For many of his profession, soccer has been the defining focus of Tom Lockyer’s life. However away from the pitch, the previous Luton City captain has discovered one other ardour that brings steadiness and perspective, golf.
Following his current well being challenges, the sport has develop into an necessary outlet, serving to him keep lively, centered, and linked. Though Lockyer dabbled with the sport as a teen, it wasn’t till after Covid that his love for golf actually took maintain.
“I used to be taking part in on and off as a child by way of secondary faculty however by no means actually took it significantly. It was solely post-Covid as soon as I joined Luton City and there was a golf faculty that I actually began taking it significantly,” he says.
Since then, golf has develop into greater than only a pastime, it’s a supply of focus, calm, and wholesome competitors alongside his soccer profession.
With the calls for of coaching, matches, and household life, discovering time for a spherical isn’t all the time simple, however he nonetheless makes the trouble every time he can.
“It varies lots as to what I’ve obtained on every week,” he admits. “However since having a bit of one, it’s dropped massively!”
Even so, Lockyer stays hooked on the sense of freedom the sport presents. He explains: “I really like being outdoors in nature before everything. It’s an incredible escape from actuality as such and I actually love the sport, whether or not that’s a match towards another person or going out making an attempt to shoot as little as attainable.”
As an expert athlete, Lockyer sees clear similarities between soccer and golf – notably within the mindset wanted to carry out and recuperate from errors.
“I wish to suppose that I cope with the unhealthy pictures fairly properly because it’s like dropping a recreation in soccer. The match you’ve misplaced is gone now and there’s nothing you are able to do about it, however you’ll be able to put it proper by profitable the following recreation.”
Throughout his time at Luton, golf grew to become an everyday a part of staff downtime, usually alongside shut buddy and teammate Carlton Morris. “We used to get out two or thrice per week and have a extremely good backwards and forwards,” he recollects. “I keep in mind one time we went out to Portugal for a protracted weekend {golfing}, and I beat him 6–0 over six rounds!”
His {golfing} journey has already been marked by some standout moments. Lockyer smiles as he recollects hitting an albatross early in his {golfing} life, on the eighth gap at Luton Hoo Golf Membership throughout Mick Harford’s charity day in 2022.
“I didn’t fairly perceive the rarity of it and carried on taking part in with the ball and misplaced it,” he laughs.
Extra just lately, he added one other unimaginable reminiscence to the record – a hole-in-one at Bearwood Lakes. He revealed: “It was a 9-iron into a bit of wind off the left. It pitched a yard previous and spun again in. That was top-of-the-line emotions, because it was in as quickly because it left the membership.”
He even jokes concerning the timing: “Fortunately we had been a late tee-off and the bar was empty once we obtained again!”
And whereas soccer stays his profession, golf has develop into the fervour he plans to pursue lengthy after his taking part in days finish. “I’ve all the time stated that after I retire from soccer, my first objective might be to get to scratch,” he says. “I’ve began the method already but it surely’s not my fundamental focus in the meanwhile.”
Following his cardiac arrest, golf grew to become greater than a pastime – it grew to become a part of Lockyer’s restoration journey. Only a month after the incident, he returned to the course with a buddy.
“Golf was one of many first issues that I did following my cardiac arrest. I went out with my mate Trev round Woburn a couple of month after. It was nice to get out in nature and play some golf. It’s a spot when you’re on the market that you just don’t actually take into consideration a lot else.”
Even whereas present process therapy in Amsterdam, golf got here with him. “I used to be there for about 4 months in whole,” he explains. “However the very first thing I packed was my golf golf equipment! I discovered Europe’s greatest golf apply facility, and I used to often go after coaching and hospital visits to work on my recreation.”
Golf, he says, has been an enormous assist each mentally and bodily. “I very hardly ever get indignant at unhealthy pictures, and I really like being outdoors within the nature of a phenomenal golf course.”
It’s additionally a sport he’d advocate to anybody, no matter well being or potential.
“I’d advocate golf to anybody. It has totally obtained me hooked, I’m mentally and bodily obsessive about the sport. I can’t get sufficient of it!”
Lockyer even jokes that he’ll nonetheless be taking part in many years from now. “It’s a recreation I might be taking part in after I’m 80 and may barely transfer. I really like the truth that everybody can play off a stage taking part in area no matter potential and it’s whoever performs greatest to their potential on the day that may win.”
Lockyer’s connection to iGolf began, as he places it, by way of some full of life “debates” within the Luton dressing room. He admitted: “We had a number of debates at Luton over handicaps and equity, so all of us determined to get authentic handicaps. That’s once we discovered MyEG.”
As a footballer who strikes golf equipment and cities steadily, becoming a member of a conventional golf membership hasn’t all the time been sensible. “It’s not financially viable to hitch a golf membership in all places you go along with a few of the becoming a member of charges payable,” he explains. “Particularly when you recognize you received’t be in a selected space long run.”
That’s the place iGolf, the one Handicap Index® underneath the WHS™ for non-club golfers, has made an actual distinction.
“Having iGolf has allowed me to carry an official handicap and play in competitions if I wished, though I’ve not executed so but!”
It additionally helps his love for exploring new programs. “I really like taking part in new golf programs,” he says. “I’ve a map which I take advantage of to tick off each course I’ve ever performed. I’ve performed 192 rounds at 97 completely different golf programs since 2020 and MyEG has allowed me to register a rating for each one.”
For Lockyer, iGolf has develop into an ideal match – giving him flexibility, consistency, and motivation to maintain enhancing his recreation wherever he performs. He added: “It lets me have an official handicap for every new course relying what tees we play off and permits me to maintain chasing that objective of getting all the way down to scratch.”
