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Greg’s great at most sports
Greg Walters is one of those talented youngsters in Pembrokeshire today who seem able to turn their hands (or feet) to most sports because he has already been involved in golf, football, rugby, cricket and cross country – and done well in all of them.
Now that he has reached the ripe old age of 14 he has had to focus on just two of them and has plumped for golf in the summer, where he is already down to a handicap of nine at Haverfordwest Golf Club, and football during the winter, when he plays as a strong-running central midfielder with Haverfordwest County.
Family matters
That he should be a sporting all-rounder might not come as a surprise because his father Chris was a goal-grabbing centre forward with Merlins Bridge when they were one of the top teams in the county and also plays golf off a handicap of seven. Greg’s mum Alison also provides great support whilst big brother Ben (18) is a very keen surfer.
Greg began his interest in golf when he went with Chris to the golf club some two years ago, took to it like a duck to water and was almost immediately reduced to a handicap of 20 when he put in his first three competitive cards to show his real promise. At the moment Greg plays on average twice a week, including regular battles with dad, whom Greg says he beats far more times than he loses – and they are hoping to play together on a family holiday to South Africa next year, and in the USA at some time.
Handicap slashed – and county honours
He was further dramatically reduced after a Captain’s Day round where he carded a gross 78, net 62, to record 44 Stableford points! Three lessons from Matthew Hearne proved to be a great help and Chris is now a deceptively long hitter of the ball who has already won the ‘Most Improved Player’ award at the club and represented Pembrokeshire in the process.
He was selected as part of a team of 14 from the county who met their counterparts from Wexford, in Ireland, at Milford Haven and although they lost overall against some very experienced opposition the local lads gave a good account of themselves and are eagerly anticipating the return match in Wexford this summer.
He has been invited to attend squad training for the Dyfed Junior team at Ashburnham this year, and that particular course is one of Greg’s favourites, along with Haverfordwest, of course.
Football footsteps
Greg also seems to be following his father in football, although he plays in a slightly different role than Chris, who was coaching with Denny Barrett at Haverfordwest County when Greg set out as an eager eight year old. Since then he has enjoyed his share of success as the team came runners-up in a seven a side competition in the Millennium Stadium, he was adjudged to be ‘Players’ Player’ at a tournament in Kilgetty and was part of the under 10s who lost to Swansea in the West Wales Finals.
When Greg was a member of the Swansea City School of Excellence he went on a tour to Italy and scored two hat-tricks in the games there, and was part of the Haverfordwest County under 15s who lost to Tenby in the Final for their age group at Monkton Swifts’ ground last season.
Ask him about ambitions and Greg would love to play for Haverfordwest County in the Welsh Premier League as a start – and who knows what might follow after that!
Other Sports:
Greg is also a more than useful cricketer who has played for Pembrokeshire as a wicket-keeping batsman but has yet to make a start this season after sustaining a broken arm last year which kept him out of action. He feels ready to start again now, however, and might just turn out for Hook because a number of his pals at Tasker Milward School play there.
He turns out for the school team in rugby and has grabbed a few tries but finds it hard to fit everything in and so rugby is not top of his priorities, although he naturally loves competing.
When he was at St Marks Junior School, Greg also enjoyed Cross Country running and came first each time from years 2 to 6, and even came third once when he ran against the pupils in the school who were a year older than he was. When he entered the Dyfed Junior Schools’ cross country he also claimed a creditable third place.
Back to golf
Back on the golfing front, Greg recently played as part of the Withybush Coachworks’ team that came second in the Haverfordwest County Golf Day and caught the eye with his ability to drive long yet show deft touches around the green. He would readily admit that it hasn’t all been success because he can still laughingly recall one awful round where nothing went right and he recorded a score of 107 – but just practised harder so that there has been no three-figure scores in the intervening time.
What is impressive when one talks to Greg is the fact that he is a modest young feller who clearly loves sport but doesn’t let it go to his head. He regularly takes on players much older and more experienced than he but is served well by having a level head on such young shoulders – and if he maintains that approach then we will undoubtedly hear a great deal more about Greg Walters in the future – whichever sport he finally decides to focus upon!
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