- 3 months ago
Border Mail journalist Andrew Moir gets some tips off former PGA golfer Paul Gow ahead of the NSW Senior Open at Thurgoona Country Club Resort.
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00:00Hello, my name's Andrew Moyer from the Border Mile newspaper in Albury-Wodonga, part of
00:04the Australian Community Media Group.
00:06I'm here at the Thaguna Country Club Resort for the New South Wales Senior Open, which
00:10starts on Friday.
00:11Now it's for part of the PGA Legends Tour, so basically Australia's great golfers, 50
00:16and over.
00:17A number of US PGA players, which is obviously the biggest tour in the world, the most lucrative.
00:22A couple of players who've played on that, including Peter Lonnard.
00:25Peter Senior is also here.
00:27And I've got to introduce my guest, Paul Gow, who also played on that great tour a many
00:31years ago.
00:32Gowie, good to see you.
00:33Mate, thanks for having me at Thaguna.
00:34It's the first time I've been here and you've set it out.
00:37This is beautiful, not a cloud in the sky.
00:39And you did play at Hume, you were saying you out.
00:40I did, back when I was 15 years of age, so unfortunately that course is not here anymore, but this one
00:46looks absolutely fantastic.
00:47It is a cracker.
00:48Now for those unaware, Gowie, you do a lot of work in the media.
00:52You've got shows on Fox, you've got How Good Is Golf, play around with such and such.
00:57I mean we all know how much time it takes to play good golf, but how do you fit it in
01:01to be able to, like you were in Dubai last weekend for the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championships.
01:05How do you fit it in when we know all these guys here are playing six, seven days a week?
01:11Well I don't take it seriously anymore, so if I don't have a good round, I don't play
01:14a lot of golf.
01:15I play a little bit of golf with my daughter.
01:18She's 24 years of age, so we go and have nine holes here and there, so maybe once every
01:22two weeks.
01:23And that's fun.
01:24Like I really enjoy that.
01:26But yeah, there's not enough golf.
01:28I love watching golf, and I love watching the Legends Tour.
01:31These players out here, you spoke about Peter Senior, what a legend of Australian golf.
01:36Peter Lonnard, Nathan Green and Andre Stoltz, winners on the US Tour.
01:39So actually I like watching them play too.
01:42So for people out here this weekend, I mean, you're seeing some of the greats of Australian
01:46golf, the ones you've just rattled off.
01:47See that's the bit I don't get.
01:49You should get out here and watch because you're not going to get a chance to see these
01:52guys very often.
01:53And I'm telling you, like Lonnard, one of the best ball strikers of all time, and Nathan
01:57Green was in a playoff with the great Tiger Woods, and Andre Stoltz won one of the best
02:02tournaments of all time in Las Vegas.
02:04So you know, get out and then you've got Brad Burns, who's playing really well this year.
02:09There's just a heap of really good players.
02:11And don't you love when a lawn mower comes past you when you're halfway through?
02:14But we're on a golf course.
02:15This is a golf course, and there's got to be bunker rakers, there's people around everybody.
02:20You're going to hear four at some time, and he's only doing his job.
02:23It looks fantastic.
02:24Now Gowie, I must admit, I don't reckon there's a person in Australia, not directly employed
02:29by the golf industry, who watches more golf than I do.
02:32I know, I've got you.
02:33I can sit up till two and three in the morning watching golf.
02:36Now, I must admit, I don't have an official handicap because I work weekends, but I'm
02:40probably about a 16 handicapper.
02:42Right.
02:43So not terrible, but not great either.
02:45So I'm just hoping you might be able to take us through a hole or two.
02:48I'm going to hit a few shots, and just if you can help us.
02:51Look, if you can improve me by 10 shots, that's all I need.
02:55Just 10?
02:56I'm not asking for much.
02:57Just a flat 10?
02:58Yeah, I'm playing Saturday.
02:59Alright, okay.
03:00I'm not going to try that many.
03:01Well, the first thing is, I'm going to get rid of these clubs.
03:03These are Brosnans from about 42 years ago.
03:05The bag is a cracker, but these are disgraceful.
03:08You know they have big clubs now that these drivers are like three times the size.
03:12I have heard of that.
03:13I have heard of that.
03:14I reckon.
03:15It's like Mr. Snuffer Upper Guess.
03:16I have heard of that, but I haven't seen it.
03:18Oh, just an upgrade on these, and I think we'll save 10 shots.
03:21But hey, let's have a bit of a swing, and let's see what you do.
03:24Let's see what we do.
03:25Right on, mate.
03:26Thanks, Gary.
03:34Now, that is surprising how good that is, because the Federal Army Club's gone.
03:40You've actually got no grip, and seriously, if you've just updated clubs.
03:45But hey, I'm going to show you something.
03:46Yeah?
03:47I think that's going to help your swing.
03:48Right on.
03:49Right on.
03:50Let's go to the bowls.
03:51Let's go, and I'll show you how to bowl, because I don't think golf's for you.
03:54Right.
03:55Okay.
03:56I'm that old.
03:57Hey, sit up.
03:58You're going to hit a shot.
03:59Sit up.
04:00You're going to hit a shot.
04:01Here we go.
04:02That's how I would sit up.
04:03Yep.
04:04So what I'm going to do is make you get into more of a posture, like bend over.
04:05So posture is the key.
04:06If you watch all the big tour players in the world, they work on posture, alignment, and
04:10ball position.
04:11Okay.
04:12So why wouldn't you do that?
04:13Because I'm not a tour player.
04:14Yeah, but you are now.
04:15Just think you are.
04:16Yeah, just think out right.
04:17Right, so get in your posture.
04:18Nice and straight.
04:19Right.
04:20And then bend over from the hips.
04:21So the main bend in the golf swing is from the hips.
04:23Slight bend in the knees.
04:24Not a lot.
04:25Just a slight bend.
04:26And bend over from the hips.
04:27Right.
04:28Now from that side, what you do, left arm straight, right arm bent.
04:31It comes back here.
04:32So from here, you need to stay over.
04:33So you lift up a little bit.
04:34Okay.
04:35Right.
04:36So we want to stay over this way.
04:37And then on the way down, you push your hips forward.
04:39Come down with your right arm.
04:41Launch the ball in the air.
04:42Boom.
04:43Away the go.
04:44And the main thing is the pose at the end.
04:47So make sure no matter where it goes, you stand there and you pose.
04:52Can I do a twirl?
04:53Twirl, anything.
04:54Arnold Palmer, you name it, you do it.
04:56Righto.
04:57So stand tall.
04:58Yep.
04:59Bend over from the hips.
05:00Yep.
05:01Straight left arm.
05:02Right.
05:03And you wanted me to just stay over the ball.
05:06Bend over and stay over and your arms will just swing back down in front of you and smash.
05:17Bravo.
05:18Rightio.
05:19Good start.
05:20Now, that's a great start.
05:21Now, if I had on this bag, if I had a strap, let's, we'd go play on caddy for you, but there's
05:25actually no strap.
05:26Let's go.
05:27All right.
05:28This is no different by the way.
05:29Okay.
05:30This is an eight iron.
05:31You just hit driver, but it's the same concept.
05:33The more you stay over the ball this way, your arms can come back down in front of you.
05:38Now, we're on an upslope here.
05:40So that means you want to go up.
05:42You want to go along the slope.
05:44The slope is this way.
05:45So you want to hit up that way.
05:47You don't want to hit down into the ball.
05:48You want to hit up.
05:49So you're trying to hit slightly right.
05:51Yeah, a little bit right to left.
05:52All right.
05:53I can do it.
05:54Stand tall.
05:55And visualise it.
05:56Stand here and you visualise it.
05:57High right.
05:58Okay.
05:59I've got that down.
06:00I am Tiger Woods.
06:01I am Rory McIlroy.
06:02I am Peter Lonna.
06:03Oh, no.
06:04You don't want to be that.
06:05I am Peter Senior.
06:14Pulled it a little bit.
06:15Okay.
06:16That's an interesting one.
06:17Just quickly.
06:18Yeah.
06:19Do you know when you swing?
06:20Yeah.
06:21Right.
06:22You do this and nice rhythm back here and you kept your posture.
06:23And then this foot lifts up and goes around there.
06:26Sort of like the old Greg Norman sort of movement.
06:27Yeah, but he done it with his right foot and on his left.
06:29Okay, right.
06:30Okay.
06:31So you go like that and then, so that opens your hips up and the ball went left.
06:34Okay.
06:35So you went way left.
06:36I don't know.
06:37You probably didn't know you did that.
06:38No.
06:39I know sometimes I can over balance, but I didn't necessarily know that's exactly what I was
06:43doing.
06:44All right.
06:45We'll try to keep your left foot on the ground and what that'll do, if you keep your left foot
06:47on the ground, that'll push you into here.
06:48That'll bump forward and then you'll come up and around.
06:51So don't.
06:52It's like your John Travolta young dancing.
06:55Well, I love Greece.
06:56Right.
06:57Is that okay?
06:58We're of a similar age.
06:59Similar age.
07:00Yeah.
07:01Similar bank account.
07:02Yeah.
07:03Yeah, exactly right.
07:04And he was a very good golfer too, I believe.
07:05So put some more weight on your left foot from the get-go.
07:08Right.
07:09Just a little bit.
07:10Not a lot.
07:11So that's your left over there.
07:12Yeah, yeah.
07:13No, that's just fine.
07:14Right.
07:15So we'll try and...
07:16No from the hips.
07:17Yep.
07:18Oh, look how much straighter that was.
07:21Yeah, it did.
07:22Well done by the way.
07:23First go at it.
07:24I think you've been doing the shuffle for years, haven't you?
07:26Oh, I have, yeah.
07:27Yeah.
07:28Hard to keep it on the ground, wasn't it?
07:29Well, I love dancing, so I find it very difficult.
07:32Let's go.
07:33I've got about a 30 footer and you reckon what, swing half a foot from left to right?
07:38Yeah, I reckon it's a good spot there.
07:40Yeah, probably half a foot.
07:41Right.
07:42So just over that green patch there.
07:43Yep, let's go.
07:44But I have surveyed that putter.
07:46Yeah.
07:47That is...
07:48And your thoughts?
07:49Oh, that's just awful.
07:51Like, it's not even...
07:52In what way?
07:53It's old.
07:54It's called a knight.
07:55I've never heard that.
07:56So, what I'll do...
07:57Well, you're only 55.
07:58Yeah, give you a chance.
08:00I'll let you putt with this one.
08:01Oh, jeez.
08:02Dirty.
08:03Alright.
08:04That's as flush as a rat with a gold tooth.
08:06I'm actually putting with something in this century.
08:08Watch out.
08:09The feel.
08:10I've never done this before.
08:11Righto.
08:12Precision.
08:13They won the comp in 1986.
08:15It was that color.
08:16They did too.
08:17Right.
08:18That's the Parramatta putter.
08:19And your hands are all over it.
08:20They are no chance to win that it's 40 years either.
08:22Come on, the eels.
08:26Come on.
08:27Come on.
08:28Oh!
08:29Yeah.
08:30Putt.
08:31You only got one putt with it.
08:32I wonder if I could have putted with this one.
08:34Tap it in.
08:36Fantastic.
08:37Passed on.
08:38You've got happy days.
08:39Mate.
08:40Very good.
08:41You said to me on the tee that you weren't that good at golf.
08:43What I've witnessed, using a really inferior set of golf clubs, you've hit this beautiful
08:48right to left.
08:49You've got on the second shot in.
08:51A little bit right to left to the middle of the green.
08:53Up here.
08:54Tapped in for four.
08:55Mm-hmm.
08:56You're saying you're off 16.
08:57Mm-hmm.
08:58I think you're a sandbagger.
08:59I think you're more like a narrow.
09:00Bush Ranger.
09:01Yep.
09:02I think you're taking people's money under false pretenses.
09:04That's not your handicap.
09:05Well, that's the plan tomorrow in the pro-am.
09:07Now, can we just take us through, for obviously people watching this, there'll be a lot of golf
09:12fanatics.
09:13Is there a couple of, I mean, I know there's a heap of tips you could give, but is there
09:17two tips that you could say to every amateur that hopefully will help them improve their
09:22golf?
09:23One is keep it simple.
09:24The more you move in your golf swing, the more things that will happen.
09:29And the second thing is really the main thing, and you can put this as number one.
09:33Go to your PGA Pro for a lesson.
09:35Okay.
09:36Don't go to YouTube because that is no good for you.
09:38Yeah.
09:39It's going to mentally scare you for a lot of life because you'd go looking for secrets.
09:43And I'm going to tell you here for the first time ever, there's no secrets in golf.
09:47Hard work wins.
09:48But go to your PGA Pro.
09:49Yeah.
09:50Go and have a lesson and go and get a number of lessons.
09:52And then go back and then slowly get better.
09:55Hey, golf's a marvellous thing.
09:56If you've got a handicap, you can try to better it.
09:58Yep.
09:59It's a wonderful game.
10:00It's a great fun game.
10:01Mental health, everything.
10:03You get out to a place like this and you walk around hearing the birds and hitting shots
10:06and making pars like that.
10:08So they're the two tips.
10:09It's an easy game.
10:10Keep it simple.
10:11Go to your PJ Pro.
10:12That's what we need.
10:13Thanks, Jeremy.
10:14Thanks, mate.
10:15Hey, good luck.
10:16Hey, you're welcome.
10:18Bye.
10:19Bye.
10:20Bye.
10:21Bye.
10:22Bye.
10:23Bye.
10:25Bye.
10:26Bye.
10:27Bye.
10:28Bye.
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