TGI Golf Partners Richard Lambert and Simon Payne have been selected to feature on the front cover of Today’s Golfer following a search to find the group’s top coaching talent.
Lambert, PGA Professional at Crosland Heath Golf Club, Huddersfield, and Payne, PGA Pro at Cowglen GC, Glasgow, will both take part in cover shoots following a competition run by Today’s Golfer and the TGI Golf Partnership.
The UK’s favourite golf magazine, teamed up with golf’s leading retail services group to launch the initiative, called Cover Star, that looked to unearth the top club professional coaches.
TGI Golf Partners were offered the chance to appear on the cover and feature as a regular contributor as a TG Elite Coach. All they had to do was submit something that blew a judging panel away.
The panel, made up of Chris Jones, Today’s Golfer editor, Eddie Reid, TGI Golf Managing Director and John Heggarty, Royal Liverpool PGA Professional and PGA Captain Elect.
Jones said: “We were looking for something a little different, something that would capture our readers attention like a new coaching philosophy, a different hint or drill, someone who has turned an 18 handicapper into a scratch star or acoach who as revolutionised the teaching process.
“And that was exactly what we found with Richard and Simon, who were so good we couldn’t separate them so ended up with two winners.”
Lambert’s submission made use of the successful TGI Golf Enewsletter programme, drawing up his own coaching newsletter utilising video and laying out his coaching philosophies in a gripping manner.
While Payne’s submission Golf’s Greatest Myths Exploded caught the attention of the panel with its debunking of some of golf’s most well-worn coaching phrases – such as ‘Slow your swing down’ and ‘Keep your head down.’
“I’m very honoured to have won this competition,” said Lambert. “I don’t try to teach by the book and I try to do things differently. I wanted to find a great way of presenting my entry and thought the TGI newsletter system was a great way to display it with the video capabilities.”
Runner-up in the competition was Matt Blake from Dyrham Park Country Club who will also become part of the TG Elite Coaches set up and feature in the magazine.
Jones added: “We had many great entries, many of which could easily be used in the magazine. We were extremely impressed with the presentations from our winners though and it will make some great content for both the magazine and video.”
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