Jack McLeod’s deafness is no handicap for top Beaches’ golfer joining pro tour
Northern beaches’ golfer Jack McLeod was born profoundly deaf and is now living his childhood dream to become a pro on the Australasian tour.
Manly
Don't miss out on the headlines from Manly. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A popular northern beaches’ golfer, who was born profoundly deaf, has just realised his childhood dream to become a full-time professional player.
Jack McLeod, 28, will join the Australasian PGA Tour when it kicks off at the WA Open later this year with $175,000 in prize money up for grabs.
McLeod, who grew up at Newport and uses cochlear implants to hear, reckons he might be the only professional tour player in the world who is deaf.
He is currently practising for the tour in between shifts as a PGA professional at Mona Vale Golf Club where he runs the junior golf program as well as conducting skills classes and working in the pro-shop.
The former Northern Beaches Christian School student already has a prize winning resume including being the youngest, at 16, to win the World Deaf Golf Championships individual men’s event in Japan in 2012.
McLeod, who started playing at Bayview golf course when he was nine-years-old, is also a regular member of the Australian Mens Team at the deaf golf events. He was a member of that team when it won the world championships in Ireland in 2018 and he is a three-time winner of the Australian Men’s Deaf Golf Championships.
“We’re still researching and trying to find out if there are any other deaf golfers on professional tours around the world,” he said.
“It’s obviously already been a dream of mine to play on the tour.
“Now that I’ve done that, I’ll be setting new goals I'll be trying to reach an try and go overseas a bit more to play.”
To help pay for his living and travel expenses when he joins the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, McLeod’s parents, Robert and Carol, have started a campaign to raise $50,000.
He said it would cost him between $1500 to $2000 per event on the tour, while still having to pay his normal living costs like the rent on his home.
If you want to help Jack McLeod live his dream click here.
Beaches council backs call to allow ‘fat bikes’ on footpaths
A proposal by a NSW parliamentary inquiry to allow e-bikes to be ridden on footpaths at up to 15km/h has been backed by Northern Beaches Council.
Push for entertainment precinct to boost night-life in seaside suburb
Music venues, eateries and bars in a northern beaches tourist hub could stay open longer if a new push to create a “special entertainment precinct’’ is successful. See what it means here.