European Tour player Steven Tiley is helping to pay his bills and help out the NHS by working in a factory to produce thousands of bottles of hand sanitiser destined for frontline healthcare workers.
As reported on KentOnline, the 37-year-old from Herne Bay in Kent, who is currently playing on the Challenge Tour, is facing up to at least four months without the chance of earning a penny after professional golf was suspended in mid-March, but when his entrepreneurial father turned his Hersden-based Nutritional Supplement production line into one that could make hand sanitiser, there was an opportunity to put his time to good use.
His father’s company, Nutracrest, is currently producing 5,000 bottles a day of the much-needed product, with orders from health trusts, key worker employers and the care home sector across the country.
Tiley said: “There aren’t many skills I can use from playing golf, but when you play professional sport you are constantly searching for ways to do things better, so rather than thinking about how I can get better at golf, I’m now thinking ‘how can I make this machine work better?’
He added: “At first, I didn’t think I would be cut out for it, you have to be very technical minded and it was so out of my comfort zone, but I am used to it now and we’re currently producing 2,500 bottles in each seven-hour shift. We can only work two people at a time, so we do 500 bottles and then swap and help make up the solution, but there is always something to do. I do sometimes look outside when it’s nice weather and think about playing golf, but that’s on hold for now.”
Prior to the coronavirus shutdown, Tiley had been enjoying some of his best results of his 13-year career as a tour pro. The Royal Cinque Ports player won the British Par 3 Championship in 2018, which came with a €50,000 winner’s prize, and last summer he won the Challenge Tour’s Vaudreuil Golf Challenge, where he picked up €33,500 en route to finishing 33rd in the 2019 rankings. He had only played two events this year prior to the tour being suspended.
With golf clubs closed he admits that finding somewhere to practice isn’t easy. He said: “I built a net in my garden and was hitting balls, but the novelty soon wore off. The neighbours out in their garden could hear me and I don’t think they were particularly pleased!”
So for now, he is busy working in the factory and is encouraging any schools or care homes that are in need of hand sanitiser to get in touch with his father at [email protected]. Steve himself produces a weekly newsletter for those interested in following his golf progress. Email [email protected] to be added to the list.