prone, but I played a lot of events. I wore myself out. That’s why I have closure. I played more events than most people would ever play,” he says.