FIELDREPORT
The idea is we can measure exactly how far they hit each club and work out an accurate average. It’s not possible to be precise if you’re just hitting balls at a range or off a mat. “As for the retail shop, we’re not brand-biased at all. People who’ve built up loyalty to a certain brand are our typical customers. Very oſten they take their clubs for granted, but we can show them how much better they might play using another brand. A lot of golfers who come along are oſten surprised to discover how easily outperformed their existing clubs are.” Like Ian, two years his junior, Danny started working in a pro shop at the age of 16, selling Mars bars, booking green fees and re-gripping clubs. Like Ian, he also dreamed of making it on Tour. A shoulder injury in his mid-20s put paid to that ambition.
Now married with a daughter, 12, and a seven-year-old son, he recalls: “When I was at Chesfield Downs, I was recognised in Golf World as the most improved junior in the country – I came down 23 shots from a handicap of 29 to six in one year. “But in those days you could only get down to four or lower by playing in county tournaments. I was 16 and spent the whole year being balloted out of the sort of amateur events I needed to play in, so I thought ‘this is a waste of time’ and turned pro.
“I did a two-year probationary period at Panshanger Golf Complex in Welwyn Garden City before becoming an assistant for three years at Lammerwood Country Club. The
playing pro at the time at Lammerwood was Retief Goosen. He’d just got on to the European Tour as a result of winning the Challenge Tour Order of Merit, so that gave me a glimpse of what was possible.
“Originally I only turned pro to do coaching. I thought being a club pro was my future and I had no aspirations to play on Tour. Then I started to do quite well in feeder-tour and local events.
“Aſter qualifying as a PGA professional, I moved to South Africa for four years, for a complete change of environment, and played on the Sunshine Tour as the touring pro for Mount Edgecombe Country Club in Durban. While I was out there, in 2002, I suffered a rotator cuff injury and in the long run that pretty much put paid to my playing career. “I came back [to the UK] 11 years ago, primarily to help Ian out. He was starting to make it big on Tour and he’d just leſt TaylorMade as his equipment sponsors to join Cobra. Even back then he had the idea for a clothes brand and we agreed that was the avenue to go down.”
Ian signalled his intent in the couturier department by wearing a garish pair of Union Jack trousers during the 2004 Open at Royal Troon. Since then he has retained his colour palette and flair while settling into a more mainstream tone which met, initially, with grudging critical approval but is now recognised as one of the game’s leading apparel statements.
“In the early days of IJP Design I had some input,” says Danny, “but Ian comes up with nearly all the ideas for the designs and he has a really good designer to put them into practice. “I don’t see very much of him these days because he lives in Florida, so his visits are fleeting at best. As he didn’t come back for the BMW PGA Championship, I suppose we’ll next get together when he comes over for The Open. If he was still based in Europe, he’d be spending all his time travelling across loads of time zones – that’s very hard, and the quickest way to lose enthusiasm. Frankly, if you’re in the world top- 64 it makes perfect sense to be based in America. Also, the European season is really only April to October, outside of which the outdoor practice facilities aren’t much good. “Most of my playing time these days is spent at Woburn where, obviously, Ian has a strong tie-up, not least with the British Masters, which he’ll be hosting in October. That will be a proud moment for both of us.
“Growing up as golfers, we both developed late because our first love was football. Ian’s an Arsenal fan, so he keeps it quiet that he was once on Tottenham’s books as a young striker. My football career was more modest – I had a tie-up with Luton Town and played in a utility role, generally either right-back or leſt-back.” At iPlayGolfUK, though, Danny is definitely the MVP (Most Valuable Poulter?) – utility player and front man all rolled into one.
www.iplaygolf.co.uk SGBGOLF 19
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