Shacklady relishing new shot at dream

Jul 17 2007 by Richard Williamson, Liverpool Daily Post

DAVID SHACKLADY gets his second chance to tee up with the world’s greatest golfers this week – thanks to the healing hands of his osteopath.

The Ormskirk golfer has been plagued by a back problem this season which left doubts over his chances of emerging from the tough qualifying campaign with a place in the Open Championship.

But a visit to Kay Barker in Southport provided a rich dividend for the Mossock Hall-attached professional, who scorched round the Montrose course in Scotland in a record-breaking 62 to seal his place alongside Tiger Woods and Co at Carnoustie.

“I have been suffering with a stiffness and lack of mobility in my back, particularly down the left side, for several months now,” he explained. “It was never quite bad enough to stop me playing but as someone who relies on his ability to twist and turn for a living it is something I should be checking out regularly.

“In fact Kay said that considering what I do for a living my back was a disgrace! So she did what they do – cracked a few things into place – and I could feel a difference as soon as I started swinging a club again.

“Once I felt more comfortable about my swing, the confidence in my game started to return. I now have the right kind of stretches to do if the problem occurs again.”

He continued: “I had started the season well out in Portugal and Spain, but hurt my shoulder in Spain and probably should have done something about it all earlier. When things started to go wrong I started looking at my swing and trying to do things differently when it was actually the problem with my back that meant I was not swinging as well as I would have liked.”

Shacklady, 40, last played in an Open at Royal Birkdale in 1998 but is delighted to get another chance to experience something many players are only left to dream of. And he is determined to make the most of it.

“You watch the Open on TV and you know it is a special event but once you get on the other side of the ropes it really comes home to you just how big the event is,” he said. “It is kind of a surreal experience to realise that people are now watching you on TV playing in the Open.

“At Birkdale I thought about putting my name down to practice with one of the big names but decided against it in the end.

“It is very easy to get caught up in all the distractions at an Open when you really should be concentrating on your own game. If you get too wrapped up in the experience of the Open itself, then a dropped shot does not hurt as much as it should and does not bring the response it should.

“I obviously want to savour the experience of the whole occasion but it is also a chance to win some decent money. It is the only event in which I get paid for playing no matter where I finish, but I want to make that cut.”

This year’s Open attracted an entry of more than 2,000 to the two tiered qualifying campaign in this country, which finished with just three players going through from a field of 96 at four courses in the final decider.

Success this time round for Shacklady, who will have Andrew Stazicker on his bag for the week, has compensated for missing out by one shot last year – when he was pipped by the last man in, Jim Payne from Southport and Ainsdale.

“Everyone I know has a go at qualifying for the Open, some people year-in year-out, and the qualifying has got harder,” he said. “For Birkdale there were four events with 12 going through from each and while that involved more of the Tour professionals there were more spots up for grabs. When just three go through, one dropped shot can see you fall out of the qualifying positions when previously it cost you a couple of places but still left you in the hunt. There is no leeway now.

“They have obviously opened up the event around the world, but the FA Cup is magical because it throws up so many fairy-tale stories. With so few qualifying spots available those kind of stories are fewer and far between now. It used to be about amateurs or guys who worked in the shop all year fighting their way through against the odds but there are fewer spots now for the dreamers.”

Shacklady is one of the busiest professionals in the north region playing in PGA events, Pro-Ams and as part of the Exel Tour, which he helps organise, with proceeds from his tournament performances providing the backbone of his income.

The Open represents not only a chance to share in the worldwide limelight but also to pick up the kind of pay cheque that might take him weeks, even months, to earn week to week.

The day after his heroics in Scotland, Shacklady was back in his car – which covers more miles a year than he cares to count – for the trip to Knott End in Lancashire for a Pro-Am, where he set a new course record in winning £370.

“I want to enjoy the week, but I don’t want that to distract me from the first task of trying to make the cut,” added Shacklady, who missed out after two rounds at Royal Birkdale.

“There is a lot of excitement about playing in a tournament with players like Tiger Woods, but it is also a chance for a substantial pay day.”

Shacklady will be joined at Carnoustie by his wife Louise and children Aaron, who is three and a half, and Megan, who is 18 months old. His in-laws and sister-in-law are also flying in from Houston in Texas to share in what promises to be a memorable few days.