One Direction’s Niall Horan called for more women to take up golf as he revealed he would like to try his hand at coaching.
Read more: Rory McIlroy hopes Muirfield Golf Club will rethink women members ban
The 22-year-old singer will play against celebrities ranging from Alan Shearer and Horan’s sporting hero Brian O’Driscoll to Piers Morgan at the BMW PGA Championship Celebrity Pro-Am at Wentworth Golf Club in Virginia Water on Wednesday afternoon, which raises money for Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens.
(Yui Mok/PA)
Speaking ahead of his Pro-Am appearance, he said he “felt strongly” about getting more young people involved as they were “the future of the game”.
He added: “I would really like to see a lot more girls playing it because the girls’ tour at the moment, the LPGA tour, is absolutely amazing and there should be more kids playing.”
(Yui Mok/PA)
Niall said he was “probably over the hill now” to follow his dream of being a pro-golfer but hinted at another career now his former band are on hiatus.
As well as forming Modest! Golf Management, he revealed he could one day see himself set up a training academy.
“If I could teach I would, but not at the moment,” he said.
Niall sparked rumours of a solo career when golf ace Justin Rose shared a picture on Instagram of the two of them writing songs ahead of the Horan and Rose Gala Dinner and Pro-Am day on May 29 and 30, also supporting Cancer Research UK to find cures and kinder treatments for children and teens.
But he broke the hearts of a million fans as he revealed that was not the start of his solo material.
He explained: “We were just in the house and he has a piano and he was trying to write a song about his caddy to the tune of Hello by Adele – and I don’t know if you’ve ever heard him sing but he’s horrific – so we were just doing it as a joke.
“The whole media took over that we were writing songs together and it was blown out of proportion, and we were only having a laugh.”
Niall made a pit-stop on the way to the course to take on the Totally Mega Putt Challenge against eight-year-old cancer survivor Rhys Kiernan, each getting three chances to hole a 100-foot putt, with Rhys crowned winner of the day.
(Yui Mok/PA)
At last year’s event, Niall nearly killed a crowd member when he hit a rogue shot into the audience, but he said he’s confident spectators are safe this year.
“I’m not as nervous as I usually am for these things … I’ve been practising. I’m a completely different golfer.
“I didn’t kill anyone in Dublin last week (at the Irish Open), I didn’t come near to killing anyone last week, so I’m feeling a lot more confident.”
For more information, visit cruk.org/kidsandteens.
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