Adam Stacey Ultimate Driving Machine

Feltham born golfer Adam "Stinger” Stacey has stormed Europe and America with his world class long drive. Now he is returning to his original ambition, working the PGA tour circuit to perfect his game on the course.

Adam started young – but not that young. "When I was 10 my Dad got me into golf, hitting balls on the driving range until he thought I could play without interrupting other games. I started on the course aged 12 - that’s reasonably late these days. My handicap then was 27. When I reached 18 it was down to zero.”

Becoming a scratch golfer so young testifies to Adam’s talent. But it was his monster drive that got him noticed. "In 2005 I’d just turned 22. I pitched up at the London Golf Show where Long Drivers of Europe were running a simulator event. I took on a couple of the big Swedish guys and beat them by about 30 yards. It all kicked off from there.”

One month later Adam enjoyed his first European Long Drive win. "It was St Andrews Bay and I won with a drive of 320 yards. That’s a strong win with a standard driver. The others were using much longer shafts with lower loft.” He then qualified for the European final, finishing second with a distance of 390 yards and making the Vegas finals: "It was crazy” he recalls. "They had a 4000 seater stadium. Every 40 or 50 yards there were lights and cameras on the fairway. I’ve never experienced anything like it.”

During the finals Adam caught the eye of American golfing firm Bang. "They asked me to use their specialist long driver and I was lucky enough to get used to it quickly. My longest drive was 383 yards. I got beaten to second place by three quarters of a yard, missing out on an extra $10,000 in the process! I lost to the winner Sean Fister by just 7 yards”.

What’s more he broke the world record runway drive at 728 yards, achieving a ball speed of 215 miles per hour - the fastest world championship speed recorded at that time. "That’s a bit of a gimmick, but I can say I’ve held the record there” he grins.

Not content with his achievements, Adam is forging ahead with his love for tournament golf. "From day one I wanted to play. The long drive has made me a decent living but it won’t last forever. So this year I decided to concentrate on trying to make it on tour.”

Adam is realistic about his path. "You’ve got to start somewhere. I’m focusing on the PGA regionals. If I play well enough that gets me onto the European Challenge Tour. Its not plain sailing. I’m playing 4 competitive rounds a week. I’m getting up at 6am, teeing off at 10, getting home at 9 o’clock, then doing it all again the next day. I’ve just bought a house so I still commit to two shifts in my Pro shop a week, plus teaching and repairs.”

Now head professional golfer at Airlinks Golf Club, Adam encourages keen youngsters not to be under any illusions. "There’s two ways of becoming a professional. You either need supreme talent and heavy financial backing at a young age, or you can turn pro at any time. But sponsorship is difficult. I am currently looking for sponsorship. If you own a business and have a passion for Golf, please get in touch.I only missed qualifying for The Open Championship this year by one stroke, which I will hopefully rectify for next year. The one thing Television likes is a long hitter and rest assured I can comfortably out drive most, if not all of the current stars on the tour”

Becoming a PGA professional isn’t easy either. "You’ve got to be 18 to join the PGA and sit a 4 year degree. I took exams for 3 years on the spin: playing tests, business studies, repairs, rules and management. The PGA also offers avenues for teaching, owning a shop, a club, a repair store - even becoming a fitness instructor”. Indeed, 95% of professional golfers rely on these activities for their main income.

Its a tough road – what would Adam say to parents of budding golfers? "Just take the kids to the driving range and hit as many balls with them as you can. There’s a fine line between letting a child enjoy it and forcing it on them. So just put a club in their hand and see if they like it.”

Adam’s message to local youngsters is clear. "If you want to get serious, you’ve got to put in lots of hard work. We’re midway through the season now. I’m slowly weaning out my long drive although I can still hit 400 yards on any golf course. I’m concentrating on developing the rest of my game to a standard where one day I can compete with the likes of Rory McIlroy.”