STEVEN YOUNG RUES SWING CHANGE AFTER Q SCHOOL MISS

       HAPPY AT HOME - Steven Young and family at Midland, Texas

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
When I think of the now Texas-based son of Inverallochy, Steven Young, I think of that famous Marlon Brando line in 1954 film “On the Waterfront” … “I coulda been a contender.”
Steven Young could have been more than a “contender.” I believe he might well have gone all the way to the top of the tree in pro golf.
So what stopped him? One stroke over 108 holes. That’s all.
Thirteen years ago this month, Young came agonisingly close to winning a US PGA Tour Card at the Final Q School in Palm Springs, California. If his final six-round aggregate had been just one shot less, he would have made it. The door would have opened and who knows where he would have been today.
The Buchan loon was 20 years old at the time. Had he got on to the 1998 American Tour, we might well have been talking of Young in the same context as Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell as the 2010 big-time golf season comes to an end.
A flight of fancy? Maybe, but Steven as a junior golfer had the best record ever achieved by any Scottish teenager, and that includes Ronnie Shade, Colin Montgomerie, Scott Henry and anybody else you care to name.
After winning the Scottish schoolboys’ championship as a 15-year-old in 1992, setting a course record at Kinross in the process, Young won the Scottish boys’ match-play championship three years in a row – a feat never achieved before or since – winning the title at West Kilbride in 1993, Dunbar in 1994 and Royal Aberdeen in 1995.
He won the Scottish boys open stroke-play at Drumpellier in 1994 and the British boys’ championship at Dunbar in 1995, having been awarded the best Under-16 award in the same tournament a couple of years earlier at Glenbervie. He was also Scottish youths champion in 1997.
In a European team championship around that time, hosted by Ireland, Scotland played Spain in the final and Steven beat a certain Sergio Garcia 7 and 6! Young had a liking for Ireland – he won the Irish open youths championship at Ballybunion in 1995 and retained the title a year later at Royal Portrush.
And the “boy wonder” did, in horse racing parlance, “train on.” He was capped for Scotland in the men’s home internationals of 1996 and 1997, his performance at Lossiemouth earning him a Walker Cup cap in the Quaker Ridge match against the United States.
GB&I were thrashed 18-6 but Young was the star of the beaten line-up, gaining two of the points. He played lead-off foursomes with the late Barclay Howard on Day 1 but, more remarkable than that, was the fact that in a line-up including Justin Rose, Gary Wolstenholme and Craig Watson at his peak, Young was played No 1 in the singles both days by captain Clive Brown, winning 5 and 4 and then 2 and 1.
It was later that year that Young came so close to gaining US PGA Tour playing rights. Steven takes up the story:

“When I got home from the Tour School, I and a local friend/swing coach decided to make some swing changes to gain more consistency. Without a doubt it was the worst decision I ever made!
“I basically had a new swing from then on that had the club in better positions but these positions were so unfamiliar to me that I could not repeat them when in a tournament.
“No doubt about it I should have stuck with the swing that Deeside Golf Club professional Frank Coutts – (then the North-east District coach) – and I had made so successful but I tried to improve and went the wrong way about it.”
Young had played on the US college circuit as a student at Midland College, Texas – the same university that President-to-be George W Bush calls his Alma Mater – and it was there he met his wife to be, Joni Richardson. Steven spent a year on the European Challenge Tour after his two years at Midland College but then went back to Texas and the city of Midland which has been his base ever since. He and Joni were married there in November 1999
Steven played on the US satellite circuits in a vain bid to recapture the ability that once had earmarked as a tip for the top. He got a job on the pro staff at Midland Country Club and that’s where he still is.
“I am the first assistant professional. I teach quite a bit each week and have grown fond of that aspect of the game. I enjoy the challenge of working with a beginner golfer, i.e. a complete duffer, and I have also been working with the Midland College players.
“When I first came to Midland Country Club, I figured I’d hate teaching a bunch of hacks but over the past few years I’ve developed some great friends and clients. I especially enjoy introducing kids to the game and watching them develop when, in their first lesson, even making contact with the ball was enough to light up their face.
“I don’t have any regrets when it comes to my golfing career. I’m thankful of all that golf has given me and it keeps giving, just down a much different path. I must say that getting to see my wife and kids every night is a much better situation than living out of a suitcase!
“On November 28, we celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary and I’m a proud father of two great kids – Alex 6 and Ava 3. I now play ‘member golf’ once a week but have been seeing flashes of the ‘old me’ on the links.
“I don’t see a return to competitive golf in the future at the age of 33 but stranger things have happened!”
Another Scot who was British boys’ champion in 2000 – David Inglis – recently echoed Steven Young’s sentiments that the worst thing he ever did was to change his golf swing when he turned pro in the mistaken belief that it would take his game to a higher level!
Frank Coutts, now director of golf at Deeside Golf Club, says:
“Players should work with the swing they know works and repeats. Look at Jim Furyk. Where would we start with him? Too many times I hear of good players trying a complete swing change and then they nearly disappear ‘off the radar.’
“Steven Young was a great player, a great prospect. He did all in junior amateur golf that was possible and had the mind set and determination to go with it. He was fearless of opponents – that win over the rising star Sergio Garcia in the 1990s underlined the confidence of youth.
Coutts remembers speaking to Young on the practice ground one very cold and frosty day about his selection for the Walker Cup.
“Steven said he was delighted ‘but nae quite richt for it yet.’ Three or four months later, the same question got the answer: ‘Now I’m richt – bring these boys on!’”

“He was immensely long off the tee and had great feel round the green – what a combination. Steven is the only person I know who has bent a set of Ping irons at the hosel, hitting balls off the hard turf.

Coutts, pictured right, recalls that Young was a coach’s delight to teach.

“Steven would do anything that I ask of him with his swing because I think/hope he trust me. I watched the last Scottish boys’ final he was in and it was a case of ‘man against boy’ – no disrespect to his opponent who won the title himself a couple of years later.

“Young’s second shot into the ninth in that final – a driver off the deck! - was one of the most impressive I have ever seen, and he must only have been about 18 years old. What a talent!

“I am delighted to hear from his father George (secretary of the North-east District Association) that Steven is very happy and settled in the States with his family. His golf has gone a slightly different direction from where he intended as a young man – but look what the game of golf has given us both.”

Comment from Dean Robertson

Brilliant article!! What an amazing 'natural' talent Steven was! Up there with the mentioned late great Barclay Howard who was a huge inspiration to me as a youngster growing up and developing my skills at Cochrane Castle.
I, along with Andrew Coltart, attended Midland College, Texas and it is great to see Steven happy with his family. Great memories!
Much can be learned from what you say and there lies a strong message within this article, Colin! Well said!


Dean Robertson
Performance Golf Coach
Golf Pavilion,
University of Stirling,
Stirling,
FK9 4LA
tel: 01786 466913
mob: +44 (0)7766 072888
email: dean.robertson@stir.ac.uk