IT only took one lesson for Queanbeyan golfer Harvey Escribano to realise that his own unique style was just fine for him.
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Escribano is a model for all those aspiring golfers out there who’ve shed blood, sweat and tears in pursuit of a so-called ‘copybook swing’.
Because as he’ll tell you himself, there’s no such thing.
An entirely self-taught golfer, Escribano is the reigning Queanbeyan Golf Club champion heading into next Tuesday’s annual Pro Am event.
A late-comer to the sport, Escribano didn’t even take up golf until the age of 27.
But 20 years later and the trainee building inspector has painstakingly developed his game to be the match of any local amateur.
“I’ve only ever had one lesson and that was because there was a free one thrown in when I bought my first set of clubs,” Escribano recalls.
“I didn’t even really know how to hold the club properly and the pro was trying to teach me how to hit a draw. But I ended up becoming so disappointed with myself that I just said ‘never again’.
“I was a lot more confused after the lesson than I had been before. My swing’s not one out of a textbook. It’s a little bit different but it’s something that works for me and that’s the most important thing.
“One of the things that golf has taught me is that you’ve got to fit the swing to the student, not the student to the swing.”
Along with the club championship, last year also saw Escribano take out the club’s A-grade match play tournament as well as the Crookwell Open among other wins.
And he’s hopeful his “quirky swing” continues to hold up as he eyes off another strong result in next week’s Pro Am.
This year will see the event offer a $20,000 prize for a hole-in-one on the eighth, the first time such a carrot has been put up for grabs at the event.
And if history is any guide, Escribano may just be in the box seat to land the substantial prize money on offer.
“I’ve hit two hole-in-ones in my life plus one in practice and you wouldn’t believe it but the last one was in January, 2012 and it was on the eighth hole at Queanbeyan,” he said with a laugh.
“I think the $20,000 prize is a great incentive and hopefully it’ll spark a lot of interest among local professionals and amateurs to come out to Queanbeyan and have a look.”
The Queanbeyan Golf Club Commonwealth Motors Pro Am will be held at the Queanbeyan Golf Club, Brown Street on Tuesday, March 4.
The Queanbeyan Golf Club Commonwealth Motors Pro Am will be held at the Queanbeyan Golf Club, Brown Street on Tuesday, March 4.