Drayton Park Golf Club’s captain Liam Molesworth and his PGA pro partner Daniel Whitby-Smith are the hottest Pro-Captain duo in UK club golf this year.
And Molesworth – one of 2024’s youngest club captains – used his SkyCaddie PRO 5X on every shot tee-to-green in this year’s 36-hole final of the SkyCaddie PGA Pro-Captain Challenge, which was held at PGA National Italy, Argentario Golf & Wellness Resort.
The duo beat not only the nine other pairs in this month’s final, but also the hundreds of golfers who competed in the nationwide tournament’s regional qualifiers.
“There were so many times when I changed my club selection because of Dan’s advice, but also because of my SkyCaddie,” said Molesworth, 31, an 8-handicap member at Drayton Park in Staffordshire. “Dan and I conferred on most shots, and I clubbed down many occasions after the PRO 5X showed us the runout distance to a hazard or the end of the fairway.
“The SkyCaddie tells you the yardage you need within seconds, and helps you keep the ball in play rather than over-hitting it into trouble.”
Molesworth, who is founder of healthcare specialists the Clive Henry Group, is now a committed SkyCaddie GPS fan. “I am pretty sure I used it on every shot tee to green,” he said. “My SkyCaddie gave me the same yardages as a laser, but it showed me much more of the golf course. The accuracy on the PRO 5X was super-impressive, and it gives you the yardage you need instantly, so you can decide on what club and shot shape you need to use.
He added: “The screen is very responsive, even with a glove on, and it is easy to use. The SkyCaddie makes you think much more about every shot, before you take it. It’s a huge area of golf which amateurs usually overlook – the pros’ course management is so much better, so the SkyCaddie gives you that same professional level of detail.”
The Drayton Park pair took the SkyCaddie trophy after Molesworth scored a net birdie to win a playoff with Sutton Coldfield’s pro Pat Ruff and club captain Jason Moore.
Whitby-Smith, who was Midland PGA Professional of the Year in 2022, said: “Argentario is a really tough track, but it is in very good condition. We both played well on day two, and it’s always great to win! Liam is a great partner.”
He added: “I use a SkyCaddie every time I play. It gives you the green depth unlike a laser. It’s good to have a yardage to the pin, but what’s the bad miss? A laser gives you nothing at ground level, but the SkyCaddie gives you the full length of the green so you know what’s a safe club to hit.
“Previously when I played a new course I used to buy a course planner. Now I don’t – the SkyCaddie does all the maths for me. If you need to lay up because of traps or water, or if you’re out of position on a tree-lined course, the SkyCaddie does what a laser can’t – it gives you an exact yardage to your landing spot.
“At Argentario I had the pins pre-loaded onto my PRO 5X: if you can get the pin positions onto your SkyCaddie it’s a true game-changer.”
The SkyCaddie PRO 5X and SX400 form SkyCaddie’s full-featured Tour Book range, with the most comprehensive course information in golf – all researched and regularly updated by SkyCaddie’s professional mapping team on-foot.
“It was an honour to be in Italy to present the trophy to Dan and Liam,” said SkyCaddie’s James Holmes. “We have sponsored the SkyCaddie PGA Pro-Captain Challenge since 2017, and it is a wonderful way for us to get SkyCaddie GPS technology into the hands of hundreds of PGA Professionals and club captains each year.
“We are in our 18th year as a PGA Partner, and for us it is all about supporting the grass-roots game. Our mapping team have had their boots on the ground at over 99% of golf courses in the UK and Ireland, so the SkyCaddie guys are a regular sight at UK golf clubs – and we always return to update our maps whenever a golf course makes changes.
“Only SkyCaddie goes to these extremes, to give the depth of information which heled Daniel Whitby-Smith and Liam Molesworth to become the top Pro-Captain duo in the UK this year.”
And in the future, Whitby-Smith can relax knowing his SkyCaddie is safely in his own bag. “Liam always used to nick my SkyCaddie,” he said. “But now he’s got his own!”
SkyCaddie is also the Official Distance Measurement Device on the Legends Tour, and in 2024 SkyCaddie users are dominating the Order Of Merit with just three events to go.
