When James Morrison was at the crossroads, he knew he had to take the path of golf. He played cricket well into his teens, but once he took to clubs, there was no looking back.
Even a century in his last match did not stop him from giving up cricket. Such was his passion for golf. “I played cricket as a youngster and it was my passion then,” he said. “Alastair Cook was my teammate at England Lions. Tim Bresnan was in our team. I still follow cricket but I think I made the right decision.”
Morrison did not take to golf until he was 16. But after reducing his handicap from 18 to scratch in 10 months, he knew it had to be golf. “I was still playing cricket for Surrey but I knew I wanted to play golf. When I was 18, I stopped playing cricket,” he said.
Loving golf is fine but why golf over cricket, particularly when he had played for so many years? “More financial reward in golf than cricket,” Morrison said in jest. “But seriously, I lost enthusiasm for cricket and was loving golf more. My father told me that I should do what I am passionate about.”
But now, he is enjoying golf. “I am playing it in the sun in Bangalore, while people back home are huddled in front of computers. Bangalore, Singapore, Hong Kong... I love playing around the world,” he explained.
Then came the bouncer. What if he were offered an Indian Premier League contract? Would he want to join Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake (hopefully, that is)? “If the price is good,” he exclaimed, walking off to get on with the day’s round of golf. And yes, he’s sharing the lead now.
