The two amateur golfers selected to hone their games and physiques through the unique Tour Fit For Golf (TFFG) progamme are busy fine-tuning their skills before receiving their ‘main prize’ – a dream match of a lifetime at the Portugal Masters this week.
Chris Hughman and Nick Birch – participants in the European Tour Performance Institute-endorsed amateur programme supported by Golfbreaks.com, Europe’s largest golf travel company – will play alongside a host of top names in the Pro-Am that precedes the main competition.
The duo has spent the last four months benefiting from privileged and exclusive access to the European Tour’s top performance coaches and health experts, including renowned coach Simon Holmes, Jean-Jacques Rivet, sports biomechanics consultant, and Rob Hillman, the Tour’s Director of Physiotherapy.
Following an initial assessment and three subsequent progress reviews at top golf venues in England, Wales and France– designed to help recreational golfers reach peak levels in performance and fitness – TFFG reaches its zenith at the Algarve’s acclaimed Oceanico Victoria Golf Course in Vilamoura on October 11-12.
Looking ahead to the Portugal Masters, and analysing the progress their games have made through the programme, Chris, 32, an IT analyst from Epping, Essex, said: “It will be the pinnacle of a fantastic experience – the nerves start to jangle when I think about it, so I hope I can hold it together on the 1st tee! My swing is unrecognisable from six months ago and I now have a sound footing to move forward. I am also in a much better position to work on my physical weaknesses.”
Nick, 41, a business and sales development manager from Sevenoaks, Kent, added: “The anticipation and excitement is like waiting for Christmas Day to arrive – it will be the most memorable golfing experience I have had. But there’s a lot of hard work to be done before then. The fascinating technical information we have received and the importance placed on the physical aspect will certainly help reduce my handicap.”
Throughout the programme, the duo has been privileged to visit some of Golfbreaks.com’s finest golf venues, including Celtic Manor, The London Club and Saint Omer Hotel du Golf.
The most recent analysis weekend was held at the luxurious Foxhills Hotel & Resort, where Chris and Nick were united in their praise for the Surreyvenue that boasts the esteemed Bernard Hunt and Longcross courses complemented by a 4-star country club-style hotel and health spa.
Jo Oates, Marketing Manager of Foxhills Hotel & Resort, said that his venue derives significant benefit from being part of the TFFG programme and partnering with Golfbreaks.com: “Hosting TFFG, and given that it’s endorsed by the European Tour, has allowed us to widely showcase our first-class Golf Academy facilities, including our 14-bay driving range which has recently benefited from a £200,000 investment. Golfbreaks.com has helped raise further the profile of our acclaimed resort and the wide range of excellent value golf packages we offer.”
Keith Mitchell, Marketing Director of Golfbreaks.com, said: “It’s been fantastic to see the amazing progress our enthusiastic amateurs, Chris and Nick, have made working closely with the European Tour experts on the TFFG programme – we wish them luck in thePortugalMasters Pro-Am.
“The venues we’ve teamed with to host our progress weekends – all of which we promote through our golf breaks brochure – have all been hugely accommodating and each provided world-class backdrops to give the programme that extra touch of ‘unforgettable’.”
The TFFG programme finishes with a final health assessment atLondon’s Urban Golf on 29 October.
Golfbreaks.com www.golfbreaks.com
Tour Fit for Golf www.tourfitforgolf.com