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ME AND MY TRAVELS: SARAH STIRK

Matt Nicholson — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 15:00:21 +0000

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.

Old Head of Kinsale Golf Links Pic: Getty Images

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.

Michael McIntyre (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

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.

Augusta National

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.

Gleneagles

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.

The High Line in New York

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.

Heston Blumenthal (Pic: Getty Images)

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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Matt Fitzpatrick needs ‘Momentum’ as he defends RBC Heritage title

Matt Nicholson — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 12:05:23 +0000

Words: Phil Casey

Matt Fitzpatrick believes his game is heading in the right direction as he bids to defend his RBC Heritage title.

Fitzpatrick defeated Jordan Spieth in a play-off at Hilton Head last year to win his first regular PGA Tour event, the 2022 US Open champion making a birdie at the third extra hole after the pair had finished tied on 17 under par.

Spieth missed two excellent chances to successfully defend a title for the first time in his career before Fitzpatrick sealed victory in stunning fashion as the pair returned to the 18th for the third time, his approach from 186 yards pulling up just inches from the hole.

And while Spieth headed to Hilton Head after missing the cut in the Masters, Fitzpatrick finished just outside the top 20 at Augusta National to continue an encouraging run of form.

“I feel like I’ve played much better since The Players (Championship, where he finished fifth),” Fitzpatrick said.

“From the Players onwards I’ve had some half-decent results, sort of a better trend for myself I feel like in the right direction.

“My game’s there or thereabouts, just think I need a bit of momentum at certain times in the tournament that might spur me on to something a bit greater.

“There’s no pressure for me this week. I’m just going to go out there, enjoy it, there’s no cut to even worry about.

“It’s about trying to be probably aggressive for four days and try and make as many birdies in and as few bogeys as possible.”

BIG PRIZE FUND

The elevation of the RBC Heritage to one of the PGA Tour’s signature events means that the winner on Sunday will earn USD 3.6million (£2.89m) from the overall prize fund of USD 20m (£16m), the same figures which applied at the Masters.

That has helped ensure a stronger field than normal has made the short journey from Augusta to Hilton Head, with champion Scottie Scheffler joined by nearest challengers Ludvig Aberg, Tommy Fleetwood, Max Homa and Collin Morikawa.

“He’s just been annoying everyone for the last three months, hasn’t he?” Fitzpatrick said with a smile when asked about Scheffler’s run of three wins and a runners-up finish in his last four events.

“Yeah, he’s unbelievable. I can’t say enough about him, really of how highly I regard him, how highly I rate him as a golfer and a person.

“I don’t know Scottie super well off the golf course but he certainly comes across really grounded. I think that’s made it easier for everyone to root for him.

“I watched the last four, five holes of his finish last week and the shots he hit were unbelievable. The way he was playing kind of just didn’t faze him and it was as if he was playing with his pals at home.”

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Spieth bounces back from Masters disappointment to win RBC Heritage

Nick Bayly — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 09:08:32 +0000

Jordan Spieth admitted the frustration of missing the cut at The Masters helped inspire him to victory at the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage held at Harbour Town Golf Club in South Carolina.

The 2015 Masters champion missed the cut at the season’s opening major last week, the first time he had done so in eight visits to Augusta, and the reverse proved the catalyst the 28-year-old Texan needed to reset his game.

Speaking after securing his 13th PGA Tour title, Spieth said: “I’ve never missed a cut at the Masters before and very rarely had not had a chance to win on the weekend, so I hated it. It was the worst feeling as a golfer that I can remember. I was hitting it really, really well and honestly just didn’t feel like I deserved to miss that cut. It was a genuine shock, and kind of made me hit the reset button.”

He added: “I needed a lot of things to go right this week, and fortunately it did. I needed to birdie the 18th, then needed some help from the other players, and ended up in a one-on-one play-off where my lie in the bunker, although not great, was certainly better than Patrick’s. So it’s a bit of a surprise, but I definitely felt like I was putting myself in the position hole-to-hole this week to win a golf tournament.”

In a congested final round leaderboard, there was a seven-way tie for third place, with Cam Davis, Shane Lowry, Matt Kucar, JT Poston, Sepp Straka, Harold Varner and Cameron Young all finishing a shot back on 12 under.

Lowry was leading the field after 13 holes during the final round, but a double bogey at par-three 14th, where he found the water after second shot chip raced across the green, saw his attempt to win his first tournament since the 2019 Open come up short.

Jordan Spieth’s winning gear
Driver: Titleist TSi3 (10°)
Fairway wood: Titleist TS2 (15°)
Driving iron: Titleist T200 (20°)
Irons: Titleist T100 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (46°, 52°, 56°), Titleist Vokey Prototype (60°)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Circle T 009
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

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