How Golf Helped Eve Muirhead Win A Winter Olympic Curling Gold Medal
Team GB's Curling Skipper secured gold at Beijing 2022, but did you know that golf has actually helped her curling career
At the Winter Olympics in Beijing, the women's curling team of Eve Muirhead, Vicky Wright, Jennifer Dodds, Hailey Duff and Mili Smith secured Team GB's first gold medal with a crushing 10-3 victory over Japan.
Speaking after the win, Muirhead stated: "It's a dream come true," with the Skip, who won bronze in 2014, finally securing a gold medal at her fourth Olympics after returning from hip surgery.
But, did you know that the gold medal winner is actually a very keen golfer, previously making the final 16 in the British girls' championship. Not only is the 31-year-old a very good player, but she has also stated that golf has helped her curling!
"If you are playing around the green and you are trying to work out the speed of the greens and all of the contours, it's all the same when it comes to curling," says Muirhead.
It isn't just Eve who plays golf though, with her brothers, Glen and Thomas, who also represent Team GB in curling, playing the game as well. However, the pair are nowhere near the standard of Eve, with her stating: "The boys, they just pretend they've got a bit of skill in golf, but all they do is stand up and try and hit it as hard as they can."
🇬🇧 Eve Muirhead🇬🇧 Vicky Wright🇬🇧 Jen Dodds 🇬🇧 Hailey Duff@Team_Muirhead: 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐥𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 ❤️#Beijing2022 | @TeamGB pic.twitter.com/YaR8o2UyrVFebruary 20, 2022
A member of the Perth and Kinross regional team, Muirhead is a previous winner of the Highland Open and even turned down a number of golfing scholarships in the United States.
"I knew I had the potential in curling to be at the top of the game," explains the Scot. "I knew a handful of golfers who made it to the top, to professional level, and that would have meant I'd have to move away and not curl at all. I can be the best in the world, I know that if I put in the work I'm hopefully going to get the rewards at the end of it. That's why you strive to keep going."
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Despite the success on ice, Muirhead regards herself as a "fair weather golfer", admitting to "never getting the clubs out in winter." The 31-year-old Scot has also appeared at a number of pro-ams, such as the BMW PGA Championship and the Scottish Open, with her best round being a 68.
Matt joined Golf Monthly in February 2021 covering weekend news, before also transitioning to equipment and testing. After freelancing for Golf Monthly and The PGA for 18 months, he was offered a full-time position at the company in October 2022 and continues to cover weekend news and social media, as well as help look after Golf Monthly’s many buyers’ guides and equipment reviews.
Taking up the game when he was just seven years of age, Matt made it into his county squad just a year later and continues to play the game at a high standard, with a handicap of around 2-4. To date, his best round came in 2016, where he shot a six-under-par 66 having been seven-under through nine holes. He currently plays at Witney Lakes in Oxfordshire and his favourite player is Rory McIlroy, despite nearly being struck by his second shot at the 17th during the 2015 BMW PGA Championship.
Matt’s current What’s In The Bag?
Driver: Honma TW747, 8.75°
Fairway Wood: TaylorMade Rocketballz Stage 2, 15°, 19°
Hybrid: Adams Super Hybrid, 22°
Irons: Mizuno MP54, 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 Tour Satin, 50°, 56°, 60°
Putter: Cleveland TFI 2135 Satin Cero
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
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