Chasing Pars Golf Podcast Craig Thomson

We are back this week to chat ISPS Handa Championship at Taiheiyo (Gotemba) course with the picturesque Mount Fuji in the backdrop as the DP World Tour returns after a break. We discuss the domination of the 2 World Number 1’s Scottie Scheffler & Nelly Korda who have won 9 of their last 10 events together including 2 Majors in that time with Stephan Jaeger being the only player to win in that sequence in Texas.

Craig also has a bit of a discussion about the direct lack of coverage on the LPGA Tour recently even with a Major Championship last week at the Chevron Champs. 

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In this episode I am joined by former Ladies European Tour pro & current LET co-commentator for Sky Sports Golf Sophie Walker!

We chat about Nelly Korda’s dominance, the disappointing lack of LPGA Coverage, Lottie Woad’s win at Augusta and what to expect from Lottie, Sophie’s journey into the game and find out how she got into the role commentating on the LET alongside veteran broadcaster Richard Kaufman. 

With it being Masters week at Augusta this week & the first major of the year in the Women’s game next week at Chevron Champs we discuss who could go well for them.

Sophie was a great guest & I enjoyed chatting with her! Hopefully have her back on the pod at another point into time! 

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It’s that time of year again it’s the Azaleas, it’s Pimento Cheese Sandwiches, it’s AUGUSTA NATIONAL. Craig is rejoined by Craig Edwards to preview everything about this year’s Masters tournament. Can anyone stop the relentless World number 1 Scottie Scheffler? We give you our picks and views on what is going to be an unpredictable Masters! 

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In this episode Craig is joined by new DP World Tour card holder for 2024 James Nicholas who phones in from New York after his first 5 events in Qatar/Kenya/South Africa & India after gaining DP World Tour card by a shot at Final Stage of DP World Tour Q School at Infinitum!

A student at Yale University, James turned professional at beginning of 2020 and made starts on the Korn Ferry Tour finishing with a best T13th at Lincoln Land Championship where he would also get a couple of invites on the PGA Tour at Rocket Mortgage Classic & Bermuda Championship. At Yale James openly admits that he was a late bloomer to Golf having been massively into Ice Hockey & Lacrosse but made the switch to Golf after falling out of love with American Football. 

In 2023 with no full time status on any tour James would Monday qualify into a couple of Korn Ferry Tour events at Magnit Championship & Albertsons Boise Open finishing T16th & T35th respectively. James would go to Q School for DP World Tour starting in Biarritz in France for First Stage, Isla Canela in Huelva, Spain for Second Stage before finishing T22nd at Final Stage at Infinitum Golf finishing -14 in total for 6 Rounds gaining a full DP World Tour card by a shot! 

A friendly & out going guy with a good swing and a good mentality to go far. Was great to chat with James. I hope he has a successful career.

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In what is my 35th Professional player interview episode of the podcast I was joined by 2022 Limpopo Championship winner, 3x Pro Golf Tour Champion & Polish Number 2 Mateusz Gradecki who joins from back home in Poland after a few days of working on the Golf game with his coach in Spain. We discuss the tough start to Challenge Tour season with his last event being a season best T42nd in South Africa. We discuss growing up in South Western Poland, Adrian Meronk, going to East Tennessee State University from 2013-17, being a role model to future Polish players & look into some of the most notable career results including in April 2022 winning the co-sanctioned Challenge Tour/Sunshine Tour event at Limpopo by 3 shots.

Mateusz was born in Trzebnica 12 miles outside of the main city of Wroclaw & grew up in Oberbiki Śląskie in Southwest Poland near the Czech border & grew up playing Football before choosing Golf where Poland has limited resources in comparison to other Golfing Nations. Mateusz won a minimum of 7 times at Amateur level including 5x Polish Amateur Champion (2011,2012,2013,2015 & 2016), 2014 Faldo Series Poland & 2017 MVK Turkish International Amateur Open as well as representing Poland in 3 Eisenhower Trophy’s in Turkey/Japan & Mexico alongside Adrian Meronk & Jan Szmidt with the latter being a success with the Polish side finishing T8th & Meronk finishing 3rd individually a massive feat for the country. Mateusz is a 3x Pro Golf Tour title winner with wins at 2018 New Golf Club Matchplay, 2019 Open Prestigia & 2021 Red Sea Egyptian Classic.

2022 would be Gradecki’s best year on the Challenge with the win in South Africa in April, 2nd at Big Green Egg German Challenge losing in a playoff to Alejandro Del Rey, T7th at British Challenge & T18th at the season ending Grand Final at Alcanada where putts from John Parry & a late 20 foot putt from Deon Germishuys at 18 would leave Mateusz 1 place short of reaching the DP World Tour in 21st a feeling that still hurts him to date. 

With the Polish Challenge returning for the first time in years to Challenge Tour later this year at Rosa Golf Club a club he knows well it would be no surprise to see this proud Pole in contention at his home national Open.

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In this latest episode of Chasing Pars Golf Podcast I had the pleasure of the 2022 AIG Women’s Open Champion Ashleigh Buhai joining me to chat about how her game is trending, skipping the Asian swing preparing for return to America as well as learning about her journey into the game where she would win South African Women’s Open for the first time at just 14 years of age as an Amateur then again at 16 years old. We learn about the highs & lows of life on tour as a Professional Golfer. We go over in detail the weekend in August 2022 where in a dramatic 4 hole play off with 3x Major Champion In Gee Chun Ashleigh would prevail to become a Major Champion Golfer on her 221st LPGA start joining the elite list of players to win a Major. 

Ashleigh would turn professional on her 18th Birthday and just 3 starts in she would win 2007 Catalonia Ladies Open on the LET. Ashleigh has won including the Major Championship a total of 22 times in a 16 year professional career (2x LPGA, 5x LET, 2x Australasian, 12x Sunshine Tour) including 4 times in the last 2 years with back to back Australian Open wins (2022 & 2023) & would win her maiden event in America in 2023 at LPGA Shoprite Classic.

This is an episode that every sport lover should enjoy in the case of a player with gritty determination achieving a life long goal of winning a big major. Terrific cha with Ashleigh I thoroughly enjoyed it!

 

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