So, after a mad dash from the golf course to the Crowne Plaza hotel, 40 minutes away in Foshan city centre, I then had to get a 5-hour coach ride back to Hong Kong airport via a stop off at the Chinese border and a bus change!
It was not too bad a journey, the only problem being that I was not sure where I was going from there.
The original plan was to stop the night in the airport and fly back to Heathrow Monday afternoon, as I had withdrawn from the Oman event.
But after a great result in China, it meant I had the chance to get an invite back into the event, and have one final push for the top 45 – and as I mentioned in my last blog, this is one of the tough decisions we have had to make!
I’m hating being away at the moment, but hopefully some more hard work over the next few weeks and it will be worthwhile for us all.
My golf has been good though and hopefully with another solid week in Oman it could lead to much more for next year…
So, on the bus to Hong Kong I was waiting for the confirmation on the invite – once I had it, Duncan, my manager, was on to my new travel plans!
I arrived at the airport at 9pm and at 12 I flew back out of Hong Kong to Doha (8 hours), a few hours’ connection then a quick flight over to Oman. It worked out pretty well apart from losing the money for the hotel in HK and also my return flight home to Heathrow!
As a professional golfer you just seem to continually burn money and even more so when plans change at the last minute!
But you can’t count the pennies week to week or it would drive you insane with what you spend … Some weeks are cheaper than others but if you just budget for around €1000 a week and around €25,000 for the year, you’re not far off!
So arriving in Oman, it was a taxi straight to the hotel, to get some sleep, do some washing and hopefully catch up with the family on Skype!
We got a decent tea and an early night so that a few of us could head up to the course nice and early to play 18 holes! And what a spectacular golf course it was too … not what I expected at all. I stood on the first tee and, apart from the heat, it kind of felt like an English course.
But as the round went on you soon realised you were not in the UK and you were as close to the ‘GULF’ sea as you could get, you actually play half a dozen great holes down the coast with the waves splashing up on to the course!
The condition was pretty decent for a new course and I think it suited my game more than the previous two weeks, as there was a lot more demand for straighter driving, with big bunkers and grassy banks everywhere!
Wednesday was a hot practice day, as only the pro-am guys could play the course, but I don’t think many people minded that this week. It was just a case of practising for short spells and nipping inside for blasts of air conditioning!
So that was the practice over for another week, back to the real thing! Round one for me was at 11.30 Thursday and I couldn’t wait to get going where I left off!
GOLF ROUND UP…
Over the course of the week I played pretty good; if my game had been that bit sharper in some places I feel I would have been in with a shout of the top 5 finish I needed to qualify for the Grand Final!
But three weeks ago I was not sure when or where I would be playing, so to come out and finish 26th, 6th, and 12th, is pretty pleasing, and that has bumped me up to 53rd in the Order of Merit and by far my best year on the Challenge Tour!
All that is left for the season now is ‘The Tour School’, and I start that campaign at stage 2 near Valencia at Panoramica Golf Club next week!
I really couldn’t wait to see my family and have a couple of days without looking at my golf clubs!
This was my journey home…
Flew from Oman to Dubai, (3hr wait), flew to Doha, (5hr wait), flew to Heathrow, then the dreaded drive home!!!
But I made it home, and that sounds like music to my ears! It’s been a long season for everyone involved and I know we are looking forward to the off season break and Christmas! It’s going to be so exciting with Jess and our new addition to the family.
So one last event at Tour School to go…! Wish me luck!