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This Golfing Life

21. Robert Lee: Discos, Seve & Sky Sports

Yesterday · 1 hr 5 min · Episode 1
0:00-1:05:48

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Former European Tour winner and Sky Sports Golf commentator Robert Lee joins Dan Davies for a warm, funny and deeply reflective conversation about a lifetime in the game.

Robert traces his journey from a 10-year-old discovering golf on a pitch-and-putt course in Bournemouth, through his formative years at Richmond Park and Royal Mid-Surrey, to competing against legends including Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam during one of the strongest eras in European golf. Along the way, he explains why he trained as a watchmaker before turning professional, how he learned to survive the brutal Monday qualifiers of the early 1980s, and why winning on Tour required a complete change in mindset.

Robert also shares colourful stories from Tour life, including the truth behind his famous love of "discos", why he couldn't bear sitting alone in hotel rooms, his mischievous friendship with Mark Roe, and how he ended up winning the Cannes Open after a night out that finished at 2am. He reflects on his memorable Open Championship debut at Royal St George's in 1985, falling foul of the R&A in 1987, the pressures of keeping a Tour card, and why the real stress in professional golf isn't winning tournaments – it's simply surviving.

The conversation concludes with Robert's second career behind the microphone, his philosophy on broadcasting, the joy of family life, and why, after more than 40 years in the game, golf still remains his greatest passion after his wife and daughters.


Key Topics

  • Discovering golf through pitch-and-putt

  • Richmond Park and Royal Mid-Surrey's remarkable golfing culture

  • Choosing golf over a career as a watchmaker

  • Learning from Seve, Faldo, Langer, Woosnam and the great European Tour generation

  • Winning twice on the European Tour

  • The famous "discos" story and life on Tour in the 1980s

  • The 1985 Open Championship at Royal St George's

  • The pressure of Monday qualifiers and keeping a Tour card

  • Golf, confidence and the psychology of performance

  • Fatherhood, family and life after competitive golf

  • Becoming one of Sky Sports Golf's leading commentators

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to this week’s guest, Robert Lee

01:17 Robert Lee’s early golf memories

05:05 Rob’s journey through junior golf

13:27 Going low and knowing he was good enough to turn pro

16:05 Finding his feet on the European Tour

18:15 The class of '83: Rob's circle of close friends on tour

19:23 The lure of nightlife and Rob's dislike of hotel rooms

23:16 Why the DP World Tour gives players a better grounding

25:34 Get 20% off your next Sounder Golf order

26:26 1985: Rob's breakthrough year

30:28 His first win on tour and a big night out in Cannes

33:31 The shots that remain in Rob's heart and mind

35:26 Shooting a 61 en route to win number two

36:53 Drawing the ire of the R&A and Honorable Company at the ‘87 Open

42:42 The players Rob loved to watch

45:29 The lean years, resilience and learning about himself

52:04 Rob's second career as a TV golf commentator

56:37 The importance of offering a player's perspective

59:13 The most interesting characters he's met on tour


Links

Robert Lee on Instagram

Robert Lee on Twitter

Get 20% off your next Sounder Golf purchase with code POD20

Dan Davies on Substack - The Sacred Acre

RNGC - Dan Davies' backyard golf course

Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club


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