What’s it like to be around the likes of Gareth Bale, Ollie Pope, Michael McIntyre and some of the best golfers in the world? Sky Sports golf producer Josh Mugridge was lucky enough to do just that when he took part in the BMW PGA Championship Pro-Am at Wentworth…

I arrived at the golf course, pulled into the parking lot and immediately Ben Foster and Troy Deeney were standing there, making fun of each other.

I got a ride to the clubhouse in a carriage, went in for breakfast and ended up sitting at a table with Jamie George, Ben Earl and Ollie Pope. It was all a bit bizarre to be honest.

Dan Walker was there too, Michael McIntyre was making people laugh. I was close to making people laugh too – but in a slightly different way, with some of my golf shots!

I think I was more excited than nervous when I woke up – if a little tired. I’d only slept five hours, having come home early from a lads’ holiday in Turkey where sleep was, shall we say, optional.

I had secured my place in the Pro-Am as part of the Golf Foundation’s Unleash Your Drive competition, which raises funds to bring golf to every school in the country.

Play resumes in May, with the 30 best results playing in the final at Wentworth, from which only the best three qualify for the Pro-Am. My second place secured my place alongside Jamie Jameson and Jess Pilgrim.

The three of us took the bus to the par 3 hole 10, our starting hole, where we met our pro Harry Hall.

Harry and his caddy are the best people we could have spent the day with. They were so great and so relaxed.

I decided that Jamie should tee off first because I didn’t feel like hitting first.

I hit a 6-iron about 15 feet, but on the 11th tee, the ball flew way to the right and I had to call out “Fore” for the first time. That’s when you really notice how many people are there.

That was what made me most nervous: hitting someone in the crowd. I can be a bit unpredictable with my driver sometimes, so I was scared of hitting someone off the tee!

After hitting another shot on the 13th hole, from that point on I blamed the wind.

I stopped at the 14th hole and had a steak sandwich that was available on that tee. The only other thing I remember about that hole is that we had an absolutely fast putt that gave you a lot of respect for the tour players and their incredible ability to judge speed.

My speed judgment wasn’t exactly great all day.

On the 17th green, I hit an equally bad putt after hitting an ice-cold top shot from 350 metres on my second shot – which was very entertaining for the crowd.

Harry’s caddy told me it was looking up – “Trust me, I know it doesn’t look like it, so give it a chance,” he said.

I certainly gave it a chance and managed to not only get the ball to the hole, but also see it roll past and over the front of the green – much to the amusement of their guests.

Then it was off to the famous 18th hole, a hole you saw as a kid – Nick Faldo’s shot there that won in 1989, Alex Noren’s incredible iron shot in 2017, Luke Donald and Lee Westwood battling for the title of world No. 1 in 2011. All those things you think about.

I hit a good drive and then a 5-iron right at the flag. My eyesight is a little bad, so I couldn’t tell if I made it there… until I got my first real golf applause of the day from the stands.

It was an incredible experience. Peter Crouch and Steve Sidwell were watching me from the hospitality boxes as I attempted to putt an eagle, knowing that I had made a bet with one of the guys on holiday in Turkey that if I made an eagle I would jump into the ditch. That was very important to me.

Then as we walked down the steps from the green – I’m a huge Spurs fan – there stood Gareth Bale. I asked for a quick photo and he obliged for me and my sister. He is by far the best player I have ever seen at Spurs so it was great to meet him and brighten our day.

My sister Hollie was my caddy that day. We have been going to Wentworth to watch the Pro-Am since we were kids, so it was special to have her there and be a part of it.

As we played the first nine holes, the eighth hole was probably the highlight of the day on the golf course.

When I first hit my wedge, I didn’t realize it… but then suddenly there was a group of three or four people shouting “hit it.” Harry also started saying, “This has a chance.”

I stand there rooted to the spot and watch as the ball almost falls into the hole and grazes the edge of the hole. A four-foot putt follows… but I hit it way too hard!

And once again my putting skills are being ridiculed. Okay.

We came second in the afternoon wave, which was great, and everyone won a lovely Sonos speaker. But first prize was a BMW for three months – so my missed putts proved quite costly for the team!

Tommy Fleetwood’s foursome, consisting of Spider-Man Tom Holland and his twin brothers, achieved the best result of the day with 31 under par.

But what an experience. I picked up a few freebies along the way, a new pair of golf shoes, a J. Lindeberg cap, a yardage book and some golf balls – a nice bonus, six extra balls to lose! There was also a caddie number with my name on it. It was all a bit surreal.

You never think you’ll ever do something like this, and I probably won’t do it again. It’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.

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