HooperstarGolfer 1st anniversary

"Golf has come out of the 2012 Ryder Cup with its reputation and popularity enhanced, and its stars shining brighter than ever before. Sunday 30 September 2012 was Golf's Greatest Day."

The final 31 words of my first ever blog.

Monday 1 October 2012 was the day I published my first ever blog, it was titled 'Golf's Greatest Day' and reviewed the final day of the 2012 Ryder Cup, a thrilling day that transcended golf to millions around the world and was the inspiration for me to stop posting Facebook status updates about the game I love and put my thoughts to better use.

90 blogs later I have gone from writing on my laptop in my home in Wiltshire to living in St Andrews and being part owner of St Andrews Golf Magazine, an idea I had in January that is on the way to becoming reality in the next few months. Without blogging absolutely none of it would have been possible.

I have had my blogs read and re-tweeted by Ewen Murray, Sky Sports, Craig Perks and Cara Robinson to name but a few famous people within the world of golf. And the blog has helped me to become an accredited journalist on the European Tour and LPGA Tour at the Ricoh Women's British Open, Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

I have conducted interviews with:

Beatriz Recari (LPGA tournament winner and member of the winning European Solheim Cup team in 2013)

Brittany Lincicome (LPGA Major winner)

Kraig Kann (LPGA Chief Communications Officer)

Joakim Lagergren (European Tour rising star)

David Howell (2004 and 2006 Ryder Cup player and 6-time worldwide tournament winner)

Rick Daniels (Golf studies course leader at Myerscough College, International Institute for Golf Education)

and

Ewen Murray (lead Sky Sports Golf commentator)

I have met respected journalists like Lewine Mair, Global Golf Post, and I am known by IMG's Michele Mair and Richemont's Tosh Denman, as well as the European Tour's Michael Gibbons and the Ladies European Tour's PR manager.

Ewen Murray told me in the media centre at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship "if you ever need any help, you know how to contact me".

And I have had an incredible amount of positive feedback from journalists, golfers like Craig Perks and many thousands of readers across the world.

HooperstarGolfer has been viewed 14,749 times in the last 12 months with an average of 1,229 times per month by people in over 80 countries across 6 continents. I could never have dreamed that my blog would be so successful and lead me to this point in a career that did not exist 12 months ago. It is reward for hard work, dedication, determination, thorough research and being able to share an extensive knowledge of a sport I am passionate about,

None of it could have been possible without the support of my parents, my family and the many people who have contributed over the last 12 months including Stephen Sweeney, Reeve Whitson and Simon Thornton.

But most of all, it would not have been possible without you, the reader.

Good things come to those who wait.

Here's to the next 12 months of blogging and a career that is taking off at a rapid pace.

Thankyou.

Matt Hooper

Also known as

HooperstarGolfer