Bullard visits benefit Browne

EVERYBODY has heard of Butch Harmon, David Leadbetter, even Hank Haney.

Famous golf coaches all. But very few know about a certain Jimmy Ballard, a man who taught Curtis Strange and Hal Sutton throughout their illustrious careers, began working with Sandy Lyle two weeks before he captured the 1987 Tournament Players Championship and ignited a whole run of tournament wins in the United States for the Scot; he also picked up with Seve Ballesteros shortly before his Open Championship triumph at Lytham in 1988.

It was Ballard who encouraged Gary Player to adopt “the walk through” technique that was so influential in his British Open victory in 1978.