When we saw Sophie Powell's amazing makeshift van accommodation for the Brokenhurst Manor event on Twitter we knew we just had to find out more. She tells us why she'd happily sleep on a pavement if it meant she got to play professional golf...
When we saw Sophie Powell's amazing pictures of her makeshift van accommodation for the Rose Ladies Series we knew we just had to find out more.
While some might imagine that professional golf is full of glamour and fancy resorts, Sophie actually spent the night before the event at Brokenhurst Manor camped out in a van in a carpark.
It's certainly true that while the Rose Ladies Series is providing fantastic playing opportunities for British pros, the only dilemma for players based in the North of the country (like Sophie), is that all the venues are located down South.
Plus, due to the safety restrictions in place for COVID-19, hotels are closed and staying at another person's house is forbidden.
But LET Access player Sophie Powell didn't let these minor details stop her from competing.
In fact, she tells us how sleeping in a van actually ADDED to the fun of it all:
"When I first got wind that one of the LET girls was organising a professional tournament for female players down at her home club Brokenhurst Manor, my initial thoughts weren’t about logistics but about the excitement of seeing all the girls again and playing for some money.
We had no idea that it would snowball so quickly and turn into an eight-week series, backed by one of the best players in the world in the men’s game and also huge companies like American Golf and ComputacenterUK.
I’m from Manchester and as all of the events are taking place down South, I quickly had to work out how I was going to get down there and where I was going to stay.
COVID-19 made arranging a place to sleep impossible: I couldn’t stay at a friend’s houses and the hotels were shut.
But, quite frankly, I didn’t care where I slept – I've been away from competitive golf for two years because of an injury and I wanted to be back playing this year more than anything.
I decided my only option would be to sleep in my car (which is a very small car might I add) but then a very generous friend of mine told me I was mad to be considering it and that I could use his van instead.
So, I kitted the van out with a king-size blow up mattress and Egyptian cotton sheets (a girls got to have some luxury, right?).
Funnily enough I’ve always said that I want to own a dream home on a golf course one day, it’s just a shame it’s only one bedroom and on wheels!
But aking my way down South the day before the event I couldn’t have felt happier; it was just me, my clubs and a van on a little journey to play the game that I love.
It took about four and a half hours to get from Manchester to Brokenhurst Manor and when I got there I played a practice round and finished at around 9pm, just as it was starting to go dark.
Then I lit my disposable BBQ and cracked open a can of beer, and my friend Chloe Williams and I sat in the back of the van and laughed to ourselves.
We'd toured on the LET Access tour together and we reminisced back to an event we went to in Switzerland where we’d stay with a family who lived in a massive house overlooking the mountains for a week. They even had an outdoor hot tub where we could relax every night with a glass of wine... and now here we were about to sleep in a car park in Hampshire absolutely buzzing and excited to play one game of golf the next day!
But believe it or not it was the best night’s sleep I’ve had in a long time.
I finished T18th and overall, I felt happy with my game bar a few rusty mistakes.
Now I’m so excited for this next event down at Moor Park near London; the van is ready to go complete with a couple of new additions from last week’s first outing.
Since posting on Twitter about my van adventures I’ve had so many messages from people applauding me for my positive attitude and how I’m making the best of a difficult situation.
But I’m just so content and happy that I’m able to wake up and have the opportunity to test myself against the best female golfers in the country.
I’d honestly sleep on a pavement if I had to.
Sophie Powell x "
We can't wait to hear how she gets on during the rest of the Series.
Her determination and positive attitude is an example to us all.
You can follow Sophie on Twitter @sophiepowell91
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