Follow us on Instagram @linkedbygolfpodcast for clips, behind-the-scenes content and episode updates.

In this episode, Ross is joined by John Gallagher — Scottish Amateur Champion, 2005 British Amateur finalist, and one of the most distinctive golfers to come out of Scottish amateur golf in the last two decades.

John grew up at Swanston Golf Club on the edge of the Pentland Hills, where his dad worked as a greenkeeper. He picked up the game at 14, won his club junior championship within two years, and never looked back. What followed was a remarkable amateur career that took him to the Lothians county team, the Scotland national team, a famous run to the British Amateur final at Royal Birkdale, and ultimately the 2007 Scottish Amateur Championship at Prestwick.

We cover all of it — including the night before the British Amateur final when John couldn't sleep for dreaming about Augusta, the moment his caddie gave away four of his five golf balls to kids while he was playing a practice round with a teenage Rory McIlroy at Loch Lomond, and the outrageous up-and-down on the 18th at Prestwick that kept his Scottish Amateur hopes alive when his ball was barely a yard inbounds.

John also opens up about his time on the professional circuit — the stark contrast between the pampered Scotland team environment and the grind of the Euro Pro Tour, the injuries that disrupted his best years, and why he still loves competing on the Scottish Pro Tour today.

Plus, we get into his unique cack-handed grip, the negative press it attracted when he reached the British Amateur final, and why attitudes have finally started to shift.

In this episode:

• Growing up at Swanston Golf Club and falling in love with the game
• Progressing through the Lothians county team alongside some exceptional amateur talent
• Winning the 2005 Craigmiller Park Open and gaining momentum heading into Birkdale
• The chaos of British Amateur week — a wrong scorecard, questionable accommodation, and a borrowed coffin-sized bed
• Beating Lloyd Saltman in the semi-finals and facing Brian McElhinney in the final
• The night before the final: no sleep, Masters daydreams, and dreaming of the Old Course
• Winning the 2007 Scottish Amateur at Prestwick with a broken bone in his hand
• Playing alongside Rory McIlroy at Loch Lomond — and his caddie's Belmont Fontaine autograph scandal
• The reality of life on the Euro Pro and Alps Tour
• His cack-handed grip: where it came from, the criticism it attracted, and why he never changed it
• Quickfire: Loch Lomond as Scotland's finest, Royal Birkdale as the one he'd love another crack at, and the toughest conditions he's ever played in

Connect with John on Instagram: @johngallaghergolf

Follow us on Instagram for clips, behind-the-scenes and more: @linkedbygolfpodcast

About This Episode

Ross sits down with Andrew Murray — European Open champion, BBC Radio 5 Live golf commentator of 35 years, and one of the most colourful characters to come through the European Tour's formative era. From humble beginnings as a 16-year-old apprentice pro with one Woodwork O-Level to lifting the Panasonic European Open trophy at Walton Heath, Andrew's story is as honest and entertaining as it gets.

What We Cover

Winning the 1989 Panasonic European OpenAndrew takes us back to that famous week at Walton Heath — the six iron into the last, the 12-foot winning putt he nearly turned into a nerve-shredder, and what it felt like to beat a leaderboard featuring Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam, Sam Torrance and Frank Nobilo. He still has the picture on the wall of his study.

The hip condition that almost ended it allDays before his European Open victory, Andrew's consultant had told him his hip was deteriorating rapidly and he needed to consider a different career. He shares just how fragile that triumph really was — and how he managed to play on for another four or five years he was never supposed to have.

Life on the road in the early daysMonday qualifying. Caravans. Fishing trips gone wrong. Andrew paints a vivid picture of what it was like to be a struggling tour pro in the late 70s and early 80s — winning £2,000 in an entire season and not knowing how he kept the fuel in the car.

The African Safari TourA pivotal chapter for many British pros of that generation. Andrew describes the six-week circuit through Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe — and tells the brilliant story of how Ian Woosnam won a Range Rover on that tour, which effectively bankrolled his European breakthrough.

Witnessing the greats up closeAndrew shares his take on the most impressive players he competed alongside — Seve, Faldo, Langer, Woosnam and Lyle. He's particularly effusive about Sandy Lyle and Woosie's natural talent, and draws a fascinating comparison between Woosnam and current star Ludvig Åberg.

Breaking into broadcastingRenton Laidlaw made a phone call in 1991 that changed Andrew's life off the course. He recalls being thrown in at the deep end at Royal Birkdale with one piece of advice: "Don't forget every listener is blind." That was 35 years ago — and he's barely stopped talking since.

Seniors Tour, Tour School at 58… with his son on the bagAndrew went back to Tour School aged 58, took the full-size tour bag (when everyone else had pencil bags) and won it — with his son Tom caddying. He believes he was the oldest winner at that stage, and the pride in telling that story is unmistakable.

Corporate golf and life todayAndrew runs a thriving corporate golf events business from Cheshire, with events at Turnberry, St Andrews, South Africa, Abu Dhabi and beyond. At approaching 70, he's still playing off +0.2 and still getting nervous on the first tee.

Connect with Andrew Murray

🌐 andrewmurraygolf.com📸 Instagram: @andrewmurraygolf

Linked By Golf is a weekly podcast celebrating the game and the people who love it. New episodes every week.

📲 Follow along on Instagram: @linkedbygolfpodcast

What's really going on inside a golfer's mind under pressure? And how much of what we tell ourselves on the course is actually making things worse?

In this episode of the Linked By Golf golf podcast, I sit down with John Mathers — sports psychologist and expert in the mental game of golf — to explore why so many golfers struggle mentally on the course, and what you can do to play better golf by fixing how you think.

John has spent 30 years working with elite performers across golf, tennis, snooker and motorsport. In this golf psychology conversation, he breaks down why it happens — and what you can actually do about it at any handicap level.

Whether you're a scratch golfer or a 20 handicapper, if you've ever wondered why your best golf disappears when it matters most — this golf podcast episode is essential listening.

• Why golf psychology is no longer just for players with problems
• What elite golfers are really thinking under pressure — it's not what you'd expect
• The difference between judging yourself on outcome vs process
• What acceptance actually means on the golf course
• How to build a pre-shot routine that holds up under pressure
• Why negative self-talk starts before you even take the club back
• How to improve your mental game of golf at any handicap
• How long it actually takes to change your mental habits on the course
• Why making a bogey isn't the problem — what you do next is
• John's own golf journey, his +1 handicap, and what still challenges him
• No golfer — amateur or elite — is immune to pressure. The difference is how you respond to it.
• Judging yourself on effort and process, not outcome, is the foundation of a strong mental game in golf.
• A pre-shot routine isn't just a habit — it's your defence against anxiety and doubt on the course.
• The mental challenges of a scratch golfer and a 20 handicapper are more similar than you think.
• Lasting improvement in golf psychology takes 12 to 18 months — but green shoots appear within weeks.

"Enjoy the highs — but learn from the lows. So that your next high will happen sooner, and perhaps last longer than the last one." — John Mathers

🎧 Follow Linked By Golf for more golf podcast episodes connecting the game through people, stories, and insight.