In case you missed this great article by Martin Dempster (The Scotsman) a couple of weeks ago a young Mhairi and sister Fiona (Norris) - current Lanarkshire Ladies' County Captain -- CLICK HERE to read the full article --
Mhairi McKay followed in the footsteps of her older sister, Fiona, as she came through the amateur ranks in Scotland, benefiting from the patience shown by her sibling as she “hung on to her coat-tails” to play in two Curtis Cups
She then enjoyed a successful collegiate career during a ground-breaking scholarship stint at Stanford University at the same time Tiger Woods was there before enjoying the highlight of her professional career when winning the Australian Open in 2003.
McKay, who now lives in Los Alamos in New Mexico, also played in two Solheim Cups, including a success in Sweden in 2003 alongside her long-time friend Janice Moodie and Catriona Matthew.
Clear this one up: did you start to play at Bothwell Castle or Turnberry?
MM: I played a bit at Bothwell Castle, but my parents, Peter and Mary, had a little holiday place in Girvan and I would play the first eight holes at Girvan as a little thing before becoming a member at Bothwell Castle. The first eight holes at Girvan are brilliant and, when I get back home, it’s nice for my two kids to learn on the same track I did and it’s funny the memories you have as a youngster there and how big and intimidating it seemed then but, to then go back and play it again as a bit more experienced player, it seems a bit more manageable (laughing).
You clearly had some great family memories from those early days playing the game?
MM: Yeah, my sister Fiona also played and also my brother Kenny, who is a year older than my sister. We’d go out and I’d have my little hickory-shaft golf club and they’d let me have a hit out on the fairway and not try and hold the game up behind. It was great the five of us being out on the golf course and those are special golf memories that help plant the seed.
So, it was through having that home in Girvan that you became a Turnberry member?
MM: My mum was the first member of the family to become a member at Turnberry in 1977, I think. Then my sister and brother joined the junior section, as I eventually did as well, and my dad was the last one to join as he was so busy working. I have some very happy memories from playing at Turnberry, too.
How important was playing there in your development as a golfer?
MM: Gregor and Bob Jamieson were so important to my career and also my sister’s career. Before Gregor moved over to Lake Nona, he was great, giving my brother and sister lessons and was patient enough to let me tag along and give me some instruction, too. When he moved over to the States, we had lessons from Bob and it was that traditional coaching and playing by feel. Turnberry and the Jamiesons definitely played an instrumental part in our development.
You won the Girls’ Amateur Championship back-to-back in 1992 and 1993. You must have realised then that you were pretty decent at the game?
MM: Those were good, fun victories down at Northamptonshire and Helensburgh. There was always another goal to play for. I just loved trying to get into the Scottish Girls’ team and then the Scottish Under-21s team and then a senior internationalist then playing in the European Team Championship and then the Curtis Cup. There were always these little stepping stones and I was really lucky to have an older sister who led the way for me and was always happy for me to hang on to her coat-tails and have the patience to take care of her little sister. Her friends also didn’t mind having this wee girl four years younger than them tagging along. I was always trying to keep up with Fiona by making teams, starting at county level and then Scottish Schools’ teams and so on.
It must have been a special occasion when you and Fiona played on the same Scotland team in the 1992 Women’s Home Internationals at Hamilton?
MM: Yes, definitely. I have a picture up on the wall in my home, I can see it up in the other room right now, of Fiona and I together. I was just so lucky to have my sister be so successful in the game and go ahead and do things before me. Seeing what she was achieving made me want to follow in her footsteps and keep up with her. It was great to be able to play in the Home Internationals together, though I honestly can’t remember if we played together that week (laughing).
You played in two Curtis Cups, joining Catriona Matthew, Janice Moodie and Myra McKinlay in flying the Saltire in a draw in 1994 then being part of a win two years later with Janice Moodie and Alison Rose?
MM: The draw was at the Honours Course in Chattanooga and that was a big deal to take the trophy on American soil. To then go to Killarney two years later and win outright, I’ve got brilliant memories of both occasions but particularly Killarney as we had amazing support there from the Irish golf fans and the other people who’d made the trip over. It was one of those amazing, brilliant weeks.
How did your move to Stanford University come about as you were the first international female player to be offered a golf scholarship there?
MM: I think there was a Swedish girl there several years before me, but she became really homesick and I’m not sure she stayed more than a year. The coach was concerned about taking a risk with another international player, but my mum’s really good friend from Bothwell Castle, Joyce Scott, it was all due to her, really, that I ended up at Stanford. She and her husband, Charlie, are very keen golfers and their daughter was a nurse at Stanford University Hospital and they’d go out and visit Val. She arranged for them to go and play at Stanford golf course and they bumped into the women’s golf coach at the time, Tim Baldwin, and struck up a conversation, saying ‘we know a girl who would love to come here’ and told him about a few of my achievements. I don’t know why they had it, but I was on the cover of the Golf Foundation’s Tee to Green magazine, having won the Daily Telegraph Junior Championship, with a nice article inside on that and they gave it to Tim, which started my whole connection. I’m not sure how else Tim would have found out about me if it hadn’t been for that. Through Bob Jamieson, there had been contact with Duke University, so I went on a recruitment trip to both places and ended up going to Stanford, where I enjoyed an opportunity of a lifetime.
They’ve been improved since, but I take it the facilities back then were still pretty special?
MM: You virtually rolled out of your bed in the dorm and found yourself on this amazing driving range, where you hit ball after ball, or an amazing short-game area, as well as having the chance to play an amazing golf course. At the time I was there, there were so many great players, including Notah Begay, Casey Martin, who had the Supreme Court case a few years ago over using a golf buggy, and the year after I started Tiger Woods came along. It was a really fun time to be there and the men’s and women’s teams were really close. We were always encouraging one another.
You won the Australian Women’s Open in 2003. What do you remember about that?
MM: It was at Terry Hills Golf in Sydney. I love Australia and I love Sydney. I remember my caddie saying on the back nine in the last round, ‘don’t look at the leaderboard’ and also holing a huge putt - it must have been 70 feet - from the side of the green at the 15th. I played really well on the back nine and made lots of birdies. I think Laura Davies had been leading going into the final round, but I just kept plugging away and making birdies. I didn’t look at the leaderboard until holing my final putt and it was great seeing my name at the top of it. That was really special and the Australian fans were great that week.
You played in two Solheim Cups, beating Beth Daniel in the second one in Sweden in 2003 to help secure a big win for Europe. How special was that?
MM: Yeah, the Solheims were great. In the first one at Interlachen, I lost to Pat Hurst in the singles. I actually played really well that day. She chipped in twice and we were both under par. There might have been one other girl on the European team who had better figures that day, but I just came up against a strong opponent in Pat. It was disappointing that the team didn’t get it over the line that day after being in a good position heading into the singles, so it was nice to get another chance in Sweden, where I managed to get a singles victory over Beth.
Catriona Matthew and Janice Moodie were also part of that 2003 team. Have they both been a big part of your life in golf over the years?
MM: Absolutely, particularly Janice. Catriona is that little bit older and I think my first Home Internationals in Wales, I think she was in the team and then she turned pro. Janice and I came up through the West of Scotland Girls together since I was 10 or she was around 12. It’s funny that we ended up going to college at the same time and she was at San Jose and I was at Stanford. We grew up together in Scotland and continued to see each other a lot when we were halfway around the world. To have somebody like Janice, who was so competitive and driven, a bit like my sister, you want to keep up with them and match or better them. Janice is still a great, dear friend and we keep in touch.
Tell us about some of your scoring feats at St Andrews?
MM: I was the first woman to break 70 on the Old Course in the St Rule Trophy with a 69 then, two years later, I shot 67. I was proud to then go back there and play as a pro and shot 67 again to tie the course record, though I think that has subsequently been broken. But it’s definitely nice to be able to say that I was a course record at St Andrews as it is a special place.
