European Tour star helps Bridgestone competition winners improve their game

Three amateur golfers are hoping to reduce their handicaps and transform their games after a round to remember with an emerging star of the European Tour. Si Monckton of Eastbourne, Greg Robinson from Stockport and Andrew Law from Sheffield won a social networking competition with Bridgestone to tee off with their sponsored star for 2015, Ollie Farr.

The trio travelled down to the Worcester Golf and Country Club for a round with the Welshman, who has enjoyed a meteoric rise onto the European Tour, having won the EuroPro Tour in 2013, before qualifying through the Challenge Tour rankings in 2014.

This year has been a steep learning curve for the 27 year-old, with a number of promising rounds in esteemed company offering hope for a strong finish to the season. But meeting 18 handicapper Robinson, Law off 15 and 12 handicapper Monckton still presented a bit of pressure for Ollie to live up to his reputation, albeit not quite on a par with a first hole tee shot at Wentworth with Sergio Garcia and co.

Robinson said: “Playing with Ollie today has really spurred me on. I’ll be practicing harder to try and get my handicap down after this, having learned so much from spending some hours on a top course with a European Tour professional.”

Monckton said: “It has been an amazing experience to play with Ollie. There has been some good stuff, some not-so-good stuff, but I have picked up a lot of tips that will stand my game in good stead. It’s been a day to cherish.”

Law said: “Ollie’s advice was really helpful. To watch his swing close-up was incredible too. You see how the pros hit the ball on TV, but to see it in person gave a whole new perspective. It is something to aspire to, for sure.”

Farr said that meeting the three amateurs and playing a round with them was a lovely experience: “They were all very good players in their own rights. I tried to impart one or two tips and words of encouragement but if they carry on like they did with me, I’m sure their handicaps will be coming down before they know it.”

Bridgestone already boasts a high-profile presence in the world of golf and wanted to build upon this with a sponsorship that brought its range of tyres closer to golfers’ minds and identified Ollie as an ideal match.

Bridgestone’s sales and marketing director Farrell Dolan said: “Bridgestone is the world’s largest tyre manufacturer and we think that a sponsorship with one of the sport’s most exciting young stars is the perfect fit for us, as we reach out to a vibrant new audience.”