I played 18 holes with a professional that has 87 tour wins, and what I learned really surprised me

Dame Laura Davies and Shane Lowry walking over the Swilcan Bridge

Playing with a tour professional isn’t something you expect when you sign up to a charity golf day. Here’s Deputy Digital Editor Sarah Pyett’s experience of a day with a Dame.

‘Good morning and welcome to Foxhills. Today you’ll be playing with Dame Laura Davies.’

That’s not something you expect to hear as you check in for a round of golf. So imagine my surprise when I arrived at a charity golf day in Ottershaw, Surrey, and was told I was grouped with England’s most famous, and most accomplished, female golfer.

Back in September, I was invited to play in the inaugural Alliss Broadcasters Cup, a charity golf event taking place at Foxhills resort in Surrey. Benefitting The Alliss Foundation, the event carries on the incredible work of legendary commentator Peter Alliss, who sadly passed away in 2020, in providing wheelchairs to disabled children to improve their quality of life.

As I headed upstairs at Foxhills to the event space where we were going to be based for the day, it was clear just how loved and respected Alliss was. Not to just the golf industry, but broadcasting and sport in general. The room was full of well-known names selflessly giving their time to support the day, and I have to say I was a little star-struck when Formula 1 legend Damon Hill introduced himself and sat down next to me for a full English breakfast.

The morning briefing took place over coffee, we found out which holes we would be starting on for the shotgun at 10am, and many recognisable faces from the world of sport started to appear around the breakfast tables. Athletics star Kris Akabusi, football royalty Glenn Hoddle, Olympic rower Matthew Pinsent, cricketer Sir Andrew Strauss, and tour professional Eddie Pepperell. The broadcasting contingent were also present, with Andrew Cotter, Andrew Coltart, and Wayne ‘Radar’ Riley all raring to compete. I have to say, it was strange seeing Radar without his signature hat, or a microphone in front of his face.

One other person I was completely star-struck meeting was Mike Rutherford of Genesis, as I’d been fortunate to see their final show in London in 2022. A keen golfer, Rutherford has appeared in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship over the years, and he had kindly donated signed Genesis memorabilia to the evening auction.

Overall, twenty-four teams went out in the rain to take part in a Ryder Cup style tournament for the Aliss Broadcasters Cup, each team grouping a celebrity or professional with three amateurs. The ‘Rollers’ were captained by Dame Laura Davies, and the ‘Bentleys’ were captained by Andrew Cotter. I was invited to play in the Ladies European Tour team, who were ‘Rollers’, and Dame Laura was our professional for the day. Along with the two other amateurs in my group, Bethan who is Director of Communications at the LET, and Harvey who publishes the annual LET magazine, we headed out to the first tee of the Longcross course to find Laura already on the tee box.

Introductions complete, we conferred with Andrew Cotter’s team who were teeing off behind us to double check the scoring format, and waited for the air horn that would signal the start of the round. Davies tee’d off first, sending her drive down the left hand side of the fairway, followed by Harvey, Bethan and myself. Considering I had possibly the most famous female golfer to ever come out of the UK standing beside me, I wasn’t nervous in the slightest. Maybe it was because I had played well the day before, but I hit my first drive perfectly, and it ended up just to the right hand side of the fairway.

I would come to learn that Davies’ drive was the first shot she had hit since early September when she played in BJ’s Charity Championship, an LPGA Legend’s tour team event at The Ridge Club in Massachusetts, USA. Before that, she hadn’t played for three months. She doesn’t get much chance to play in senior events these days, as her commentary positions with both the BBC and Sky Sports take up the majority of her time from March through to November each year.

When you look at Davies’ achievements, it’s no wonder she has been awarded a Damehood. 87 tour wins, four major titles, 12 Solheim Cup playing appearances (which is the most of any female golfer), four as Team Europe Vice Captains, and she holds the record for the amount of points won in a Solheim career, 25. She was also the first golfer to win on five continents in a single year, and was the first European golfer to be ranked number one globally. It’s hard to think of many female golfers that have inspired generations of young girls and women into the game, but Davies is the first that springs to mind.

It was clear after just a few holes that Davies’ ability hasn’t diminished since reducing her playing schedule in favour of commentary work. Her standard shot after a break from playing, she told me, is a pull-hook. She hit a couple early on in the round, and it can take her a while to warm back up after a long break. Once she did, she was pulling off incredible recovery shots from behind trees and in deep rough. I was in awe and even though I play off a 4 handicap and can hit the ball well, I can only dream of having her talent and power.

One thing that did strike me is just how powerful her golf swing is. Growing up on the course with her brothers, Davies’ realised at a young age that to hit the ball past them she was going to have to hit it a lot harder. It’s safe to say she still has that power in abundance. Playing off the back tees, she was regularly driving the ball 60-80yards past me, and I was playing from the more forward tournament tees. She has an incredible way of throwing the club head through the golf ball, and extending her follow-through in a way that I couldn’t help but admire on every single shot she hit. Throughout my 27 years of playing golf, including years at county level, coaches have always told me that timing and tempo are the keys to distance. Davies’ swing proved to me that sometimes power really is the key to a longer ball.

Davies’ illustrious career includes more significant milestones, such as being named Rookie of the Year and winning the Order of Merit on the Ladies European Tour in 1985, as well as claiming victory at the Women’s British Open in 1986. In recognition of her remarkable achievements, Davies was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2015.

Half way through the round Davies’ asked me what I play off, and I told her my handicap was 4. She commented that I hit the ball really well and had a lovely swing. Another thing you don’t hear every day, a Solheim Cup legend complimenting your game.

The Solheim Cup has been a huge part of Davies’ career, having made 12 playing appearances and served as vice captain for four of the most recent tournaments. Our mid-round chatter turned to the bi-annual event, and Davies’ recounted just how long and tiring the days are. The captain and vice captains have to be at the course before any of the players, and are always the last to leave. This led to 4.30am starts and 19-hour days for the majority of the week they were at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in September. Despite her record achievements over the years, one thing Davies’ told me that she doesn’t fancy is Solheim Cup captaincy.

As we walked down the fairway that had a ‘nearest the bottle’ challenge (where the person who drove closest to the 10-litre, yes, 10-litre, bottle of rosé wine got to take it home), chat between myself and Davies turned to golf courses. Having been based in Surrey for most of her life, and now living just minutes from Foxhills, she hasn’t played the Longcross course much at all. Her home club is West Byfleet, a traditional members club just a short drive away from her home in Ottershaw, and a much flatter course than Foxhills from what she told me. I wouldn’t call Foxhills hilly by any means, it’s definitely flatter than nearby Wentworth, but Davies much prefers tracks with less undulations these days. Her favourite course locally is Sunningdale Old, and I can’t disagree, as it’s one of the best golf courses in England.

Davies took time to help our team out during the round, advising on distances, lines to take from the tee, and reading putts. One major piece of advice that Davies gave me was that putts don’t break as much as I think they do. On a few holes, our team had putts lined up at least a ball or two outside the hole. Davies took at look at the putts we were faced with, and advised us to aim mere centimetres outside of the cup. My putting was pretty good for the round, but as soon as I implemented her advice, it improved immensely for the final few holes.

Like all rounds unfortunately do, the golf came to an end, but I could have easily gone back out to watch Davies’ hit golf balls for the rest of the day. Everyone made their way back inside ready for the wheelchair presentation. The Alliss Foundation provides wheelchairs to disabled children with the aim of improving their quality of life, and six children were given new wheels on the day. They had travelled from all over the country to be there , and ranged in age from a few years to teenagers. It was clear to see from the elated looks on their faces just how vital Alliss’ charity work was, and how imperative it is that it carries on through the work of his family and friends.

I introduced myself to Jackie and Simon, Peter Alliss’ wife and son, and joined my team at our table ready for what looked to be an incredible meal. Andrew Cotter and team R&A were sat with us, along with Jackie and Simon. Also joining us was rugby royalty and Harry Potter star Martin Bayfield who was heading up the auction later in the evening (his opening remark about hoping everyone in the room could see him when he stands 6ft 8″ tall was highly amusing).

As we sat down to dinner, I took the opportunity to ask Davies’ about her role in the commentary box, and what her day-to-day looks like on the road. It really isn’t as glamours a life as you think it would be, lots of travelling and very long days at the courses. Even though she’s not the lead commentator, she still has to be on-site two or more hours before broadcast begins, and often finds herself having dinner with the rest of the broadcast team gone 10pm every night, well after play has finished for the day. It’s rare that the TV compound is anywhere close to the hustle and bustle of the event, too. At Wentworth for the BMW PGA Championship this year, the TV compound was located next to the sixth hole, not the easiest place to get to.

Commentating at tour events can sometimes involve on-course feedback that the likes of Radar and our columnist Iona Stephen provide, but Davies’ role in the commentary box involves sitting behind a desk for four days and watching the video feed. She doesn’t see anything different to what the public get shown on TV, and footage can often be delayed if multiple shots that warrant airing have coincided with each other or if the broadcaster has cut to an ad break.

It’s the role of the lead commentator to research players and courses for that week’s tournament, whereas Davies’ is employed to say what she sees on screen. She was once told to ‘say what you need to and then be quiet’, as commentary shouldn’t turn into ‘waffle’, as she put it.

I could have asked so many more questions, but the food was calling.

As the evening came to an end, the scores from the day were read out by Simon Alliss, with Laura Davies’ team (the Rollers) being awarded the inaugural Alliss Broadcasters Cup. The trophy for the day, which had been made from Alliss’ broadcast microphone, was presented by Alliss’ wife Jackie. The team captains shared stories of their first memories of Alliss, with Davies’ being commentating on-course at St George’s Hill years ago. She was called into the commentary box to work with Alliss at the last minute, and he couldn’t have been more friendly, more encouraging, or more professional. But that just sums up Alliss, a true gent in the world of golf.

I was incredibly honored to take part in such a wonderful day, and I learned a lot from Dame Laura Davies. Thank you to Bethan and the LET for the invite. I can’t wait to see who claims the Alliss Broadcasters Cup when the Rollers aim to defend their title against the Bentleys next year.

About the author

Sarah Pyett – Deputy Digital Editor

Sarah Pyett is the Deputy Digital Editor of todays-golfer.com. She plays off a handicap of 4, and specializes in ladies’ equipment reviews, including drivers, irons, and golf balls.

After a career in a golf professional shop, and earning a qualification in golf club management, Sarah joined Bauer in 2014 as a Web Producer for Today’s Golfer. She has since worked across multiple brands in a mixture of digital marketing and paid media roles, before returning to focus on golf full-time as Deputy Digital Editor in 2024.