Tuesday 10 March 2015 14:11, UK
Our new online series continues with former England cricket captain Andrew Strauss, now a Sky Sports pundit, telling us about his love of golf.
The Ashes winning skipper is a regular on the course particularly since his retirement from cricket, and the Sunningdale member is currently off an impressive handicap of four.
Strauss is among a number of sporting celebrities to compete annually at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, while he also appeared in last year's inaugural Zone Golf Charity Shoot Out along with Jamie Redknapp, Sir Steve Redgrave and Tim Henman.
The left-hander kindly took time out from discussing England's disappointing World Cup campaign to tell us about his golfing experiences - good and bad!
What is your earliest memory of playing golf?
Andrew: I remember when I was about six years old, I got a seven-iron for Christmas. I would go down to the driving range very occasionally, but it wasn’t until I was about eight or nine that I started playing properly. I think it was because Nick Faldo started dominating the game in the late 80s and early 90s and he very quickly became my sporting idol for a while. I loved watching him play, and I suddenly found myself enthralled by the game of golf.
When you’ve got a scorecard in your hand, it’s a completely different game and your sporting, competitive instincts come into it a lot more. But it’s also pretty special when you play well under pressure
Were you truly hooked once you started playing regularly?
Andrew: Yeah, probably. I would play as often as I could during school holidays. I joined a club on a junior membership with a mate of mine, and our parents would drop us there for the day. We would play 18 holes, 36 holes and it was brilliant. Sometimes we would play snooker when we had finished, or in between rounds, and it was just a great way to spend the holidays.
How often do you play, and where do you play most often?
Andrew: I’m a member at Sunningdale, and I try to play at least once a week if I can. Occasionally the cricket gets in the way of my golf, but I try and avoid that as much as I can!
Which professional golfers do you admire most?
Andrew: Freddie Couples was a big hero of mine growing up. I loved the way he went about his business, and he had that cool, calm and relaxed persona. I also remember his Lynx “Boom Boom” driver was great as well! I was also a Faldo fan, and more recently, Tiger Woods. I still maintain Tiger is probably the best sportsman I have ever seen. The way he dominated golf was extraordinary, and he had a mindset and determination that I don’t think anyone has ever matched. He was brilliant to watch in the late 90s and early 2000s.
What are the biggest strengths and weaknesses in your game?
Andrew: I have many particular weaknesses, but generally, the closer I get to the hole, the worse I get! I’m a pretty good driver and my iron play is solid, but chipping and putting I find more difficult. Since retiring from cricket and being able to play more regularly, my short-game has definitely improved, and I’ve got more time to practice as well. I’ve noticed with golf that the more seriously you take it, the more lessons you have and the more you put into it, the harder it becomes. You start thinking about it more, you put pressure on yourself to play well and and the game can become very difficult.
What is the cricketing equivalent of first-tee nerves?
Andrew: Being an opening batsman can be very difficult early on. There are massive expectations and pressure on you when you walk out to bat on the first morning of a Test match, and you’re not completely in control of the result. The bowler can get you with a jaffa first ball and there’s not a lot you can do about it.
But in golf, you’re obviously more in control, which in some ways makes it harder. Personally, I’m not too bad on the first tee, but I tend to find the first four-foot putt a lot more difficult! I just think it’s harder when you’re completely in control and you’ve got no excuses, nobody to blame. You know if you just do the process properly, you’ll be fine, but your mind can so easily get in the way. That’s why I have so much great admiration for professional golfers. To be able to pull out the shots, sometimes with their careers on the line, is incredible.
What is your biggest achievement in golf?
Andrew: I’ve had a hole-in-one when I was playing with Paul Collingwood at Woburn. That was a good day, but I lost the game so that took the gloss off a little! I’ve also been lucky enough to play in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship a few times, and I’ve qualified for the final round a couple of times. As an amateur, that's always a nice achievement, although - if I’m honest - it was mainly due to my professional playing very well! I’ve won the odd medal here and there, and I just love competitive golf. When you’ve got a scorecard in your hand, it’s a completely different game and your sporting, competitive instincts come into it a lot more. But it’s also pretty special when you play well under pressure.
Do you set yourself golfing targets?
Andrew: When I retired from cricket, I set myself the goal of getting down to a scratch handicap, but I think I’ve probably realised it’s unhealthy to think like that. I just want to go out and enjoy my golf. To begin with, I took my passion and willingness to improve from cricket and put it into golf, but I ended up taking it far too seriously. Just go out and enjoy it, take the money if you win, pay up if you lose ... it’s not a bad way to play the game.
What do you think is the best thing about golf?
Andrew: For four hours, you immerse yourself in the game, and it’s hard to think about anything else. So when we were away on tour with England, we would go out and play golf and spend time being focused on that rather than cricket form, or what’s happening in the series you’re playing in. All you’re thinking about is the shot in hand and what club to use. It’s a great release and I’ve always found it’s a really healthy way to get away from everything. The pros obviously don’t see it that way, but for those of us that just play golf for fun it definitely is!
And the worst thing?
Andrew: Golf can be unbelievably frustrating! Some of the shots you play, especially when there’s a little bit of pressure on, you can feel and see yourself folding under that pressure. Having played professional sport, you often think to yourself: “Come on, I should be better than that!" Unfortunately, we all succumb to that at one stage or another.
And finally, if you could pick your dream playing partners for a fourball, who would they be?
Andrew: It’s got to be Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Nick Faldo. Three of the best golfers of all time, and those guys in their prime took the game to a new level.
