Spotlight on Scott Matheson
Travelling throughout the Central West and Western area of Country NSW you appreciate the huge distances that parents and grandparents have to travel to get their kids to golfing tournaments and events. Getting up early in the dark and getting home in the dark is all part of the deal of playing competitive golf. It is often difficult to find time to have a good chat with juniors who are ‘making things happen’ and so Territory Manager, Sharon Nott, asked 16-year-old Scott Matheson from Bathurst (off a handicap of 2) if he could share his golfing adventures to date and give other aspiring juniors (and parents) a taste of his golfing journey.
“It all started when I was very young, probably about 4 years old. I began by hitting foam and plastic balls with little plastic golf clubs off my nans veranda at her clothesline. From there, the Junior Coordinators, John Tenner and Ian Thomas who were a fantastic help, got me playing 3 hole competitions on a Tuesday afternoon. I first started playing competition golf when I was 9 years old on Boxing Day 2006. Soon after that I started getting lessons off the ex Bathurst Golf Club professional, Ian Norrie. My whole family got lessons off Ian and we all worked well with him. After a few years, I needed a change and Ian was going away a fair bit so it was hard to get lessons. I started seeing Bruce Hodson, father of Reece and Chantal. Again, after a few years I moved on. I started seeing Bruce McLean. In 2010, at the time of the Peter O'Malley Junior Masters, Ian sadly passed away. It was also the year that the current club professional came to town, Matt Barrett. As well as seeing Bruce, I started working with Matt a weekly basis as well as Bruce with the Western Region Academy of Sport. I was in WRAS for two years, 2010/2011 and 2011/2012. WRAS helped me with my golf with strength and conditioning and the coaching offered. It also got me into the NSW Talent Assessment Camp, which was a chance for state selectors to see the way I play. When I finished WRAS in the middle of 2012, I felt that I needed to take my game to the next level. This was when I went to my current coach, Shane McLeod who has helped my game reach the next level.
My practice routine is pretty basic. Every morning, I do my drills that Shane has given me for about 10 mins before I go to school. I try to play 9 holes twice a week or be at the golf club on those days and hit the driving range twice a week as well. Most of the time I will be playing both Saturday and Sunday or will be travelling around the state. Each round of golf, I usually like to get to the golf course about an hour before I tee off so I can do my stretches for about 15 minutes, register, hit the range for 20 minutes and chip and putt and keep warm before teeing off.
Jack Newton Junior Golf has been a great asset to my game. It has allowed me to get use to tournament golf, with the Junior Jack Tournaments and has also given me the chance to play on some of the best courses in the state and against some of the best golfers.
Just a few achievements to date:
2008 C Grade Club Champion - Bathurst
2012/13 Mudgee Junior Champion
2012/13 Henbury Junior Champion
2012 Duntry League Junior Champion
2013 Peter O'Malley Junior Masters Champion
2012/13 Division 1 Pennants - Winners in 2012
Western School Sports Secondary Team - 2011/12/13
2013 Western School Sports Secondary Matchplay Champion
There is many more to list and I hope many to come as well.
Peter O'Malley has been a great help to me, with getting me clubs and helping me getting a run at Pymble Golf Club. As at the start of this month, I am now a member of Pymble Golf Club, and hope to play major pennants for them one day soon.
Of course, most junior golfers want to become a professional golfer. I am playing my cards against my chest to see where golf takes me and whether I want to pursue a career in golf. However, with the final years of school coming up very soon, I believe my education will be my main higher priority in the next 2 years. It will be a case of getting and finding a balance.
With playing golf, especially junior tournaments, I have met many people who I am now very good friends with.
For any young golfers coming through, keep working hard and never give up. Many things may take weeks or months to fix, keep working hard. Always practice with a purpose and never waste time just hitting balls for the sake of it. And of course, be creative and have fun, keep calm and collected and don't get angry, it just makes things worse.
And of course, I wouldn't be where I am without my family. They have always been there to help give me support and take me to every tournament and coaching.
After being around golf for a while, I have realised that tournaments and camps and everything in between just don't magically happen. This is where many people behind the scenes make a big difference. I like to thank you Sharon for what you have done which has not just helped me but everyone else in the country.”
- Scott Matheson
I have been fortunate to be in a position with JNJG that has allowed us to expand our Country Junior Golf Programs and support in the Western area. Working in partnership with a range of people, parents, clubs, schools and especially volunteers has made opportunities available. Scott’s family of Norm, Annette and brother Ben have been very supportive of junior golf over many, many years and make every effort to get to as many tournaments as they can, both at a local and state level. The Matheson’s have certainly made a difference to junior golf and l wish Scott all the best. He is certainly a young man who values the people around him and the opportunities he has been able to create for himself.
