Hi Guys, welcome back to the Hole In One Golf Podcast! I’m your host Jack Bull. Thanks very much for listening. Please remember to reach out on the social links listed below and please remember to share the links to the podcast, which will really help to grow the podcast and continue to share so many great golfing tales! Joining me this week is Jake Hapgood from South Wales (UK). He tells me all about growing up playing golf in Wales, as well as in Ireland and explains how both countries helped him grow as a player. Jake enjoyed a superb amateur career, representing Glamorgan and then Wales both in the home internationals and also in the 3 man Eisenhower Trophy team, as well as being selected to the GB & I Walker Cup training squad. Jake tells me more about how mentors such as Lee Griffiths of Coed-y-Mwstwr (a course which has produced many great golfing talents) and Welsh Golf Legend- Llewellyn Matthews from Southerndown, really taught him how to play and we share plenty of Llew & Griff related stories as we have both played a lot with them both! Jake shares a couple of classic Griff stories including Laura Davies, as well as “The Postman”.

Jake had a sensational debut for Wales, partnering Llewellyn, they would go unbeaten, with the highlight being a fine win against England’s best pairing, when Llew holed ridiculous putts & Jake held his nerve with clutch shots. Jake would then go on to lead Wales out in the singles around Conwy and tells me he was -9 when he won his match against Ireland’s top player! Jake enjoyed a very strong amateur career, which included winning a Pro event in Spain and after comparing himself against the likes of Tour Winner Bradley Dredge who he had played with, Jake was confident he could compete against the best in the game and turned professional last year, despite being in the midst of a global pandemic! Since turning professional, he’s had great support from his family, some great sponsors and also Black Star Golf Management, who look after a number of Welsh Professionals and helped secure Jake as many Professional starts as possible:-

https://www.blackstargolf.net/players/jake-hapgood

Thanks very much for your time Jake and for sharing so many great stories, I’m sure you’ll tear it up in the pro ranks!

Links:

https://www.southerndowngolfclub.com/golf-club-wales/item/1935-jake-hapgood-selected-in-initial-26-man-walker-cup-squad/

https://www.randa.org/News/2019/04/GBandI-Walker-Cup-Squad-Announced

https://www.irishgolfdesk.com/news-files/2018/3/28/hapgood-best-at-portmarnock-links

https://golfireland.photoshelter.com/image/I0000tAw78Fft35o

http://www.europrotour.com/europro-tour-news/q-school-supported-by-sky-sports-cut-made-at-final-stage/

https://www.bbc.com/sport/golf/47752895

https://www.blackstargolf.net/players/jake-hapgood

https://www.pga.info/news/conditions-beat-the-welshmen-at-machynys/

http://www.coed-y-mwstwr.co.uk/website/