STAR Jersey golfer Adam Dalton showed he’s one to watch on the international stage last week, as he won the Sport Class Standing 1 title in the ISPS Handa Irish Open for Golfers with Disabilities.
Competing against a strong field of competitors at the Roganstown Golf Club for the three-day event – consisting of one practice day and two days of competition – Dalton rallied back from a “difficult” first day to take home the title.
“The Irish Open is always a really good, fun event for me to take part in, as I’ve got loads of family there and my cousin, Graham, even comes down to caddy – it’s always very jolly,” said Dalton.
“It was a good field of competitors in this competition and, I have to say, it was probably the busiest tournament I’ve been to – there must have been 50-60 golfers there.
“There was a good amount of competition at a strong level, but it was all friendly and we had a great time in the clubhouse afterwards.
“Winning the title was a great morale booster and it just shows that things are coming together and the work is starting to pay off. I don’t want to say I’m there yet – I’m a bit hard on myself – but this just shows I’m well on my way and, brick by brick, everything’s growing and improving.”
Following the practice day, Dalton took on the 18-hole course at Roganstown Golf Club, ready to put on a show and make a strong start. However, it didn’t live up to his expectations.
Dalton reflected: “The first day, I don’t know what happened but I played absolutely rubbish – I didn’t play well at all. I don’t know what it is, but I seem to have this quirk where I just don’t start well on the first day.”
However, he still managed to gross 93 in the first round, which was enough to see him lead the pack heading into the all-important second day.
Fortunately for the Jerseyman, Dalton refused to dwell on his disappointment and came back to the course with a bang to play “lights out”, greatly improving from his prior effort to finish day two with a total gross of 87.
That added up to a total gross of 180 across the two days and a +38 Total To Par Gross, which was enough for Dalton to top the lot and seal the title, with his nearest competitors’ Total Gross being 191.
“Even though I was a little disappointed with my first day, I refused to dwell on it and just kept a cool head,” said Dalton. “There’s no point on dwelling, as that’ll just mean you’ll end up with two bad days. So, I kept a cool head, focused on the next shot and enjoyed myself in the moment.
“I’ve learnt to do that through playing more and more tournaments, as well as meeting and learning from other experienced golfers – it’s such a social game and you learn so much from others.”
Although this is a huge achievement, there’s no sign of Dalton resting on his laurels anytime soon, with the English Open and Cairns Cup – which is the adaptive golf equivalent to the Ryder Cup – rapidly approaching.
Since Sarah Arora, Managing Director and Founder of Golf Links, has come onboard, the local golfer has noted increased opportunity in the sport, saying: “Since Sarah’s got involved and come onboard for the journey, so many opportunities have presented themselves – it’s been absolutely life-changing and now golf has really become my career.
“With thanks to Sarah, now we’re having a team built around us, which is an incredible opportunity. Brick by brick, it’s all coming together and I feel like I’m constantly improving and growing as a player – it’s all going great. So, I really want to say a massive thank you to Sarah for all of her support.
