Sussex Based Rookie Golfer Talks About Life on Tour

A candid interview with Toby Graves.

How was your 2019 season?  

 Personally, I feel as if 2019 was a huge season as regards to the development for me as a golfer and as a person.  In terms of the golf, it was a relatively decent season, but there is most certainly room for improvement.  It is an exciting chapter in my life and I am definitely learning and improving as I go along.  I am a little self-critical, but I having achieved multiple top 5 finishes on both the Jamega and TP Tours, I know I can compete at that level.  I have also had a number of top 3 finishes on the Sussex Professional Golfers Union circuit. I am just looking for that winning breakthrough! 

What have you learnt from last year and what will you take into next year?  

Gaining experience on any tour will stand me in a good place moving forward. The main learning curve has been with the general preparation for each event. Securing full playing rights on tour is key, which enables you to prepare for your full season – mixing competitive events with practice and some personal life. Without securing any playing rights, your preparation can be hampered and receiving a late entry can be difficult. I made some mistakes last year and not being fully prepared for an event is one major area that I will be working on for 2020. It is encouraging to hear from senior coaches and fellow players that I ‘have the game’, but I need to turn these abilities into performances. 

What are your plans and goals for 2020? 

Firstly, I am excited with the prospect of playing at a higher level. I start in December, having entered the Alps Tour Qualifying at La Cala Resort in Spain.  My next entry is the Europro Tour Qualifying, which is held at Frilford Heath.  The goal is to secure full playing rights on either tour and to then focus on that first professional win.  It is like climbing a ladder and I think I have a good head for heights, being 6’ 7” – lol. I have sat down with my coach and team and have come up with some realistic goals, which we are keeping to ourselves at the moment. There is no substitute for hard work on the range and I have some winter training planned in southern Spain so that I can practice throughout the off-season. 

Is the professional life on tour as glamorous as it sounds, travelling Europe and earning a good living? 

If you put it like that, it does sound like a perfect lifestyle, but unfortunately that only applies to those on the European and PGA Tours. It is however a level to which I aspire to in the future. The lifestyle reality now can sometimes be a challenge at this level, but I still believe I am in a very privileged position to do what I am doing. I am ever so grateful to my sponsors who support me professionally as without them I could not pursue my career ambitions. I have spent many hours during 2019 (thanks Rivervale for the reliable car) travelling on the road from one tournament to another, which can be quite lonely. Fortunately, there is great camaraderie on the tours and we often share travel or hotel expenses. The satellite tours that I will be playing on do not necessarily earn you a living as the main goal is to progress and get promoted on the next tour above, the Challenge Tour and then who knows? 

Is there a Plan B?  

For sure as I believe you would be silly not to have one. Hopefully the golf career will work out, but if not I am fortunate to have had a privileged education for which I am very thankful.  I attended Brighton College for five years and then rewarded an academic and golf scholarship to Keiser University in West Palm Beach, Florida where I graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor of Business Administration specialising in Sports Event Management. It is an area of business that really interests me.  Either Sports Events or Sports Management to me would be the ideal career path if the golf does not work out. I am currently working on some low profile projects at the moment alongside my professional golf and I would love to have a greater practical insight into this industry.