Profile: Jim Gales MBE, blind golfer
Jim recieving his MBE for services to disabled golf in the new years honors list 2003
For the last ten years, Paul Shepherd has been "saddled" with the responsibility of guiding me, with occasional assistance from John Grey and Norrie Ross and thanks to them I have had the chance to compete around the world, with half a dozen visits to both Japan and Canada and other visits to the US, Australia and Sweden.
As anyone who plays golf knows, it can be the best and the worst sport in the world. From putting together a nice round one day and thinking you have cracked it, to the game biting back and producing your worst eighteen holes for many months!
However, I have managed to string one or two decent rounds together and brought home eight Open titles, the most recent of which was here in Scotland in September 2008 when, with Paul guiding at his home club of St Michaels Golf Club in Fife, we managed to win the inaugural Scottish Open Pan-disability event, which took place over three days in some of the most changeable weather we have ever encountered, from bright sunshine, to howling winds and rain! I have also had the honour of Captaining and winning, three international Ryder Cup events the biggest of which was in Canada in 2007, where the Rest of the World squad, were victorious against the North Americans.
Denni McCulloch of Canada, Haruhisa Handa (Toshu Fukami) and Jim Gales of Scotland enjoying a small refreshment and laugh at one of the Japanese parties to promote the Ladies Seniors Tour generated and funded by Mr Handa. Held in 2005, what you can't see is the sunburn on the baldy bits under the wigs, which were made of some manmade fibres and very scratchy and sore! on the sundburn! Sadly Dennie is no longer with us, but is remembered fondly and commemorated by an Ohio annual matchplay championship.
