Australian Golfer Paul Dalgliesh at Balmacewen yesterday.
Photo by Craig Baxter.
Why does a man turn 50 and then decide to make a living
as a touring golf professional? Dave Cannan sought the answers
from Legends Tour rookie Paul Dalgliesh at Balmacewen
yesterday.
Paul Dalgliesh has a 10-year golfing plan: to
enjoy life to the fullest.
And he is not going to jeopardise that ambition by burdening
himself with the expectation of winning golf tournaments.
Yesterday, he teed off in just his fifth event since becoming
a touring professional less than three months ago, shot a
6-over par 77 on the challenging Balmacewen layout and said
he still had a great time.
"The way I see it, if I can hold my own on this tour and not
damage the bank balance too much, then I could be in a very
enjoyable next decade," he said.
Dalgliesh, from Brisbane, turned 50 in December.
Soon after, he said goodbye to his job as a teaching
professional and lessee owner of a golf driving range, his
wife Helen and three children, and set out to achieve a dream
of playing golf alongside some of the great names from
yesteryear.
He admits the decision was selfish in many ways but the
chance to see the world, to mix with and learn from the likes
of Sir Bob Charles, Wayne Grady, Mike Harwood and the many
other top golfers now plying their trade on the over-50
circuit, was just too good to pass up.
The softly spoken Dalgliesh was a latecomer to becoming a
professional, starting his three-year apprenticeship aged 35,
but says he has been working and saving hard for the last 10
years in preparation for joining the Legends Tour.
"And I'm not going to squander it," he said.
Now he has a big enough bankroll to stake him for the
financial challenges that lie ahead, the costs of travel,
accommodation and tournament-related expenses, but, like any
businessman, he hopes not to operate at a loss.
"In my opinion, if you play well enough, you can afford this
lifestyle."
But his motivation is not about winning or shedding his
unknown tag even though, in a modest career to date, he has
managed a couple of wins in pro-ams on the Sunshine Tour.
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