TOUR LONELINESS OF THE GOLFER

Fergus Bisset speaks to professor Daniel Bloyce, a lecturer on the sociology of sport, about the stresses faced by the modern professional

- Fergus Bisset

How many of us have dreamed of holing the winning putt in The Open Championship? How many of us, sitting at a desk or grafting at our daily jobs, have envied the jet-set life of the professional golfer? Far-flung climes, adoring fans, being truly talented… the money. Yes, at the very highest level, for a relative handful of players, the life is pretty good. But it’s pretty odd as well – living out of a suitcase, surrounded by ‘yes’ men and facing constant questioning and attention.

The stresses of touring can take a toll on the mental health of players at every level. Matthew Wolff spoke openly at the end of last year about his struggles. Despite enjoying early success on the PGA Tour, the grind of the existence was such that he reached a point where he could barely get out of bed. Being a professional tour golfer is not all it’s cracked up to be.

Professor Daniel Bloyce of the University of Chester and Dr John Fry of University Centre Myerscough have written a series of academic papers exploring the sociological and mental challenges faced by touring pro golfers. They conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 players who have enjoyed varying success – from a former World No.1 and Major winner down to those on the fringes of the feeder circuits like the EuroPro and Challenge Tours.

The research started with a view towards the impact of globalisation on golf, but, as the interviews progressed, Bloyce and Fry found an interesting sociological pattern emerging around the impact tour golf was having on the personal lives and mental health of the players spoken to.

Not the dream ticket