Chris has eyes set on his first title

Jul 10 2008 by Tim Taylor, The Journal

SHOULD a former Dr Barnardo boy, Chris McDonnell, triumph in either of two PGA championships sandwiched together later this month and win his first professional title, it will be a triumph over a once troubled family background.

Much of his amateur career – from the ages of 15 to 21 – was played out to the backdrop of a family life so discordant the former Prudhoe High School boy might have had ended up fending for himself.

Happily, Barnardo’s picked up the pieces and found him a home in Prudhoe with a couple who were to take on the role of surrogate parents, Stuart and Rona Miles.

As an amateur representing the Stocksfield club, McDonnell was an England international who was Northumberland champion twice in three years.

A year into his professional career, the 26-year-old assistant at Hexham is showing early signs he may not need the club professional’s qualifications he is working towards as a back-up should he fail in his ambition of becoming a Tour pro.

McDonnell holds course records at Brancepeth Castle, Stocksfield and Foxton Hall at Alnmouth and this season he has led the qualifiers for two of the PGA North Region’s three-day majors. These are the Leeds Cup and the Automatic Retailing-sponsored players’ championship – which starts at Burgham Park on July 23.

When the more prestigious PGA North Region tournament held their East Section qualifying, McDonnell won with a three-under-par 69 over the same Burgham Park course which is staging the main event.

The Burgham tournament has been moved to a prime summer spot from late season and that Hexham-born McDonnell is among the favourites to dethrone Matfen Hall’s John Harrison is testament to his personal resilience and to the safety net provided by, among others, Barnardo’s.

McDonnell is now reconciled and living in Prudhoe with his father, also called Stuart, now in his early 60s, but said: “Yes, it was difficult not having a role model for so many years and I did have a bit of a fiery temperament.

“But I also had help. Both Dr Barnardo’s and the Prince’s Trust helped to fund me when I was playing amateur golf tournaments all over the country. Stuart and Rona Miles gave me a bit of help with my golf as well as well as a foundation in terms of my home life. Every youngster needs helping through school exams and the sixth form – helping through starting life, really – and they gave me the support I needed in all the areas most young people would take for granted.

“But there are a lot of people who have had it a lot worse than me and I guess I am lucky I had a sport like golf to keep me on track and I do feel I have grown up a bit now. There is a lot of self discipline in golf and reasons for the rules and the etiquette.

“In team games like football you get the support of your team-mates. But in terms of competing out on a golf course, you very much have to stand on your own two feet.

“One thing my own home life experiences in the past has given me is that if I see somebody ‘losing it’ on the golf course and getting temperamental, I don’t automatically think ‘that’s terrible behaviour – what an idiot’. Because of my own background, I think ‘I wonder what the reason is for him doing that?’. Because quite often there will something causing it not really related to golf but which is more emotionally based.” As McDonnell enjoys such a promising start to life as a professional, the Burgham Park tournament is enjoying good times itself thanks to the sponsorship of Automatic Retailing.

Neil Templeman, managing director of the Cramlington vending machine firm, is a member of Burgham Park. His largesse has also extended to sponsoring the North Northumberland Junior League.

League secretary Colin Harris said: “Automatic Retailing stepped in without hesitation when we needed a sponsor, which is a big help to us. Neil’s backing means we can put our league-winning team in a national competition and also enjoy an inter league event and a field day at the end of the season for all the juniors in the league.”

Templeman said: “Both our golf sponsorships are close to my heart in that I am a member of Burgham Park and my sons are involved in junior golf. But there is more to it than that. I am passionate about North East sport and I get a real buzz out of backing the North players’ championship.”