Former DP World Tour player Stuart Manley is moving into a high performance role dedicated to finding and developing stars of the future at Wales Golf.
Having played around 300 events on the DP World Tour, with another 300 on the HotelPlanner Tour, and as a former Walker Cup player, Manley brings significant experience to the task of nurturing future Welsh golfing talent.
He replaces former judo world number one Natalie Powell, who is moving to become Head of Performance and Pathway at Wales Judo. Matt Jones, former assistant manager at Pontnewydd Golf Club, is replacing Manley as Competitions Co-ordinator at Wales Golf.
Manley will work with Wales Golf Director of Pathway and High Performance, Gareth Jenkins, having spent the last year in a competitions role at the governing body.
“I am looking forward to it, of course the role is suited to my past experience in terms of mentoring and developing elite players,” said Manley.
“Wales Golf has not had a former Tour player like myself working in a role like this and hopefully I can help get some Welsh players back on the DP World Tour.
“I have been in the shoes of those players going through the system, I am looking forward to a mentoring role, passing on the experiences I have had and things I have picked up along the way after coming back from playing on Tour.
“I know I learned a lot from people like Phil Price, Jamie Donaldson and Bradley Dredge when I was starting out as a professional, so if I can pass on what I have learned then that can only benefit Wales Golf.
Matt Jones and Stuart Manley
“It is also good that I have been working here on the competitions side so I have seen how important events such as the PING Welsh Junior Tour can be in finding and developing young Welsh golfers.
“We need to prioritise making the base of the pyramid bigger to feed more players into the high performance side. I have seen the grass roots first hand, from players at the ages of six, seven and eight upwards. The more players we have coming through, then that will have a knock on effect on the high performance side and help get male players back on the DP World Tour.
“It cannot go unnoticed that the women’s game is strong at the moment, with several Welsh players on the Ladies European Tour. It is really good to see.
“I am looking forward to working with Gareth and the Welsh national coaches, I know how much expertise is there – the quality and quantity of assistance has developed a lot since I was an 18-year-old.”
Powell said she was grateful for her time at Wales Golf developing her skills as a high performance manager.
“Going to Welsh Judo is my dream job, but I am sad to be leaving Wales Golf as well,” she said. “It has been a brilliant work environment with so much encouragement to help me progress.
“I did not know much about golf when I started, but I have learned a lot in the time I have been here and also the skills will hold me in good stead in the new role. It has given me a good appreciation of how transferable some of the high performance skills can be. On the face of it, judo and golf could hardly be more different, but there are a lot of similarities in the approach and the team aspect.”
Jones, 23, moves into the Competitions Co-ordinator role from a background in golf club management at his home club of Pontnewydd.
“I played golf as a junior, and I was helping out in the bar when getting my degree, then the club encouraged me to think about golf management and introduced me into the GCMA (Golf Club Managers Association),” he said.
“As Assistant Manager at the club, and as a Community Golf Instructor, I have worked closely with Wales Golf for a couple of years, so I am looking forward to this new role.
“My time at Pontnewydd introduced me into all aspects of the golf industry, from hospitality to golf operations to greenkeeping so I am used to covering all areas. Taking the step into events for a national governing body is another important part of the golf industry, and I can’t wait to get stuck in.
“Knowing the work that goes on behind the scenes makes it more satisfying when you see people enjoying themselves at the events.”