Hillary O’Connor has made her mark on the history books.
She’s the first woman to become a head professional at the Russley Golf Club, and the only one in the country.
O’Connor joined Lesley Murdoch for a chat about the appointment, delving into what she hopes to bring to the club in the next 12 months.
In association with the Elmwood Trading Company.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Sports, healthy serving of sports Canterbury's All Sport Breakfast with
Leslie Murdock and Mina ten Mega supporting local, friendly, que
owned and operated news talks, He'd.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Be news Talks, He'd bets twenty three away from nine
o'clock and a very warm welcome back onto the airwaves,
Hilary O'Connor, Russelly's new head professional, becoming the only female
head professional in New Zealand. Hillary, good morning, congratulations, thank.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
You Leslie, and good morning to you. Thanks for having
me back.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Oh, that is a great news. When did you find out?
Speaker 3 (00:32):
I found out about two or three weeks ago. Now,
we had one of the head pro at the time
being he was very busy and he just needed to
focus with some other things. So the club asked me
if i'd like to step into that position, which has
been something that I've kind of been working towards for
(00:54):
a while now since I've become qualified. I definitely didn't
think it was going to be as soon as it
is now, but one weekend I'm loving it already.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Well, that was what I was going to ask you.
Why you know, was this a planned pathway? It may
have come a little earlier than you thought, but is
this what you eventually wanted?
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeah, I mean I had no I had sort of
no real limits on where I wanted to go. But
this is definitely something that is great in terms of
pathway of golf. I've seen a lot of people jump
into these roles and I think that is a great
way to sort of work your way out in an
industry that I'm so passionate about.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
So just tell us a little bit again how you
became involved in golf that you've got this far so quickly,
But you know where did the love and the passion
for golf come from?
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Well, actually, my brother got me into golf when I
was five years old. He started getting golf lessons and
I kind of just got dragged along as well, to
be honest, So I'd like to thank my mum for
taking my brother to golf lessons because that means I
got to go and then I honestly is just something
that I was just really consistent with. I had a
great bunch of girls that I played golf with, Amelia
(02:09):
Garbi and the Loka Gabori especially play on the tour,
and they just sort of kept us going and I've
just sort of worked my way up and been playing
golf since that young age, and then I started at
wrestling when I was eighteen and just sort of kept
working my way up within the club.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
So yeah, did you, as a golfer yourself, want to
follow the Amelia the likes of her.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Yeah, it takes a very special type of person to
do that. It's very like I think people underestimate how hard.
I mean, yes, we get to they get to play
like something that is a sport for a living, and
they're very passionate about it, but it's really hard and
it takes, like, you know, a small percentage of people
to get to that level. And I was good, but
(02:59):
the simply not as good as what they are, and
the determination and like just the absolute patience they have
is like I wish I had as much as what
they did. But and I just really loved like helping people.
I was always helping people when I was younger, so
got golf coaching and that role kind of worked quite
(03:19):
well for me, and it's sort of something that I've
turned into quite a quite a good job and it's
lots of fun to me.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
So yeah, and the women and girls game itself, there
seems to have been quite a lot of games in
that area. Is that how you see it?
Speaker 4 (03:35):
Totally?
Speaker 3 (03:36):
I think I've been talking to a lot of coaches
recently and we're all under the same idea that in
the next two years we're going to see golf look
a lot different to what it has over the last
few years. There's going to be a lot more women
playing golf closer. Well, I think like most clubs in
New Zealand around like the twenty two ish percentage of
(03:56):
like women female club members, but we'll maybe slightly higher,
But I think we'll see that change as well, which
is super exciting to see.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Do you think that men and women get different things
from the game of golf?
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Yeah, totally, yeah, I think, and even more so now
I think it's even starting to move a gag. Is
we're seeing like a lot more social like from I mean,
I coach mainly in the women's side of golf, but
I see a lot of more women wanting social aspect
and less competitive sort of club competitions. I think guys
(04:32):
generally don't mind the club competitions. We get a lot
more like people keen to play club competitions. But yeah,
I think in general, the social aspect and like social
golf is the thing that's moving forward the most at
the moment.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Yeah, exactly, and you know we just know the numbers,
especially post COVID.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Yeah, totally, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
So what's happening at the Rusty Golf Shop over the
next twelve.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Months, Well, a sort of big plan is to obviously
get a lot more people into the game.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
We have six coaches here, so our.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Coaching inside of these is definitely going to continue to
be busy and maybe they're busier, and I think our
main goal is to sort of take away that idea
that roughly is exclusive or for only for certain people. Obviously,
we love to look after our members and we have
had a lot of members that have been around for
(05:31):
a long time here, but at the same time, we
want to introduce more people to the club because it's
so accessible in terms of getting around, getting getting here
and it's such a lovely place to be. So that's
what our main focus is going to be over the
next twelve months.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Well, it's amazing, isn't it when you are a path finder,
an inspiration, aspirational and as I can tell you, your
cousin Clear Sherwood, who's our news talk ZB newsreader was
so delight to tell me that you had won this position.
So it must you know, that kind of must run
in the family between Claire Sherward, between Hilary O'Connor.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
I know.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
So yeah, it's so nice to have a link there. Yeah,
it's very exciting stuff.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Well, great role models, that's for sure, no doubt about that.
And we wish you all the very best, Hilary O'Connor,
that you keep champion the game of golf and I
guess from our perspective, particularly for the women and girls.
How cool.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
Yeah, absolutely, Thank you so much, Leslie.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Yeah, no, loving having you back on air, and we'll
get to you in the future.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Keep in touch, Thanks so much, thank you.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
See you bye.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
For more from News Talks ed B listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on IR Radio.
Sports, healthy serving of sports Canterbury's All Sport Breakfast with
Leslie Murdock and Mina ten Mega supporting local, friendly, que
owned and operated news talks, He'd.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Be news Talks, He'd bets twenty three away from nine
o'clock and a very warm welcome back onto the airwaves,
Hilary O'Connor, Russelly's new head professional, becoming the only female
head professional in New Zealand. Hillary, good morning, congratulations, thank.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
You Leslie, and good morning to you. Thanks for having
me back.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Oh, that is a great news. When did you find out?
Speaker 3 (00:32):
I found out about two or three weeks ago. Now,
we had one of the head pro at the time
being he was very busy and he just needed to
focus with some other things. So the club asked me
if i'd like to step into that position, which has
been something that I've kind of been working towards for
(00:54):
a while now since I've become qualified. I definitely didn't
think it was going to be as soon as it
is now, but one weekend I'm loving it already.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Well, that was what I was going to ask you.
Why you know, was this a planned pathway? It may
have come a little earlier than you thought, but is
this what you eventually wanted?
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeah, I mean I had no I had sort of
no real limits on where I wanted to go. But
this is definitely something that is great in terms of
pathway of golf. I've seen a lot of people jump
into these roles and I think that is a great
way to sort of work your way out in an
industry that I'm so passionate about.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
So just tell us a little bit again how you
became involved in golf that you've got this far so quickly,
But you know where did the love and the passion
for golf come from?
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Well, actually, my brother got me into golf when I
was five years old. He started getting golf lessons and
I kind of just got dragged along as well, to
be honest, So I'd like to thank my mum for
taking my brother to golf lessons because that means I
got to go and then I honestly is just something
that I was just really consistent with. I had a
great bunch of girls that I played golf with, Amelia
(02:09):
Garbi and the Loka Gabori especially play on the tour,
and they just sort of kept us going and I've
just sort of worked my way up and been playing
golf since that young age, and then I started at
wrestling when I was eighteen and just sort of kept
working my way up within the club.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
So yeah, did you, as a golfer yourself, want to
follow the Amelia the likes of her.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Yeah, it takes a very special type of person to
do that. It's very like I think people underestimate how hard.
I mean, yes, we get to they get to play
like something that is a sport for a living, and
they're very passionate about it, but it's really hard and
it takes, like, you know, a small percentage of people
to get to that level. And I was good, but
(02:59):
the simply not as good as what they are, and
the determination and like just the absolute patience they have
is like I wish I had as much as what
they did. But and I just really loved like helping people.
I was always helping people when I was younger, so
got golf coaching and that role kind of worked quite
(03:19):
well for me, and it's sort of something that I've
turned into quite a quite a good job and it's
lots of fun to me.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
So yeah, and the women and girls game itself, there
seems to have been quite a lot of games in
that area. Is that how you see it?
Speaker 4 (03:35):
Totally?
Speaker 3 (03:36):
I think I've been talking to a lot of coaches
recently and we're all under the same idea that in
the next two years we're going to see golf look
a lot different to what it has over the last
few years. There's going to be a lot more women
playing golf closer. Well, I think like most clubs in
New Zealand around like the twenty two ish percentage of
(03:56):
like women female club members, but we'll maybe slightly higher,
But I think we'll see that change as well, which
is super exciting to see.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Do you think that men and women get different things
from the game of golf?
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Yeah, totally, yeah, I think, and even more so now
I think it's even starting to move a gag. Is
we're seeing like a lot more social like from I mean,
I coach mainly in the women's side of golf, but
I see a lot of more women wanting social aspect
and less competitive sort of club competitions. I think guys
(04:32):
generally don't mind the club competitions. We get a lot
more like people keen to play club competitions. But yeah,
I think in general, the social aspect and like social
golf is the thing that's moving forward the most at
the moment.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Yeah, exactly, and you know we just know the numbers,
especially post COVID.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Yeah, totally, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
So what's happening at the Rusty Golf Shop over the
next twelve.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Months, Well, a sort of big plan is to obviously
get a lot more people into the game.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
We have six coaches here, so our.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Coaching inside of these is definitely going to continue to
be busy and maybe they're busier, and I think our
main goal is to sort of take away that idea
that roughly is exclusive or for only for certain people. Obviously,
we love to look after our members and we have
had a lot of members that have been around for
(05:31):
a long time here, but at the same time, we
want to introduce more people to the club because it's
so accessible in terms of getting around, getting getting here
and it's such a lovely place to be. So that's
what our main focus is going to be over the
next twelve months.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Well, it's amazing, isn't it when you are a path finder,
an inspiration, aspirational and as I can tell you, your
cousin Clear Sherwood, who's our news talk ZB newsreader was
so delight to tell me that you had won this position.
So it must you know, that kind of must run
in the family between Claire Sherward, between Hilary O'Connor.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
I know.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
So yeah, it's so nice to have a link there. Yeah,
it's very exciting stuff.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Well, great role models, that's for sure, no doubt about that.
And we wish you all the very best, Hilary O'Connor,
that you keep champion the game of golf and I
guess from our perspective, particularly for the women and girls.
How cool.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
Yeah, absolutely, Thank you so much, Leslie.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Yeah, no, loving having you back on air, and we'll
get to you in the future.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Keep in touch, Thanks so much, thank you.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
See you bye.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
For more from News Talks ed B listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on IR Radio.
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