Daniel Gaunt
The life of professional golfer is not all glamour and glory - at least not all the time - with many hours of travel, hotels, practice and waiting around. Especially if you are on the reserve list for an event......
Australian Daniel Gaunt is a case in point having been on the reserve list for the Commercialbank Qatar Masters last weekend he travelled in hope but failed to get the call in Doha by last Thursday.
In Dubai Gaunt arrived as second reserve for the Omega Desert Classic at the Emirates Golf Club more hopeful that during the week someone might to drop out of the starting list for one reason or another. Again the Australian diligently practised, patiently waited, politely enquired if he was in, and then waited some more.....
By the time the last group went out on Thursday he was still not in the mix and started to update his travel plans for India focusing on the positives of two weeks of practice during the European Tour's Gulf Swing.
One spot ahead of him in the reserve list fellow Challenge tour graduate, Oscar Floren of Sweden, got a start - so this was not to be his week. Indeed it wasn't as at the end of round one Kenneth Ferrie and Alexander Noren withdrew - only adding to the sense of frustration so early in the season.
Fortunately for the Lancefield native his seventh place finish in last seasons Challenge Tour rankings guarantees a start at the Avantha Masters in New Delhi next week which tees off at the DLF Golf and Country Club.
All the gulf practice will hopefully pay off there.
Biography
A contemporary of Adam Scott and Geoff Ogilvy and all-round fine sportsman, Daniel Gaunt had rather lost his way in recent years but rejoins the European Tour after a sensational 2010 campaign on the Challenge Tour.
Last season began with predominantly on third tier tours across the United Kingdom, achieving great success with four wins on the 66 Pro Tour and one on the Europro Tour. Through his place at the top of the Europro Order of Merit he earned a place at inaugural English Challenge on the European Challenge Tour, which he won – beating rising star Tommy Fleetwood by one stroke.
He added a further five top ten finishes from his remaining ten appearances to earn promotion to The European Tour as the seventh graduate.
His brother Chris is also a professional golfer competing on the Australasian Tour.
Indeed, it was his brother and father who first introduced him to the game at the age of ten, and he turned his back on Aussie Rules Football to pursue golf. A promising tennis player, he would have considered playing tennis professionally if golf had not worked out.
Fact file
Residence: New Malden, England
Attachment Burhill GC
Date of Birth 14/11/1978
Place of Birth Melbourne, Australia
Turned Pro 1999 (plus 1)
Qualifying School 2002, 03*, (04), (05), (06)
