JULIE OTTO MAKES COMEBACK AS A PLAYER - AS A TRAINEE PRO

IN FIELD FOR POWERADE PGA
ASSISTANTS' QUALIFIER AT
AUCHTERARDER
NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE PGA
A five-time Curtis Cup player launching a new career as a PGA professional will be among those bidding to reach the Powerade PGA Assistants’ Championship final when she lines up at Auchterarder later this month.
Julie Otto, 45, of the Elie Sports Club in Fife admits she is a late starter when it comes to becoming a PGA qualified professional, having previously enjoyed an illustrious amateur career including British women's open amateur championship and stroke-play championship successes.
Otto, as Julie Wade or Julie Hall, also won the English, Spanish and Australian amateur championships but admits embarking on the PGA Foundation Degree in professional golf studies has given her a new lease of life.
“A lot of people have asked me why I decided to do my PGA training but I suppose it was just fulfilling a childhood dream really,” she said.
“It was something I’d spoken about with my father from the age of 13 or 14.
But it wasn’t the route players in the women’s game took 20-odd years ago - if you turned professional you went straight to the Tour.
“So I decided to finally do it and take the PGA course.”
The mother of three sons, aged three to seven, is looking forward to the coaching side of the game and is relishing the opportunity.
“I’m leaning more towards the coaching side of things. I had wondered what I could do now and I didn’t just want to be a club golfer, so this has given me a new lease of life.
“I’m really enjoying it. It’s adding another string to my bow and really wish I’d done it years ago.”
However her studies will be put to one side when she tees up in the FootJoy-supported qualifying event on Monday April 30 when she will be hoping to secure a place in the £33,000 final which is being held at the East Sussex National on June 13-15.
“My best playing days seem a long way off now but I would say that my British amateur title at Portrush was the highlight individually. That’s the best golf I have ever played while from a team point of view I would say all of my Curtis Cup appearances were a highlight,” added Julie who was the Ladies Golf Union secretary for a number of years and then transferred to the R and A's Rules Staff.
Also among the qualifying field at Auchterarder will be home assistant Ewan MacPherson, Graeme Brown (Montrose Golf Links), Craig Armstrong (Burntisland), Callum Nisbet (Bathgate) and Callum Macaulay's wife, Clare-Marie (maiden name Carlton). She is attached to Playsport.