Golf Club - Northern Golfer

GlennMccroryMcCrory’sinspirationin his fight toconquer golfDean Bailey talks to boxing legendGlenn McCrory about his growingobsession with golf sparked by two yearsof research into another true championFormer world cruiserweightchampion Glenn McCroryhopes to make a bigimpact on North Eastgolf when he hosts the inauguralJ Douglas Edgar Golf Day thissummer. The event remembers oneof the region’s, if not the world’s,greatest golfers 24 years to the daysince the region’s greatest boxer wonthe world title.McCrory, a fixture on SkySports since his world title success,is bringing together local andinternational sportspeople as well asa number of television personalitiesfor the event at South Moor GolfClub on June 3.The golf day has come to fruitionafter two years of research into thelife of J Douglas Edgar. Something ofa forgotten star, Edgar’s finest hourcame at the Canadian Open wherehe claimed a 16-shot victory overa glittering field that included hisstudent Bobby Jones.His story was brought toMcCrory’s attention by NorthEast sports journalist John ‘Gibbo’Gibson. “Edgar’s grandson got intouch with ‘Gibbo’ and he passedthe story on to me. I was fascinatedby it,” says McCrory, adding: “It’sgreat to think that one of thegreatest records of all-time is held bya Geordie.”Generally McCrory, who is nota member of a golf club, plays atthe City of Newcastle Golf Club,where Edgar began his career as anAssistant Professional.An occasional golfer, McCroryhas played off and on for over 20years and would give himself a roughhandicap of 24 – despite havingfinished second to Willie Thorne ina golf day at DeVere Carden Park inthe past.McCrory is looking to dedicatehimself to the game this year, “Beingthe competitive person that I am, Ijust really want to make the step andget into it seriously,” he explains.“It’s a game where, in the past, Iwasn’t too bothered - it was just acelebrity thing. Now I’ve got the bugand I want to play whenever I can.“I’d love to get to the stagewhere I’m playing a couple of timesa week. One of the problems hasbeen joining a golf club, in the pastI’ve been all over the place goingfrom one country to the next; I justcouldn’t justify it when I was nevergoing to be there.”McCrory is confident that, withsome practice and tuition, he canmake a good go at golf. “I’d like tothink I could get to single figures. Iknow what I’m like when I get intosomething, I get the bug and becomeobsessed. I’ll probably end up asone of those people who spendssix hours on the driving rangeevery day.”Boxing and golf share a lot28 Northern Golfer