A FORMER Marr College pupil tutored Troon Open Champion Henrik Stenson when he was a young boy.

Richard Bayliss, who attended the secondary school in Troon, became a professional golfer himself but instead of playing golf he decided to mentor others where he met the man who would become a sporting legend.

When he was still at school, young Richard, was in the Juniors section of St Meddans Golf Club in Troon. Richard met the future golf pro at a course 10 miles north of Gothenburg in Sweden before moving to Malmo.

In the 90s the Troon lad moved to another golf course on the Island of Oland where he set up a two storey golf shop and academy where he tutored more than 600 pupils who came from across Scandinavia.

By this time Richard had a good reputation and was 'number one golf pro for teaching young people' for quite some time and was awarded a diploma from the Professional Golf Association in Sweden.

Speaking about his son's achievements, his dad John, said: "I am very proud of him. He is a single minded man and wanted to be a golf pro but did not want to compete in the sport but teach it instead.

"He got his three O levels and did himself proud. He was clearly sold on golf and new what he wanted to do. People used to come up to me just to say that Richard had tutored them and now he is very successful in Sweden.

"He has done very well for himself indeed."

Richard who has no family of his own will travel to Malmo soon to visit Henrik Stenson's dad, Ingemar Stenson, later this month.