New Hampshire golf champion Rich Harris: My proudest Pompey moment was playing against Theo Walcott

New Hampshire champion Rich Harris’ golfing journey began at Portsmouth’s municipal course.
Flashback - New Hampshire golf champion Rich Harris is pictured on the right of the front row of this Pompey Academy team picture in 2007. Also in the line-up are Matt Ritchie (front row, second left) and Joel Ward (back row, second right).Flashback - New Hampshire golf champion Rich Harris is pictured on the right of the front row of this Pompey Academy team picture in 2007. Also in the line-up are Matt Ritchie (front row, second left) and Joel Ward (back row, second right).
Flashback - New Hampshire golf champion Rich Harris is pictured on the right of the front row of this Pompey Academy team picture in 2007. Also in the line-up are Matt Ritchie (front row, second left) and Joel Ward (back row, second right).

But it wasn’t too long he was told he had to choose between football and golf when he was 15.

Having progressed through the academy under Paul Hart, Harris was actually released as a schoolboy by Pompey.

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He was quickly offered a route back into the game at Southampton.

But his spell with Pompey’s arch rivals did not last long, and after a change of heart by Hart he was offered an apprenticeship at Fratton Park.

Harris said: ‘I know players like Matt (Ritchie) and Joel (Ward) really well after coming through the academy at Portsmouth.

“I have known them probably since I was five or six. The injury was tough to take – both my hips were shot in the end.’

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Harris had an operation to replace one but was waiting for the other to be carried out when Pompey went into administration and he was released.

He added: ‘My proudest moment was playing for Pompey Reserves against Arsenal, who had Theo Walcott playing for them – and a few other quality Premiership players!

‘The mindset for playing football and golf is completely different. There isn’t any real comparison between a team game and sport where you are playing as an individual.’

In 2016, when Harris was a shock semi-finalist the last time Hayling hosted the Hampshire Amateur Championship, he admitted golf was helping to get over the disappointment of an injury-curtailed football career.

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And the biggest twist of fate, as far as his golfing life is concerned, ironically came via Pompey.

David Hurst, the talent scout who brought many of Pompey’s best home-grown players of the last 30 years to Fratton Park as schoolboys, recommended he change sports.

‘Dave suggested I take up golf,’ Harris recalled. ‘My specialist said after my ops that swinging a golf club wasn’t going to be a problem for me.

‘I am too old to think about turning pro, and I work full-time, so I am just playing socially at weekends. I just want to be the best player I can be and to enjoy the game.’