Epic Mission: One lesson in and, already, “something’s clicked”…

A frustrated golfer has gone from thinking of quitting competitive golf to shooting his lowest score in just a matter of weeks thanks to bunkered’s Epic Mission series.

Gordon Graham, 44, one of four golfers taking part in our Epic Mission series, said “something just clicked” when he fired his best round in four years.

Epic Mission, in partnership with leading golf brand Callaway, is designed to take four golfers on a four-month journey to becoming better players. They get access to the latest custom-fitted gear from Epic Mission partner Callaway and lessons from YouTube star Steve Johnston.

The entire progress is documented on the bunkered YouTube channel so that all golfers can simply watch and learn.

Graham knew the series was right up his street the moment he saw it on Twitter.

“It had me written all over it because I was in the doldrums,” he told bunkered.co.uk. “I was thinking about giving up playing competitively because I wasn’t enjoying it. I was just embarrassing myself.”

The Falkirk golfer’s story of golfing woe is a common one. He described his lack of improvement as “soul destroying”, despite the extra practise he was putting in.

Things got so desperate he invested in a make-shift golf simulator in his garage, a simple LED system that tracked his clubhead and required him to hit sponge balls into an old bed sheet.

Then he got serious and bought a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and practised more than ever – but the results weren’t what he was looking for.

“The SkyTrak is absolutely brilliant and there have been flashes of improvement – but I spend too much time in the garage, then as soon as I’m on the golf course, it’s different.”

Now, that’s all changed. Just a matter of weeks after his first meet-up with Johnston and getting fitted for the latest Callaway gear, Graham is trending in the right direction.

“I got my first bit of time with Steve on the Monday and on the Friday I went out for a bounce game and broken 80 for the first time in a long time. I thought, ‘Well, this is good!’ I didn’t feel that I’d even played that great. I just kept it in play, put it on or around the greens.

“I then played a medal the following Wednesday and shot 77 at my own course. That’s my best round in four years. Something just clicked.”

Joining Graham in our Epic Mission are Ross Crilly, Allan Knowlson and Darren Niblo. They each tell their story in Episode 1 on YouTube as they get to grips with their initial lessons with Steve Johnston, the head PGA pro at Peebles Golf Club in the Scottish Borders. Johnston, a popular figure on YouTube with over 17K subscribers, has been tasked the process of making our guys better players in just four months. “I’ve no idea what I’ve got myself into,” he said. “But we’ll get there. It’s up to them to put the work in and get the results. I just point them in the right direction. I’m up for the challenge, it’s going to great.”