John Hoskison dreams of making it as a successful golf pro on the European PGA Tour. When he meets Seve Ballesteros for the first time and makes the cut in the Martini International, he looks set for success. Then reality kicks in at Royal Birkdale in the PGA Championships.
This is a true story of how someone has to deal with life's ups and downs. After topping a shot in front of Seve, shanking in front of Sandy Lyle and almost hitting Greg Norman with a monumental slice, John has to deal with the brutality of championship golf.
With confidence in tatters John sets out on a quest to find a golf swing that will work and stand the ultimate test of playing in The Open - his dream. But there are no psychologists or coaches to help. Like the rest of the young pros, he has to find the solution himself and no stone is left unturned.
From trying crazy superstitions to simply copying the top players like Tom Watson and Nick Faldo, this book shows the difference between the modern day tour pro and the young men who went into battle with blindfolds on.
The account of John Hoskison's life on tour is funny, sad and brutally honest. This book will be a fascinating read for all keen golfers or sportsman and the sting in the tail will surprise everyone who reads it.
Excerpt from the book:
Just before driving home the chairman of West Surrey came to shake my hand. 'John - you're a star, ' he said. I smiled. I had felt like one all day. The Titleist Tour clothes designer, proving himself a colour-blind schizophrenic, had far outstripped his previous three design attempts taking 'conspicuous' to new heights. The pattern on my sweater that day was literally stunning. I knew it was power dressing by the reaction of the players in front of me when I had earlier stepped onto the first tee and whipped off my waterproof jacket. Both Craig Stadler and Tom Weiskopf looked stunned. 'Wow, ' said Craig. 'You should warn people before you do that.'