TW08 - My Road to the Top

[shefellover93]

My Road to the Top
Name: Kevin Galvin
Age: 14
Occupation: Amateur golfer
The Dream: To become world number 1 and win the coveted Grand Slam of Majors in Golf

The Time: Is now


Chapter 1
Tuesday 1st January

"Happy New Year!!" rang the chorus around me, I was in great spirit, on my Christmas Holidays, just got my presents and enjoying a night with friends.

I've decided to get serious about my golf now, I started in the summer of 2006 and found I had a talent for the game. I started playing at my home course of Mahon, but since Dad has announced the news that we're moving to Kildare in 2 days, I've decided to join the K Club, the site for the 2006 Ryder Cup, with a few friends I know from golf that live near Dublin.

I've always been a sportsperson, playing Basketball for the school, and about to start cricket back in a few months golf isn't my only hobby, but I'm going to make it my priority if I want to win the Irish Junior Trophy at the end of the year, if I can win that it means that I get a place in an amateur tour.

It's not going to be be easy moving, my Dad had to get moved to his company's HQ for the new year to become General Manager, he's used to moving though, he's been from Israel to Cork and Dublin to Spike Island, traveling is his thing. For my mother it will be different, born and bred Corkonian and has only ever lived in the Big Smoke once for 6 months, she will have to get used to live in Naas.

But hopefully the move can mean bright things for me, and my upcoming career

 

[sammiller]

Nice start, will be interesting to see how this pans out. A good introduction!

 

[JD10]

good start mate

 

[gutterman]

great start mate looking forward to this one. kutgw

 

[shefellover93]

Chapter 2
Saturday 20 January

So I played my first game of the year with my old friend Jon. We used to be best friends at school, but after he left to go to Dublin when I was 7 I thought I'd seen him for the last time. But on the contrary nearly every time I go to Dublin I meet him and he came down to my old house when he used to come to Cork. We both developed a passion for golf, and Jon isn't bad, playing off a 11 handicap in his home course of the European in Bray.

We decided to play in Portmarnock golf course, just north of Dublin. We decided that we would make this our course to play each other in from now on and with it's rolling links course, just south of Malahide, and it's 6,300 meters, we decided it would be a good challenge. Jon and I played 9 holes in the Dublin sunset and it was a fitting way to start the year

We both started off with par's on the first two holes. But then I really found my swing and recorded 3 birdies over the next three holes with Jon struggling with three bogeys.

"So you made the move eh?" he said as we approached the par 5 6th.
"Indeed" I said, the memories of my old house flooding back to me
"I suppose you're leaving a lot behind"
"Yeah" I sighed, wondering would I ever be united with my old friends
"So how you finding Naas"
"It's ok, I suppose, nice park there but the water has been polluted, not a whole lot there really. There's a swimming pool nearby though" I was wondering whether he was being sincere or if these were mind games, you never knew playing sport with Jon
"So what you doing as regards golf?" he quizzed
"I actually got a membership to the K Club, I'm hoping to get onto the amateur tour at the end of the year"
"Oh yeah? How do you propose to do that"
"Elementary my dear Watson" I said in my weakest British accent. "You know the Irish Juniors?"
"Yeah"
"Well I plan to take the trophy back to Kildare"

He birdied the next hole but bogeyed the last two to end up +4, and I kept plugging in the par's and felt brilliant finishing three under for my half-round.

"Next time" he said, taking the bus back to Raheny, the suburb of Dublin where he lives
"Same Old Story" I retorted, maybe a little too confidently. Packing the clubs into the car and getting in the passenger seat, I would feel good tonight

 

[shefellover93]

Chapter 3
Wednesday 13th February

I woke up, surrounded by white. White curtains, white walls, even the people were dressed in white. I looked to my left, I saw the cards, wishing me the message "Get well soon" and a button nosed teddy bear laid by their side. What was I doing here? What did I have, what was wrong? The it hit me, a searing pain down my right leg, like somebody had stuck a huge needle in my leg. I yelped, a nurse, Indonesian most likely leapt from her daydream and over to me.

"Are you okay?" she asked in that almost compulsory patriotic tone
"Yeah, just perfect" I replied, the unmistakable pong of sarcasm surrounded the room. She looked at the chart. "Broken leg, fractured right arm, and a mild concussion" she read, obviously not aware of the panic the sentence would cause. I almost jumped out of the window
"HOW DID THIS HAPPEN!" I shouted, most likely awaking the patient opposite
"Quiet down Mr. Galvin, no need to shout. Now, it says here that you were involved in a car accident"
My mind flicked through the memory banks at a frightening pace. I tried to remember the last time I was in a car. I was coming back from school, on the bus, Tuesday afternoon. I saw a truck come out of nowhere, but then I hit a dead end.

Most likely it would have been the truck

"Bus accident?"
"Indeed"
"So...." I paused, not wanting to ask the next question, but I knew I had to "Any other injuries?"
"The bus was lucky, it was fitted with a brand new safety system"
I was puzzled "But it was a rickety old bus, the reg plate said 88 sure"
"That's true, but the safety systems were fitted on the old busses first, Bus Éireann had to if they wanted to keep the old ones in service. You were very lucky, if the same had happened on a new bus you mightn't be here."


My heart lifted at about the same time my stomach dropped. The reality of it hit me, I was so close to being dead
"But what about the others on the bus"
"As I said, the safety system on the bus was state of the art. Nobody dead, but quite a few injuries. Broken bones, bad cuts and bruises, concussion, the same kind of injures that you have"
I remembered the golf, funny what you can think of when being re-introduced into your life

"How long will I be here for"
"About 2 weeks"
"And how long before I can play sport again?"
"Depends what you're playing"
"Golf, Cricket, Basketball"
"About 4 or 5 months if all goes to plan. Any other questions?"
"Just one more, what's the plan?"
"Rest, relaxation, and some light physio."
"When do I start?"

 

[shefellover93]

Chapter 4
Friday 30th May

Time slowed almost to a standstill. Finished the German exam, waiting for that bell to ring to set me free. Make a good title of a song that. I couldn't wait for the summer to roll around again. We're going off on holidays in June, Spain, Barcelona to be exact. Only about 3 weeks left before I can play sport again. But off crutches and walking fine again I hopefully can put it behind me.

12:58 is says, after my third time looking at it in about 10 seconds. I just want to be out in the Spanish beach, eating a Negriton and soaking up the sun. 12:59 it says. Jesus christ. C'MON me head screams, but my hands just keep fiddling with my pen.

13:00, and I'm out the door like a shot, I think I did well, I was well prepared for it coming into Naas Community 'College', I was just re-hashing old stuff really. But now all thought's turn not to love but to golf, and the occasional game of cricket with Merrion. Lets hope this thing heals in time for my 4 ball in August

I should probably explain what went on before, I was in hospital for two weeks, as she said. It was easy though, the physio sessions were a breeze and the only problems was beating boredom and eating the food. I got out and returned to school on crutches. I kept with the physio sessions and was off the sticks by April, started walking properly in May and now just waiting for the bone to fully heal for July.

Wish me luck...

 

[JD10]

good updates mate just add some pictures and it will be perfect

 

[shefellover93]

Chapter 5
Saturday July 19th 2008

It was my first game back playing golf. After a summer holiday where I met the love of my life. I was back at Portmarnock on a wet Saturday afternoon. Funny how karma works ain’t it?

There was no time for pouting though as I was playing in a four-ball with Jason Howard, an old mate. Against his friend Joe Howell and a golfer playing on the amateur tour who Jon and Jason befriended, a guy called dale Deputy. They were saying to me that he was the worst tour player they had ever seen, but I said I’d make my mind up, every person can have a bad round.

But they’re tales turned out to be true, as Jason and I took a 1 up lead on the second hole. Only some fine approaches from Joe and some bad play from Jason meant that the score remained the same going into the fifth hole. But my first birdie back playing golf came in the 5th and it felt extra special, considering what had gone before. I needed to play three more rounds of golf to raise the funds to play in the Irish Juniors, and I was determined not to lost the lead, I pared the last 3 holes to ensure that we won and I collected the €30 I needed. Well, you know what they say. Every little helps…

Saturday 16th August 2008

So I went onto August to play in a skins match with Jon, Jason, and Dale. This was my big chance to get the money I needed with a huge €20 going for each hole. We decided to play the back 9 this time and I started really well, blitzing the first three holes with consecutive birdies to win the first three skins. With 60 quid securely in my pocket I that sparked a revival from Jon, he secured a tie for the fourth hole with a 10 foot par putt, and then he sank a monster 17 footer to take €40 of his own. Dale, Jon, and I struggled on the par 3 15th , what allowed Jason to sink his par putt and get 20 quid into his back pocket. I realised I needed at least 2 more skins to keep my name in this year’s game, so to speak, and I secured them on 16 and 17 with two birdies. I was four under going into the last hole, but Jon won the last hole with an excellent par, the rest of us limping to a bogey apiece and it finished with me winning €80, Jon €40, Jason €20, and the local ‘star’ winning sweet FA.

@ 20/20 Pro: I will have pictures when I do tournaments, but having pictures during a casual round would be unrealistic

 

[sammiller]

To person above...its hard to put pictures of him as a youngster breaking bones

I like the descriptive writing, i like it!

Good luck with this story

 

[shefellover93]

Sorry for the long delay, TW08 is back (lets hope)

Chapter 6

I returned to a wet and windy Portmarnock knowing that I needed to win big money to earn my place in the Irish juniors. I was playing with Jason, his friend Michael Bagley and an old man by the name of Kari St. John, although I very much doubt it was his real name (Never found it out actually).

Anyway, I didn’t get the best of starts, bogeyed 3 of the first 5 and I wasn’t happy. Kari didn’t have a par on his card on a wet and windy Malahide Saturday, birdying the first two, and then bogeying the next three.

By the turn I was five over, I bogeyed every odd hole on the front 9 and I was kicking myself, sure the weather wasn’t great, but I was used to it living in Ireland. I needed the money and wasn’t near enough, I ad to play some good golf to try and restore the hope into playing at California.

I birdied the 10th and I felt a little more confident of doing it. I was making a mint on the long drives and side games even though I was behind in the overall race. I went through to 15 with 2 bogeys. Then a perfect 5 iron shot to an unprotected green meant that my second birdie of the day was in the bag. I was going to be tooth and nail to see who would win overall.

The next hole though I could breathe a sigh of relief, after my drive on the 16th made 270 yards nobody could beat it, and I won the 50 euro’s from that drive needed to make sure of my place in the biggest tournament of my career to date. I punched the air, whooped in delight and kissed the club, I had done it and ideas of lazy Boston sunlight soon drifted into my mind, soaked to my skin off the east coast of Ireland.

My chance’s of winning were all but ended when Kari holed a 25 footer to birdie the 17th, and after 18 the standings were

1. Kari - +6
2. Me - +7
3. Michael - +11
4. Jason - +20

I got into the car and announced the news with a toothy smile, after wet, cold and windy days, a car crash, serious rehab and grit and determination at the other side, my 5 day holiday on the East Coast was well deserved.