Walsh anxious ahead of tee off
Tom Walsh is banking on an early tee time to keep the spectators away on Thursday morning.
The Olympic shot put bronze medallist usually thrives in front of large crowds in the shot put circle, but doesn’t feel the same way when whacking a golf ball.
Walsh is playing in the pro-am format of this year’s New Zealand Open in Arrowtown and the nerve levels are already exceeding what he’s used to in his own sport.
‘‘I played a charity cricket match about three to four months ago and I was more nervous for that than any shot put comp,’’ Walsh said. ‘‘So it’s probably going to be like that standing on the first tee, hands shaking.
‘‘I’ve got a 7.40am tee time, so no one will be on the first tee when I’m there, which is great.’’
Walsh, who plays off an 11 handicap, is partnered with Christchurch pro Shaun Jones in the pro-am (best ball format) and will play The Hills course on Thursday, followed by Millbrook on Friday.
The top 40 pairs will progress to compete in round three at Millbrook on Saturday, before a further cull reduces the pro-am field to the top 10 teams for the final round on Sunday.
Walsh started playing the sport two years ago and caught the golfing bug from his coach Dale Stevenson and strength and conditioning coach John Wilson.
The 25-year-old Cantabrian generally plays one or two rounds a week and said he will be content if he shoots anything under 90.
Renowned for his ability hurl the 7.2kg silver sphere, Walsh estimated he can whack a roughly 45g golf ball 260-280m with driver in hand.
However, that’s not the best part of his game.
‘‘Surprisingly, [putting] is probably one of my better parts of my game,’’ he said. ‘‘My driver is a little bit iffy but my short game is actually not too bad.
‘‘But I’m sure on these fast greens it may prove me wrong.’’
Christchurch-based Walsh is one of a bunch of players from a non-golf background competing in the pro-am, including former cricketers Stephen Fleming, Brendon Mccullum, Shane Warne and Ricky Ponting.
‘‘Me, being a cricket fan, it was my wildest dream having dinner with those guys and just chatting about those hundreds Warnie missed out on and why he missed out on them,’’ Walsh said.
But he’s not all about golf while he’s in Arrowtown.
With a national shot put title to defend in Hamilton next weekend, Walsh isn’t letting his training slip. He hit the gym in Queenstown yesterday morning and will have a throwing session this afternoon when he finishes his opening round.
‘‘It’s not perfect timing, this. But it’s something pretty special to be invited to this and to be asked to come down and to be thrown in the same bunch as some of the others is pretty cool,’’ Walsh said.