Matt can bat & he can drive
By Tony Durkin
Indian cricket icon Sunil Gavaskar has described rookie Australian Test opener Matt Renshaw as a player with great technique , patience , talent and skill .
At 20 years of age and in just his fifth outing in the baggy green cap , Renshaw scored a courageous double of 68 and 31 under extreme conditions in the recent First Test in India , becoming the youngest Aussie to notch a Test halfcentury in the country .
But according to Brisbane Golf Club ’ s assistant Director of Golf , Reece McRae , Renshaw has more than one string to his bow . He tips the tall lefthander to become a singlefigure golfer ‘ in no time ’.
Renshaw is one of a number of big-name sports personalities who has joined The Brisbane Golf Club , and his golf is almost as fresh as his international cricket career . He only started playing seriously just on 14 months ago , and in that time his GA handicap has toppled from 28 to 14.7 .
“ In the short time he has been a member here I have only seen him hit a few balls , but that has been enough to convince me he can be a single-figure golfer in no time ,” McRae said .
“ Matt is an athlete who obviously has outstanding handeye co-ordination , and he loves his golf . Once he gets the chance to play more he will crunch that handicap of his , no doubt .”
Renshaw became a member of The Brisbane Golf Club in October , just a month before making his Test debut for Australia against South Africa .
Fellow Bulls Usman Khawaja , Chris Lynn , Jason Floros and Cameron Cannon , as well as former Test fast bowler Ryan Harris , are also BGC members . They are joined by ex-Test wicketkeeper and Channel Nine commentator , Ian Healy , who ironically presented Matt with his prized baggy green cap on the morning of his Test debut .
And while he had little time for golf at his new home club during the four Tests he played in the Australian summer , Renshaw was able to hit the course reasonably regularly before heading off to India .
“ When time permits , I like to get out two to three times a week ,” he said prior to the tour of India .
“ As a relative newcomer to playing the game seriously , my main aim is simply to become a better player . But getting out on the course with my mates and relaxing is what I enjoy most about golf .”
With time of his hands during the winter months of 2016 he decided to take up golf , which he had previously played spasmodically but never seriously .
“ Nudgee was the closest course to where I live at Hamilton , so I joined for six months and played a couple of times a week . I enjoyed my golf at Nudgee but because some of Queensland Bulls were playing at Brisbane , I decided to join Brisbane .”
And the abundance of talent he has shown in the early stages of his Test cricket career – 414 runs at an average of 59 – is replicated on the golf course . In 12 months , his GA handicap has been almost halved .
But Matt is no different to most club golfers and concedes his short game needs work . And with that in mind he intended taking at least a putter and wedge on the tour of India , if not his entire set of TaylorMades .
“ Most guys who play a reasonable game of cricket seem to be able to hit a long ball , and when I connect I usually hit it okay ,” he said .
“ I think it has a lot to do with hand-eye co-ordination , and the fact that the swing plane of a cricket bat and golf club are similar . And guys who really smash the cricket ball – like Chris Lynn – can usually also hammer the golf ball out of sight .”
While keen to reduce his handicap , and play off single figures like fellow Bulls Khawaja , Cannon and Harris , Matt says enjoying every rare round he gets to play is his primary goal . And enjoying those rounds with his dad , Ian , is on his wish list .
“ Dad doesn ’ t play golf , but hopefully he will join Brisbane Golf Club too and together we can appreciate the wonderful facilities and the challenging course ,” he said .
Born in England , in Middlesbrough , Matt moved to New Zealand when he was seven . His family then came to Australia three years later and even though he says he is now a dinky di Aussie , his golfing hero is Tiger Woods .
“ What Tiger has achieved in the game is just phenomenal ,” he said .
20 Q Golf Autumn 2017 www . golfqueensland . org . au