Michael Block is probably well-known to you unless you’ve been mummified or locked in a tomb for the last few weeks.
It was a club professional from California, who was not well-known at all. He finished 15th in the recent PGA Championship. sent the golf media into a frenzied state.
Block’s Oak Hill story was a uplifting and inspiring tale for club pros all over the world. One of their own had gone toe-to -toe with global stars of the game while generating drooling blanket coverage, usually reserved only for the births of Royal babies.
Craig Donnelly is a Scottish PGA professional.
But wait, Donnelly’s not talking about Block’s blockbuster endeavors. He is reflecting on an inspiring achievement that deserves a lot of praise.
Donnelly helped Gregor McDonald become a qualified professional by guiding him through the PGA degree program. It’s not a new thing, of course. Donnelly has mentored and coached over a dozen young players through the years, but McDonald’s achievement is a particular source of pride.
McDonald has cerebral palsy, but his disability never diminished his determination and drive to succeed at a sport that he loves.
McDonald said, “I am very proud of myself.” McDonald is based in Donnelly’s Cluny Clays plant in Kirkcaldy (Scotland), which is located less than an hour from Edinburgh. “I never imagined I could do this, particularly when I was young and faced all the challenges I did. But I’ve shown that a physical disability shouldn’t prevent you from achieving your goals.
“I am one of only a handful of disabled PGA professionals and I hope that my story can inspire others to follow in my footsteps.” Graduating was a great reward for the hard work that I put in as well as those who helped me.”
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Donnelly has been a part of McDonald’s career in golf for more than ten years. He runs three golf courses in Scotland and another in Murcia, Spain. It has not always been easy, but the journey was marked by grit and gusto.
“Gregor has spent his whole life getting on with things and he never shied from a challenging situation,” Donnelly said. “I met him more than 10 years ago. His mother said that if he was treated like a normal child, he would pick up everything. He has.
We built his swing and golf game around this because of his physical challenges. We added more lofted and hybrid woods to his bag. Just a few adjustments were needed to make things easier for him. Initially it wasn’t to make him a professional, but just to improve his golfing skills. But we kept developing until I got him enrolled into The PGA System.”
The PGA degree includes a wide range of modules from sports science and business to coaching, club repair and custom fitting. Students are tested mentally and physically with practical assignments and essays.
McDonald’s physical limitations made it difficult for him to do tasks like club repairs, which he could only perform with one hand. But he embraced the challenge with a defiant determination and developed multi-tasking skills that are highly valued by PGA pros.
“Determination was one of his greatest strengths,” said Donnelly. “And he is the most likeable person I’ve ever met. No one has anything bad to say about him. All those he’s coached also say he has an abundance of patience. This is a wonderful attribute, and not just for golf. We love him so much. “We always tell him that he should shout it from the roofs about his achievements, but he is not that type of person.”
The championing is left to those around him.
Donnelly declared, “He is an icon of The PGA.”
The unassuming McDonald responded with a smile of gratitude.
