With the kind of tireless energy that the Duracell bunny used to display in those adverts championing long-lasting batteries, Heather MacRae doesn’t seem to stop.
“My mum often gives me a row about charging around,” chortled the 37-year-old about her zealous lust for golfing life. It’s hardly surprising that MacRae continues to plough boundless enthusiasm into her profession.
Nearly two years ago, MacRae had surgery to combat the ravages of cervical cancer. Normal life came shuddering to a halt. Now she has a new lease of it.
This weekend, the former Scottish Girls’ champion returns to action on the Ladies European Tour for the first of back-to-back events in Italy and France. It’s amazing she has time to fit it in. “I’m always busy but that’s the way I like it,” she said of a hectic, rewarding diary of coaching and competitive outings. “Obviously, there was a time when I didn’t know when or if I would ever play again. I feel very fortunate. It was a horrendous time and the outcome could have been a hell of a lot worse than it was.
“I’m just a bit more philosophical about everything. I do things that I want to do and enjoy doing them. I had so much rest after my operation, I just want to make the most of what I do.”
MacRae dipped her toe back in the waters of the Ladies European Tour in Saudi Arabia at the tail end of last year. After all she had been through, it proved to be a reassuring week. “After that, I knew I had something to work towards and I’ve been going at it 100 mph ever since,” she added of an event in which her caddie and PGA colleague, Craig Lee, gave her plenty of encouragement.
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“I knew I wasn’t fully prepared that week because I had been coaching so much and I asked Craig bluntly if I was past it and just wasting my time coming back to the tour. But he said, ‘no, with hard work we’ll get there’.”
Hard work is something MacRae is certainly not shy of. The clouds of the coronavirus pandemic still hang heavily across all walks of life but MacRae did find a silver lining in its overwhelming bleakness.
“Physically and mentally, I wasn’t ready to be playing last year but when most of the schedule was cancelled or postponed everything seemed to be on pause,” said the former Women’s PGA Cup player. “That gave me the chance to be a golfer again, to get up to train, to practice and get myself back to where I needed to be. I’m back on a level-footing again and ready to go and I don’t feel like I have lost a lot of ground.”
In partnership with the aforementioned Lee, MacRae is covering a lot of ground too as the duo bounce about the golfing nooks and crannies of Scotland with a ‘Pros on the Road’ venture which takes coaching, custom fitting and other essential PGA services to smaller, rural clubs around the country.
She may be focussing on competing this season, but getting people of all ages into the game she loves remains an enduring passion.
“I don’t want to say no to someone who wants a lesson,” added MacRae, who was a two-time winner on the Ladies European Tour’s Access Series.
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“It’s very rewarding when someone who has never played golf is suddenly really into it and loving it and the coaching is certainly something that I don’t want to shut the door on even if I am playing a bit more.
“The best thing about working with Craig is that I can fit it in with my playing schedule and don’t need to ask anyone for time off.
“I’ve been doing a lot of work at Muckhart, and the club has had maybe 200 new members in the last few months with lots of female members. A lot of people have got into it to meet people, especially after the year we have had. There’s always been more to golf than simply just playing it.”
Golf continues to sustain and fulfill MacRae. “I had my last check-up with my consultant before Christmas and everything was fine,” she reported. “I’ve had my vaccine too. I feel just like a healthy 37-year-old. And I love golf more than ever.”
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