Bahrain-based British golfer, Daniel Owen, teed-off his professional career at the weekend in the fourth King Hamad Trophy event and is now preparing to take a swing at next year’s Asian Tour Qualifying School tournament in Hua Hin, Thailand.
The 22-year-old, originally from the English county of Surrey, was a top-ranking amateur golfer until the competition staged at the Royal Golf Club last weekend. He came fourth and earned his first pay cheque of $2,000.
Owen said: “It was an awesome feeling taking part in this tournament and receiving my first cheque. I celebrated by taking my parents, Tim and Shelly, out for dinner.
“When I was younger I used to watch all the Bahrain nationals take part in this competition. I used to want to be in their shoes and play golf at their level and it only seems like yesterday I was there and now I am here.
“I think this was a fairly nice start to my professional career. The fact that the competition was on my home course, I could have easily let the occasion get to me. I could have bottled it and walked out with nothing but I sort of got on with the job. This is my job now and I can’t very well slack off – it’s really all, or nothing.
“Being known as a world-touring pro really has a nice ring to it.”
Now the young professional, from Awali, is training at the Royal Golf Club, six-days-a-week from nine-to-five, with the club’s head professional Chris Kelby and Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) instructor John Howells in preparation for the 2012 Asian Tour Qualifying School tournament.
He is also meeting up regularly with GulfWeekly columnist, sports psychologist and PGA professional Matt Chalmers at the Awali Golf Club.
The first stage of the tour will be played from January 11 to 14 at the Imperial Lakeview Golf Club, Springfield Royal Country Club and Majestic Creek Golf and Resort.
The all-important final stage will take place from January 18 to 21 at two of the venues. The top 40 players will then earn playing rights for the 2012 Asian Tour season.
Owen said: “I am very excited about the Asian Qualifying School Tour. Even if I don’t get my main Asian Tour card I am still guaranteed to play in the Asian Development Tour which has a prize pool of around $80,000.
“I am flying out on January 8 to get over jet lag and play the course prior to it as well, so I know exactly what will be required.
“Until then I will be breaking in my new clubs as I have been kitted out with Titleist gear.
“I want to start off my pro-career playing around that part of the world. I have experienced playing on different courses around the Asia region, especially out in Dubai, Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar, Brunei, Thailand and Malaysia; so it would only make sense to start off where I am most comfortable.”
Proud dad Tim, 47, a BAPCO instrumentation designer, is thrilled about his son’s professional golfing status and has fully supported him all the way through his career.
He said: “Dan has the family’s full backing. I always thought he would get to this level because he is hard working and is a very good sportsman.
“It’s been on the plans for many years and his ambition was to get to the level where he feels confident enough to be a full-time player. The deal we set for him is to first get his degree and then his mum and I would fully support him.
“He is a well-rounded level-headed guy who knows his strengths and weaknesses. We are very proud of him.”
Inspired by his grandfather Bob Jones, Owen started golfing at the age of 14 at the Awali Golf Club and received weekly coaching from its former PGA professional David Park. He later joined the former Riffa Golf Club which is now known as the Royal Golf Club.
As a teenager he cemented himself as a junior ambassador of the sport, was captain of his school’s golf team at St Christopher’s and won numerous club competitions, including the Junior Open, Jaguar Monthly Medal Series, Club Championship, Desert Challenge and various team events such as the Island Classic.
Owen said: “I didn’t really think about golf as a future career until I turned 17, started to win and appeared on a more global scene.
“I made my international debut playing in the Emirates Junior Open back in 2007. It was my first overseas event and I finished in the top 10 which was great for me. I loved it. I guess that’s when I started to take it more seriously.
“Golf is one of those sports that really tested me as an individual. I mean as much as I love team sports I like the idea that if you don’t put in your best then you won’t achieve the result. In golf you cannot fall back on anyone else.
“I learned later on that golf is an incredibly frustrating sport and you are going to hit a bad shot at some point but it’s how you deal with it that counts – you can’t let the outcome affect you.
“I am a true believer of ‘if you put your time in you will get rewarded for it’.”
Owen has represented Continental Europe in an international match and the University of Central Lancashire’s 1st team.
Owen added: “Some of the best years of my life have been spent at university in England because I got to study and play with golfers that had similar ambition. It was a great atmosphere to be around.
“I started off on the 3rd team so during my summer vacation I returned to Bahrain and took a part-time job at the Royal Golf Club doing some group coaching, staff coaching and staff training for the pro shop.
“Then, in the afternoons and evenings I basically shelled ball after ball and in the space of four months I went from a five handicap to scratch.
“I graduated in sports management in June 2011 and went on a golf tour in the UK before coming back to my home in Bahrain.
“Bahrain will always be my home. I hope to get residency here but it all depends on how my first season goes.”
Now Owen is hoping to secure sponsorship in order to continue his golfing career. He said: “First I’d like to say thank you to the Arabian Exhibition Management who sponsored me during the King Hamad Trophy and have helped me pay for the Asian Qualifying Tour School because it is not cheap. Entry fees, flights and accommodation – it all adds up.
“Even though it’s great to say I am a professional golfer, without sponsorship it’s incredibly hard to survive.
“I am in that process of looking for sponsorship and hopefully with some decent exposure it will help with that.
“I’d also like to say thank you to my family who have been with me through the highs and lows of my games and they have always supported me emotionally and financially. At times when I didn’t think I could do it they always thought I could.
“It helps to have that kind of support because, like I said before, golf can be a frustrating game. For all you future golfers out there, remember, if you put in the hours and have a good work ethic then you will achieve good results. You cannot cheat golf.”
