It is likely that much of the pre-tournament publicity for this weekโs British Masters will focus on Tommy Fleetwood. And why not? He has been playing some sensational golf over the past few months, not least in the Ryder Cup in Paris last September, and he is the official host of the tournament. But one player you may want to look out for is not a seasoned tour pro. In fact, heโs not a pro at all. In fact, the 16-year-old amateur Conor Gough, from Stoke Park Golf Club in Buckinghamshire (a course made internationally famous as the setting for the James Bond golf match in the movie version of Goldfinger), will on Thursday be teeing it up in his first professional start.
Following in Fleetwoodโs footsteps, 16-year-old Conor Gough will make his @EuropeanTour debut this week @Hillside_GC in the #BetfredBritishMasters pic.twitter.com/33iRub7nL6
— British Masters (@british_masters) May 6, 2019
Gough has enjoyed a sensational amateur career, winning tournaments including the Fairhaven Trophy and the McGregor Trophy last year, plus the British Boysโ Championship, a title he won at Royal Portrush by defeating his Spanish opponent, Josรฉ Luis Ballester (who sounds a couple of letters short of being a great golfer), on the 35th green. โI feel incredible,โ he said afterwards. โItโs a dream come true.โ And itโs one that looks set to continue.
He is presently ranked the 11th best amateur golfer in the world. In March, he was a member of Georgia Hallโs team at the Major Champions Invitational (MCI) in the States, an event created by Nick Faldo to provide opportunities for under-18 golfers from all over the world. Against 35 other boys, Gough shot rounds of 68-65-68 and emerged as the individual winner by three shots. He played the last five holes in two under par.
โHe has a good reputation with the other kids at MCI and he holes everything,โ said Faldo. โHis swing looks nice and solid.โ Then, he added with a chuckle: โHe must be confident in himself with that haircutโ โ although Goughโs tonsorial appearance may not be the same in Southport as it was in Florida!
Goughโs nascent career is looked after by Golfing4Life, whose James Byers emphasized that despite Conorโs obvious and immense potential, he has not played so much golf this year. โWe have to realise what age he is. Right now heโs focused on his exams.โ
The Walker Cup takes place at Royal Liverpool in September. It begins two days after Goughโs 17th birthday. If he makes the team of ten for Hoylake - he is a member of the 26-player squad the R&A announced last month - he wonโt be quite the youngest player to represent Great Britain & Ireland (that was Oliver Fisher in 2005), but it will be another step on what looks likely to be a stellar career. There will assuredly come a point after which exams do not get in the way of his golf.
Remember โ the nameโs Gough. Conor Gough.
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