About our Pro

Steve McKenna

Steve's home club has been City of Newcastle since 1998

Turned pro: 19

H/cap: +1

Career Highlights:

Steve played in the PGA Cup in 1996 at Gleneagles, winning two of three matches, including his singles match

Qualified for the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth by winning the Lord Derby Trophy as an assistant

NE/NW PGA Strokeplay champion

Three-time NE/NW PGA Matchplay champion

Lytham Trophy champion (amateur)

“I’ve reduced my playing schedule in the last couple of years because of family commitments. I still play the NE/NW PGA tournaments and hit balls at least a couple of times a week, but most of my time is split between running the shop and teaching. I’ve got a couple of good players I’m working with at the moment; Alex Dixon has had a really good season this year and I’m really enjoying working with him and seeing him improve. Jordan Cook is another strong young player who has a lot of potential. I’ve also got the younger juniors on a Saturday morning, which keeps me busy.”

Getting into the game: “I grew up in a golf-mad family. My three brothers (including older brother John, head professional at Tynemouth Golf Club) were all golfers as kids and my dad was keen for all of us to pick up the game. The good thing about having three brothers that played was I always got a game. All of us were keen and the junior section at Billingham was incredibly strong, which meant we competed and improved quickly as youngsters. I’m a little bit younger than John and I was always keen to beat him, that brotherly rivalry really pushed me on.”

Aims/future: “As I get older, my future is in coaching. I certainly want to continue playing; I still enjoy getting out onto the course and hitting a few balls, working on my swing and socialising through the game. I would really like to see a few of the players I work with make big steps in their golf as well. Seeing them improve and win really drives me to improve as a coach and help them even more.”

Interesting fact: Steve is chairman of the NE/NW PGA. He also served as an assistant to his brother John at Tynemouth Golf Club.