Playing Through

BITA Kent have been working closely with Matt Forde a professional golfer with 19 years in the game …

Kent-born Matt Forde has a commitment to golf that you don’t see all that often. We spoke to Matt to talk about his love for the game, his plans in pro golf, challenges that he has overcome, and how he will be working with BITA.

Pursuing a passion is something many of us would love, but sadly things get in the way, whether it be pragmatic advice, or the promise of a great career in another direction so we keep our passions for our time off. This wasn’t the path for Matt, but there have been bumps in the road.

“2014 was the year that I nearly quit.” Says Matt, with an emphasis on nearly. “I had been working as a pro golfer since I was 25 – so around 10 years at this point. I had competed in mini tours and the Challenge Tour in 2014, but I was struggling, I was broke, and had decided to get a job with Royal Mail.”

But the passion and drive were still there, and with his wife’s encouragement, Matt took one final chance. “It was the best decision of my life” he grins.

The final chance he is talking about is a gruelling competition, 14 rounds of golf, over 3 stages, with the final 6 rounds up against some of the best golfers in the world. Playing across the globe, Matt managed to finish 2nd in the Africa Open, and then 7th in the last event in Hong Kong.

“My wife has always supported me, she’s one of my biggest cheerleaders. When it came to taking a final roll of the dice with this tournament, I couldn’t have asked for anyone better – she told me that it was my dream, it was worth giving it another try, and that we’d put the costs on the credit card.”

Golf is his life-long obsession, but it shouldn’t have been that way. Asking if his passion for the game runs in his blood, Matt laughs; “My dad was actually a professional footballer!”

Football kickstarted his love of sport in general, but after starting to play golf at 10, getting his handicap down to -3 and being selected for the England squads, Matt knew that golf was his true love. At 25 years of age, Matt started professional golf with his PGA training at Cobtree Manor Park, Maidstone. In his first year he won the PGA National Assistants and played the PGA Championships at Wentworth in 2005. Since then, he has competed in mini tours and the Challenge Tour and following lockdown, 2020 was an incredible year for him, winning the PGA National Club Professional Championships, several events in the PGA South Region and finishing 5th on the Challenge Tour, and being promoted to the European Tour. However, the difficulties that lockdowns bought with reduced seasons meant it wasn’t easy.

The fortunes of most sports professionals’ ebb and flow, and it’s only a very small minority of the household names that don’t need to worry about off seasons. “Winter is the toughest, and I’ve never been shy about doing whatever is needed to make ends meet” explains Matt. “I’ve worked at Amazon warehouses, as a delivery driver and coaching wherever possible. The highs and lows are nail biting, but you’re always gambling that you will get that one shot, that one perfect game when it matters, or that one timeless connection”

Matt met Paul Whitnell, who told him about BITA and Matt has been involved in the Kent Chapter since; “it’s been a great way to meet people, to tell people what I do, and they have been kind enough to raise money to support me in entering tournaments which has been wonderful.”

As Matt travels around the world, meeting new people, networking, and developing relationships, he has taken up a position as a BITA Ambassador so that he able to share connections in different areas to help support and grow our members. He is currently looking for support – and not just monetary! Transport and hotels are just a few things burning a hole in his pocket when he’s on tour. With our BITA members being increasingly diverse, they might just be looking for a pro golfer to sponsor!