Sarah Stirk Sky Sports Golf presenter reflects on the journeys that shaped her, from discovering golf as an injured teen to playing Augusta National, travelling the world, and finding her favourite courses, cities, and unforgettable travel moments.

When did you first pick up a golf club

I was 17, a tennis player and I had a bad injury. I was studying at Millfield School in the sixth form and my housemaster, Mr Wilson, took me to the driving range one evening, we hit a few balls…I wasn’t addicted straight away, but it got me into the sport, and I started to play more and more.

Little did I know that evening would lead to presenting the biggest tournaments in the game. I currently play off a seven handicap.

What’s your favourite golf resort

There’s so many, I love Harbour Town on Hilton Head Island, playing the 18th with the famous lighthouse, is memorable, it’s also a very playable golf course off the forward tees.

Quinta do Logo is my favourite place to golf, I’ve got a place there, I’ve spent a lot of time there over the past 20 years, I love Portugal the lifestyle, the beaches, and the people.

Old Head in Ireland also needs to get a mention, you can see the sea from every hole and is an experience like no other.

Who would be your ideal holiday golf partners

Rory Mcllroy, I’ve known him for years and would be great to play with him, Taylor Swift, because she’s amazing, funny, and brilliant for what she does for women and very empowering, and finally Michael McIntyre because he would be hilarious to play with, I think the four of us together would have a good crack.

Where did you go for your most recent holiday

The Algarve, I tend to go on short haul holidays, now having a family commitment, my plan is to retire over there.

Best memory in golf

Playing Augusta National, the day after the 2023 Masters, they have the media ballot, with Sky Sports being the rights holder, we get one golden ticket a year to play the course on the Monday, my boss handed me the invitation in an envelope on the Sunday as we went into work.

It was great to play with all the scoreboards up, getting up and down from 100 yards on the 18th for a Par was the highlight of my round, it was an amazing experience and I shot and 96 which I was very happy with using borrowed clubs.

Apart from playing Augusta, other great memories include shooting a 74 at Ruddington Grange Golf Club in Nottingham.

What’s your favourite golf course in the UK

That would be the Queens Course at Gleneagles, my uncle had an apartment next to resort and while I was at university, I did a summer season there… and as a staff member we got to play the courses through twilight rounds, so the Queens Course is where I learnt to play the game and it’s one of the prettiest courses in the UK.

I have a give Sunningdale Old a mention too.

What’s the best hotel you’ve ever stayed in

The Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, I had a private butler service, sound proofed rooms, so you couldn’t hear any noise from the outside, everything about the hotel was exceptional.

It was through a work-based event working on the Gary Player invitational.

What’s your favourite city in the world

That has to be New York, I love the vibe and energy, I think it feels more intimate than London, I stayed with family and friends in Long Island and took myself off into New York for the day, that was my  first proper time travelling on my own.

I love The High Line, which is an elevated freight rail line which was transformed into a public park. I’ve been pre and post 9/11 and seen both the Twin Towers and Ground Zero. The whole city has so many cool areas.

Hosting a Nike event with Rory and Tiger was also memorable, it was at night at Liberty National GC and seeing Manhattan lit up in the distance will long live in the memory.

Most memorable meal

Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck in Bray, it was a bit out there for me but very memorable, the whole meal was pure theatre, taking the lids of the glass bowls and seeing the smoke raising and wearing headphones as you eat, you hear chatter and laughter, waves crashing and seagulls squawking while you‘re eating a seafood course.

My favourite course was the chocolate fondant, that was pure heaven. I would go back there for this dessert alone.

My top travel tip

Is travelling light, I’ve also been so bad at packing, I used to use only a third of the clothes I took on trips, I now only use the cabin suitcase, but it’s taken me years to realise this.

Remember you can also pick up shampoo and toiletries when you get to your destination.

Sarah and Anton Du Beke’s golf podcast, Putt and Strut, is about to launch its second season in 2026 and will be available to download on all major podcast platforms.

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Yas Links Abu Dhabi has been voted Abu Dhabi’s Best Golf Course 2025, while Park Hyatt Dubai, home to Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, has been named Dubai’s Best Golf Hotel 2025.

Dubai Creek continues to embody Dubai’s legacy of golfing excellence, with its sail-shaped clubhouse and championship course remaining a true icon of the city’s sporting and hospitality landscape.

Home of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Yas Links reinforces its position among the world’s elite, showcasing the beauty and challenge of championship links golf and underlining the region’s growing stature as a premier global golf destination.

The awards – now in their 12th year – are voted for by golf professionals, media representatives and consumers worldwide, recognising outstanding quality, service and commitment to excellence in golf tourism.

“We’re incredibly proud of this recognition, which reflects the dedication of our teams across every Viya venue to deliver exceptional experiences for our members and guests,” said Christopher May, CEO of Viya. “Yas Links Abu Dhabi and Park Hyatt Dubai continue to set benchmarks for golf and hospitality in the region.”

The results were announced as part of the World Golf Awards Winners Day 2025, held virtually on 13 November, with winners joining an exclusive community of the most revered organisations in global golf tourism.

Viya continues to build on its mission to showcase the UAE as a leading international golf destination through its collection of championship courses and iconic hospitality experiences across Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

For more information please visit: https://www.viyagolf.com

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Rose’s team had won the first two sessions 3.5-1.5 and Saturday afternoon’s foursomes 4-1 to lead 11-4 going into Sunday’s singles, with just a further two required for victory.

Matthieu Pavon, whose perfect record partnering fellow Frenchman Romain Langasque had accounted for three of Continental Europe’s four points, was five under through eight holes but found himself two down as Tommy Fleetwood set the tone for Great Britain and Ireland.

HOW IT UNFOLDED

Laurie Canter put the first point on the board with a 5 and 4 win over an out-of-sorts Langasque and when Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton each moved two up with two to play, victory was assured.

Fleetwood had the honour of formally finishing the job when Pavon was unable to escape from a bunker at the 17th, securing a 3 and 1 win which was soon matched by Hatton.

Rose beat Julien Guerrier 3 and 2, while Paul Waring continued his impressive week by hammering Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen 4 and 3.

Niklas Norgaard beat Matthew Jordan and Continental Europe took three points from the final four games to finish, with wins for Antoine Rozner and Matteo Manassero, while Continental captain Francesco Molinari and Rasmus Hojgaard each halved their matches.

FUTURE RYDER CUP CAPTAIN

Rose, widely touted as a future Ryder Cup captain, said: “I’ve loved the challenge, loved the experience of it and the lads have made me look incredibly good at it.

“The way they’ve played was first-class. We tried to go out and be relentless, play wave after wave, had a big lead coming into today and I think everyone thought we could get the job done.

“Match play is a momentum game for holing the key putt at the right time. The margins are always smaller than maybe the scoreboard looks but I think it was an incredible way for us all as individuals to start the season.”

Ryder Cup star Fleetwood, who won all four of his points across the week to embellish his formidable record in team events, said: “It obviously feels great, what an unbelievable group of lads we had this week and an unbelievable captain, so just a pleasure to be a part of it.

“Everybody just played so well. I always find it very motivating and inspiring being around the lads in a team environment, you want to get the best out of yourself. Happy that we got it done this time and sure we’ll enjoy it later.”

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Footage posted on social media showed players from Great Britain and Ireland and Continental Europe forced to listen to chants of “U-S-A, U-S-A” over the PA system ahead of practice rounds at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort.

The Team Cup, which effectively filled the gap left by the Seve Trophy, was revived in 2023 to boost Europe’s chances of regaining the Ryder Cup, a move which paid off with a resounding victory under Donald’s captaincy in Rome.

Donald will captain the side again in New York in September – where a hostile atmosphere is expected – and is also overseeing the Team Cup, where Francesco Molinari will bid for a second win as captain of Continental Europe against a GB&I side led by Justin Rose.

“If you look at this event two years ago, half the team we had in Rome played here two years ago,” Donald said. “I think it has massive importance.

“You’ve got two great teams, you have rookies that are hungry to try and make a mark, and you have two guys that have a lot of experience.

“It’s great for me to oversee it and see how these players perform under match play team competition and under that kind of pressure.

“I think match play and team match play brings with it a different pressure. You see how people cope under that and you see how they react. Certain people did better than others, and Nicolai [Hojgaard] was an example.

“He came in in a tough situation, replaced his brother [Rasmus, who was injured] and probably performed the best out of everyone that week. Eight months later when I was making my picks, that was something that I took into consideration.

“So these are all things that we’ll see, we’ll look at, and again, it’s an important week for the build up to New York.”

Molinari’s brother Edoardo is Europe’s Ryder Cup statistics guru and is also performing the same role in Abu Dhabi.

“He’s here helping both teams and trying to be as neutral as possible I think,” Francesco said.

“We’ve been looking at that, actually, for a few weeks now, looking at different combination of players and strengths and weaknesses; definitely something that comes in handy when we need to write down the pairings.

“I think compared to two years ago it’s a little bit different because we only have three nationalities in our team [five Danes, three French and two Italian].

“So on one hand it should be easier probably to get some of the guys to gel, but at the same time you don’t want to have three groups of people not gelling with each other. It’s interesting.

“The team dynamics always fascinated me. I’m a huge football fan, so always dreamt of being a football player and a football manager. So this is probably as close as it gets to being a football manager.”

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