Instructors

David Watt – Academy Instructor

David joins the Golf Academy after four years as the Head Professional at Hilton Park Golf Club, situated at the foot of the Trossach Hills on the outskirts of Glasgow. Whilst there he built up a successful teaching business with a loyal and varied client base comprising beginners, club golfers, elite amateurs and professionals.

Prior to this David was based at Kings Acre Golf Academy in Edinburgh which was an excellent facility in which to begin his teaching career. During his time there he had the opportunity to assist renowned coach Claude Harmon III, organise and conduct corporate clinics and develop a successful junior programme.
David qualified from the PGA training programme in 2007 as the “Scottish Assistant of the Year” and placed within the top 12 overall graduates, thereby gaining a Titleist / FootJoy scholarship for outstanding achievement.

In 2009 David became involved with the Titleist Performance Institute by achieving the status of a Level 1 Certified Golf Fitness Instructor in Dubai and quickly built upon this by travelling to Sweden in the summer of 2010 and gaining further certification as a Level 2 TPI Golf Professional. In March 2011 David returned to Sweden to complete the Level 3 TPI certification and is now one of only 4 golf instructors in the UK to hold this qualification.

David is passionate about providing a truly thorough approach to golf instruction; by combining traditional and modern teaching philosophies with physical screening, biomechanics and the latest technology he can help his pupils’ to accomplish their most efficient and successful golf.

Links golf has its own unique challenges and David has good local knowledge of the courses at St Andrews having spent four years on an R&A scholarship whilst studying at Dundee University.

Blair Cross – Academy Instructor

Blair joined the team of St Andrews Links Golf Academy instructors from The Belfry.

He underwent his PGA training at the renowned Ryder Cup venue and was involved in organising pro-ams at the former Quinn Insurance British Masters on the European Tour during his five year spell there.

As well as being a highly regarded instructor Blair is a custom fit specialist, holding the Callaway Golf Product Specialist Gold Award. He worked at the High Tech Centre of Excellence at The Belfry showcasing the largest selection of demonstration clubs in Europe as part of his role in the Golf Operations department.

Hailing from Elgin, Blair grew up playing the links at Moray in Lossiemouth. He studied Golf Management at the University of the Highlands and Islands and played in the university’s team which competed in the British University Championships.

In 2005, Blair was selected to represent the university on a one year internship at the then Chateau Elan Resort just outside Atlanta Georgia. Blair also gained experience working as part of on-course commentary teams for SKY and ESPN at events such as the Saab Wales Open and the British Senior Open.

In terms of his coaching philosophy, Blair is a firm believer in matching the swing to the player by identifying the player’s personality and tailoring the coaching accordingly. Whether it is video analysis, explanation or a demonstration, ensuring the pupil gets the most out of the lesson is paramount.

Harry Scott – Academy Instructor

Harry joins the team from a coaching role at Quantum Golf Academy, China's largest golf academy which is part of one of the top ten golf resorts in the country. Previously Harry taught at World of Golf in Surrey. At one of Europe’s busiest driving ranges he coached golfers of all ages and abilities as well as co-ordinating their development programme. He helped introduce more than one thousand new golfers to the game.

In 2009 Harry became PGA qualified after graduating with honours from the Applied Golf Management Studies degree at the University of Birmingham. With the programme accepting only 25 places from over 150 applicants each year, he was trained by leaders in the field of coaching education, sport science and sport psychology. His work during the degree, including research into elite golfers’ development has led to him becoming an international ambassador for the university.

Harry went on to become one of the youngest members of the PGA to attain class AA professional status. He has achieved a distinction in the coaching module of the PGA  Advanced diploma with specialist interest in golf psychology, Harry has conducted Masters degree research into the psycho-social development of elite golfers and is a certified Golf Mind Instructor.

As an avid student of the game, Harry is always looking to improve his knowledge, regularly attending seminars from leading instructors as well as keeping up to date with the latest technology in the coaching industry.

From a coaching standpoint Harry believes that the roots of good teaching are grounded in the instructor’s ability to communicate effectively with his student. With an understanding that golfers come for lessons with different ambitions, varying time commitments and with different ways of learning, Harry seeks to understand and connect with the student in order to achieve the best results. He explains, 'The theory behind my coaching remains consistent but the learning process depends on the student. I ensure that all my lessons are informative, but in an enjoyable and relaxed environment.'

Rob Wilson – Functional Movement Advisor

Rob Wilson joins St Andrews Links Golf Academy as our Functional Movement (FMS) adviser; this covers aspects such as rehabilitation through to strength and conditioning.

Rob has worked in professional sport for 14 years including time with the Great Britain Swimming Team and the Leeds Rhinos rugby league team.

After leaving the Royal Marines, Rob studied Physiotherapy at Leeds University and graduated in 1997. He went on to study Sports Therapy with Premier Training. From there he became Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Great Britain Swim Team from 1997 to 2001. He was also physiotherapist for members of the national squad in the regional elite group in Leeds.

In 2001 Rob joined Leeds Rhinos rugby league team as Sports Therapist and Rehabilitation Conditioner. During his time there the club won the Grand Final twice, were Challenge Cup runners-up four times and twice became World Club Champions.

Rob specialises in a number of treatment programmes using manual techniques such as Myoskeletal  Alignment and Bowen Technique as well as acupuncture along the meridians to improve body movement. The aim of the programmes is to restore the body back to its full function through the combination of manual treatments and functional rehabilitation programmes.

Rob is certified in FMS (Functional Movement Screen) and uses the screen as the basis of his injury treatment and prevention/rehabilitation strategies. FMS comprises a series of seven basic movements that are fundamental to functional movement. By testing the body to these movements areas of restriction or asymmetry and therefore potential injury are highlighted. The areas of restriction, asymmetry or dysfunction are addressed using manual therapy and corrective exercise to release restricted areas and retrain weak and unstable patterns (not isolated areas) so that the correct function is restored.