A new Aussie cult hero has emerged in a golfer who made history with a win on the international stage on Tuesday.
South Australian star Steven Alderson became the first player with autism to win a G4D Tour event, blitzing the field to win at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande in Spain by a whopping nine shots.
The 44-year-old then gave an emotional interview in which he took aim at people who bullied him throughout his life.
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“I’m so proud,” he said.
“Just growing up as a kid and being bullied all the time at school and even bullied at other golf clubs, it just means the world (to win).”
Alderson has been a rising star in Australian golf for several years but is now known on the world stage.
He won the 2020 South Australian Mid Amateur Men’s Championship, and last year claimed the Webex Players Series South Australia.
He and his trusted caddie Trent Blucher were still celebrating and had not yet gone to bed when they appeared on Nine’s Today on Wednesday morning.
“I’ve stopped drinking for the interview,” Alderson laughed.
“We get on a plane in five or six hours so we probably won’t go to sleep.”
Alderson doubled down on his whack for the bullies who partly inspired him to become an international star.
“It makes me happy to show those people who bullied me, they probably see me now on TV and think well, I’ve just stuck one right up them,” he said.
Blucher was beaming with pride as the pair sat either side of the G4D Tour trophy.
“I met Spud probably 20 years ago and he told me all he does is live on the golf course, all he wants to do is go to tour school,” Trent said.
“I said ‘when are you going?’ and he didn’t have a date. I told him you’re better off going and then telling people like me that you went to tour school, instead of saying you want to go. Then two years later we did.
“The G4D tour came along and Spud called me about six weeks ago and said ‘I’ve got a chance to come to Spain, could you come along?’, and I said yep let’s do it.
“I’m really proud of him. He stayed present, he stayed calm, and in times past he would have got angry or down on himself, but he didn’t do that today.”
And Alderson was full of praise for Blucher, too.
“Without him this trophy wouldn’t be sitting next to us. (He’s) a wonderful, wonderful man,” Alderson said.
“He’s taken time out of his own job to come over here, with hardly any money, and help me all the way.”
The Aussie now looks to another G4D event in Dubai next month, before heading home to play the all-abilities field at the Australian Open in Melbourne.
He and Blucher are extending a message to Aussie golf legend Greg Norman and asking for Alderson to be included in the LIV Adelaide pro-am event next year.