England’s Sam Broadhurst tees up at International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco this week with a notable addition to his support crew: his father Paul, a six-time European Tour winner and Ryder Cup player, watching from the sidelines as both proud father and a man with a few pearls of wisdom to impart.
Paul Broadhurst won six European Tour titles across a career spanning nearly two decades, represented Europe at the 1991 Ryder Cup at Kiawah Island, and went on to claim two senior majors after turning 50, including the Senior Open Championship at Carnoustie in 2016, a victory made memorable by having Sam on his bag that week
Now the roles are reversed, and the elder Broadhurst is happy to leave the playing to his son. “I try not to get involved too much,” said Paul. “He’s playing well. He had a good result last week, fourth place.”
While he insists he’s here on holiday, Paul brings a fair amount of experience with the Red Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam. “It’s a course I’ve been coming to for 30-odd years now and it’s always been one of my favourites.”
He’s quick to admit, though, that the game has changed since his day. “The distance these boys hit it, it’s a totally different golf course to the one I used to play. I love this golf course. It’s one of the best in the world.”
Sam arrives in Rabat carrying form from a strong showing at last week’s am green IGPL Bharath Classic in El Jadida, where he finished tied fourth. He has also spent the past two weeks acclimatising in Morocco, having competed on the Asian Development Tour earlier in the trip.
“The game’s feeling pretty good,” said Sam. “I’ve been out here two weeks now, so I should be used to the conditions. I felt like I’d struggled early season with my long game, but I worked hard the couple of weeks before and it paid off last week. I’m hoping to do the same this week.”
For Paul, the trip is a rare chance simply to be a dad. The 60-year-old has been sidelined through injury for much of the year, and the Morocco swing offered the chance to watch Sam compete without the logistical demands of long-haul travel.
“This is the first opportunity my wife and I have had to see Sam play relatively close to the UK without travelling 15 hours,” he said.
The rare combination of family support and course knowledge isn’t lost on Sam. “Dad doesn’t get much chance to watch me and it’s good to have him here. If he can help me in any way, then I’m always going to listen.”
