In 2006, Harry Kewell was at the pinnacle of his international football career after an extraordinary strike against Croatia led to Australia qualifying for its only knockout stage appearance of the FIFA World Cup finals. The same year, a young Australian golfer Jason Day, made his debut on the PGA Tour. Ten years on and the journey of Day has taken similar twists and turns to that of Australia’s greatest ever footballer. Now the Under-21 coach at English Premier League club Watford, Kewell, who plays golf off single figures, spoke to Steven Talevski about his passion for golf, and the pressure athletes go through to triumph at the elite level.

When did you first start playing golf?

I can’t remember exactly when I started playing golf. I used to caddie for my dad and I just loved the game from then. I always said if I wasn’t a footballer, I would have loved to have been a professional golfer. I remember my dad giving me a club and I couldn’t hit it. He changed the club to a left-handed one and I started hitting it well. So ever since then, I’ve loved golf.

I am not someone who just turns up and plays. I have lessons. I practise. I make sure I’m learning and I make sure I do everything right.

You’ve graced the fields of Anfield, the MCG and the Santiago Bernabeu. What are some of the golf courses you have played and how do they compare to those stadiums?

I’ve played at the Capital Golf Club, which is a stunning course, and I’ve been fortunate enough to play at The National Golf Club, which I think is sensational and probably one of my favourite courses in the world.

Recently I had the opportunity to play at Wentworth Club in England, which blew my mind. It was phenomenal and suited me down to a tee because the way I play golf is that I like to hit the ball hard and far. It killed me though. The first four holes I was one over, I was flying. Maybe it was just sloppiness that came into it, but I just cracked.

It’s a decade since Destiny ’06, where the Socceroos captivated the nation. Throughout the campaign, both qualification and finals, you had your ups and downs, but the Socceroos achieved what many thought could not be possible. Jason Day overcame vertigo and won his breakthrough major championship in 2015. Is it difficult for athletes to block out everything around them and to focus solely on the task at hand?

It’s hard. (But) we have a mindset of just wanting to win. It’s not how hard you hit the ground but how you can get up and keep going. With Jason Day, it was how he suffered from vertigo and was able to bounce back when people were saying, ‘Is he going to do it? What’s going to happen here?’ That pressure was immense. 

You have to think as well in football. We play with 10 other superstars and in golf it’s just you. Even though you’re playing against someone, you’re also playing within yourself. You’re trying to block it out and you can see golfers going through their routine, trying to go through their breathing, the understanding, making sure everything goes off.

You saw how much it meant to Jason when he won; he cried. He probably didn’t want to cry, it was just the emotion of what happened to his family, and everyone felt unbelievable at the relief. Now he’s gone from strength to strength.

Dealing with pressure is something every professional sportsman faces, and there’s no doubt that you came across that during your times at Liverpool, Galatasaray and Melbourne Victory in packed stadiums. What are some of the things you did to calm yourself down?

Play golf. Honestly, that’s when I relax. I go out there because nobody can bother me for four or five hours. I’m out there with my mates and I’m having a laugh. I can just go out there and enjoy myself. I haven’t got anything else to do or to think about, I just think about my shots.

For me when I played football, I never got scared, I never got worried and I never got intimidated. I always walked out and felt like I was walking in my home. On the pitch was my home; I just felt comfortable. So there was no pressure. But to get away from it all, I’d actually go onto the golf course and just enjoy golf because I love it so much. 

You were voted Australia’s greatest ever footballer. In your view, who is your equivalent in Australian golf?

I grew up watching Tiger Woods. I love him. I think he is fantastic and it is sad to see where he is at the moment. But all athletes go through pain. I went through the same thing.  It stops careers short. It goes to show just how much stress you can put on your body as a golfer. I also used to love Greg Norman. I still have a Great White Shark golf ball that I’ll never use and keep because I used to love that little shark on it.

Who are the notable golfers and celebrities you’ve shared a game of golf with?

I haven’t played too many Pro-Ams, so I haven’t really met a lot of celebrities on the golf course. I had the chance to play a Pro-Am with Colin Montgomerie, which was fantastic. I’ve played golf with a lot of footballers. Other than that I haven’t played with a lot of celebrities. I like playing with my mates because they’re keen golfers and we put pressure on each other.

Have you got any interesting golf trip stories to share with our readers?

As mates we want to get together to knock off all the greatest courses in the world, but we haven’t done that yet. I’ve just started with a mate and we went to Gleneagles after the Ryder Cup. We played there for three days. We’re slowly ticking them off, but with football you just don’t get that much opportunity. 

You’re now coaching football at Watford FC in England. How has the transition from playing to coaching gone? 

Good, I hope. I don’t know exactly, unless people are scared to tell me the truth, I don’t know. I find the transition interesting. It’s hard work. It’s a lot different to playing. There is a lot more you have to worry about, because as a footballer you’re only worrying about yourself; where as a manager you’re worrying about a team. But it’s very satisfying when you see your team play well, because they’re listening. As much as I loved playing, I am enjoying the adventure I am on at the moment in coaching.

Does the tactical side of football reflect in your golf game? Do you find yourself in situations where you are thinking of a shot or round ahead?

Yes, but I play golf great when I’m not scoring and just letting it flow, I’m natural. I don’t like stopping and starting; I hate playing when there are too many people on the course because it stops my flow. I don’t like to rush, but I like going up to my ball and hitting it and then doing the same. When I’ve got to stop to wait, I get bored. I am also a player who likes to ‘go for it’. I always go for shots whether they’re ridiculous or not.

Who would be in your dream four-ball?  

I’d have to say Tiger, Greg Norman and I’d like to bring a mate because I wouldn’t want to be the worst player. I’d like to put him under pressure and he would love it as well. So it would be either Lee Bowyer or Brian Jones, who I play a lot of golf with. I’d like to bring one of them because it would be a great day.