Steven ‘Spud’ Alderson: “Follow your passion, whatever it may be”

How Steven Alderson, a golfer with autism, is winning friends and influencing people in G4D, from Willunga to Woburn.   

The third edition of The G4D Open took place in May and attracted 80 players from 20 countries in nine Sport Classes across the disability spectrum, including a number of players with neurodiversity. One such player, Steven Alderson from Australia, made quite an impact both on the fairways and greens of the Duchess Course, Woburn, but also ‘outside the ropes’ of the championship, as he and his caddie and friend Trent Blucher were happy to engage with the media to increase awareness of conditions such as autism.

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition. The UK’s National Autistic Society states: “Being autistic means you may feel things and react to them differently to non-autistic people. You may find socialising confusing or tiring, and you may become overwhelmed in loud or busy places. You may have intense interests, prefer order and routine, and use repeated movements or actions to calm yourself or express joy.” 

Using sport, and in this case golf as a platform, Steven and Trent seek more tolerance and understanding from the wider public for those with the condition, while they also want to demonstrate just how beneficial golf can be for everyone’s mental and physical health, how it can free up all its players through a great game in a safe environment. 

Steven (nicknamed ‘Spud’ for his largely potato-based diet), is a fine golfer in his own right, the 44-year-old having shot to prominence with his victory on the G4D Tour at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters back in October 2024.

Then, after an emotional post-round victory speech in which Steven spoke about suffering years of bullying due to his autism, he found he had become something of a local hero back home in Australia, now happily signing the odd crisp packet for young sports fans wherever he goes. Features and interviews for media outlets including the Daily Mail, Australian Golf Digest, the Australian Broadcasting Company, CNN and more, all followed the win. 

The G4D Open (May 15-17) – an event staged by The R&A in partnership with the DP World Tour, supported by EDGA – coincided with Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK this year, so it was great that Steven and Trent, a local businessman in South Australia and friend of the family, could share their story further at this time.

For that week, the pair gave excellent insights to the DP World Tour for an article which goes into more detail about among other things, the bullying Steven has faced; his and Trent’s thoughts on the unique mental challenges he faces on the golf course and also the support and recognition shown by his home club of Willunga Golf Club. For it is easy to miss giving credit to the local people whose goodwill can help forge the confidence to help any player overcome the challenges of the game and in their wider lives. 

In this article Steven says: “My home club Willunga Golf Club has been much better in knowing about mental health. We had an 11-year-old boy with autism playing here, and I used to run into him and his dad quite a lot and do a bit of putting with him. The other members are also very good, they don’t sit back and allow what would have been the norm 10-15 years ago.” 

The South Australian is no stranger to big wins, announcing himself to a wider golf audience with victory in the 2020 South Australian Mid Amateur Men’s Championship, and winning the Webex Players Series South Australia in 2023.

After his landmark first G4D Tour win in Spain, Steven said: “I’m so proud. 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.”

With that win Steven would earn his place at the season-ending G4D Tour Series Finale @ DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, where he won the Net category. 

Trent has been a constant supporter, enjoying helping Steven to see how far his friend could take the game. Both men were taking a leap of faith travelling again to Europe for The G4D Open at Woburn in May. 

Steven wasn’t in the usual comfort zone he knows at Willunga, but he could rely on Trent as ‘bagman’ to guide him around the demanding Duchess Course. He is such a good player off a 1.6 Handicap Index: he knows all the shots and can execute his intentions, but things don’t always go smoothly on the mental side and this is where Trent becomes a crucial ally. 

“My job is to just keep Spud calm and on the level,” says Trent. Speaking after their first round at Woburn he added: “Spud started four-over after the first two holes today which is a disappointing start but I know that being relaxed and clear with what I say, he will calm down much quicker and turn it around. A good conversation can calm him down in five minutes rather than say 15. It was great that Spud could then show his quality and par the next hole and build on that and have a good day from there.”

Steven would shoot rounds of 77, 75 and 74 for a three-round total of 226 and secure sixth place in the men’s overall championship, finishing strongly with a flurry of birdies; a great debut effort which will be much-noted by the other players around him. 

Steven said: “Woburn was a wonderful experience. Such a challenging course, and I’m proud how I went about keeping to our strategy and hanging tough. I’m really proud of my finish with four birdies in the last five holes and a clutch putt for par. I enjoyed meeting so many people from other countries, and I’m really grateful for the people who do so much work for these tournaments. I met a lot of members who were volunteers and was made to feel really welcome. There was even a member who saw us at the train station, noticed we had golf clubs, and offered us a lift to our hotel and then the course. Golf is great like that.” 

Trent added: “The G4D Open was an excellent experience for Spud. We worked hard on strategies to make sure he was well rested, well fed, relaxed and resilient. We talk about Spud’s ‘blow ups’ and how important it is to control that if he wants to be an ambassador for golf, to inspire others and win trophies. Spud didn’t ask to become famous, but he has embraced the celebrity journey that has arrived since his win in Spain. That too plays a role when feeling the pressures on course. I’m really proud of how he dug in on the final day. He really deserved that strong finish.”

Meanwhile, in the recent DP World Tour interview Trent talks about the creation of ‘Spud14’ that suggests that in every bag of clubs there are up to 14 clubs, which are all different from one another, a pretty strong metaphor for how people are different and should be respected for who they are. It’s a theme both men warm to. 

Trent added: “I’ve created Spud14 because I wanted to come up with a theme that Spud was comfortable to own and could communicate quickly. If someone doesn’t know anything about autism and they don’t know anything about golf, I can talk to them and within 30 seconds I can explain what Spud14 is. They’ll now know something about autism and something about golf. They’ll either become curious or not. And if they already have a knowledge about either of those two, then it’s really powerful.

“I’m really proud of Spud, he wants to be an ambassador for autism and speaking out against bullying and domestic violence. I’m really proud of him for just wanting to make that contribution.”

Steven says: “Follow your passion, whatever it may be, and the path it leads you on. The golf course is my safe place, playing golf is my passion. Everyday I want to wake up and play. I enjoy meeting people, and I’m grateful for what golf teaches me in life.”

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