As part of our ongoing series exploring what drives elite performers to succeed, David James Wealth sat down with Eliot Baker, a 23-year-old amateur golfer on the road to turning professional. From representing his country on the biggest stages to working as a greenkeeper to fund his ambitions, Eliot opens up about doubt, discipline, managing finances, and why the right people around you can make all the difference.
Wearing the Badge: Representing England
Eliot's amateur career already reads like a highlight reel. Asked about his proudest achievement, he doesn't hesitate:
"My biggest achievement to date is winning the Nations Cup for England, both the individual title and the team title, as well as representing GB&I at the St Andrews Trophy and the Walker Cup last year."
For Eliot, pulling on a national shirt has never lost its magic.
"It's unbelievable. It's always been a dream come true, really. A few years ago, I never thought it would be possible. I think I've represented England roughly ten times now, and GB&I twice, hopefully a third time this year, at the Walker Cup in about a month. It's hard to put into words."
What Drives Him
Ask Eliot what pushes him to win, rather than simply turn up:
"The main thing for me is proving to myself that I can do it, showing myself how much ability I've got, and how much hard work I can put in, to get the most out of what I have available. It's about becoming the best player I can be, on and off the course, and seeing how far I can take it. There are no boundaries. If my ceiling turns out to be a high-level amateur golfer, I'll do the best I can at that. If it's world number one, I'll give that my all. It's about giving everything and seeing where it can go."
How Eliot Faces Doubt
Even elite competitors have moments of uncertainty, and Eliot is candid about the setback that shaped him most: being dropped from the England squad.
"That was a real moment of doubt: am I good enough for this? Am I working hard enough? Have I got enough talent? There were a lot of thoughts going on. Since then it's been a pretty rapid climb, to be honest. It was almost the factor that kicked me into gear. I needed that doubt from outside to prove someone wrong."
His method for resetting is refreshingly simple. Sometimes it means stepping away entirely:
"There have been times where I've gone, okay, I'm just going to take a week off, not touch the golf clubs, completely relax, spend time with family and friends, and clear my head before starting fresh."
But more often, the answer is graft:
"Most of the time it's just about working harder, doing that extra bit each day, increasing the hours, increasing the intensity, and reminding myself that I'm good at this, that I can do it, and that there's still more to find within myself."
Balancing the Grind with Real Life
Life as an amateur chasing a professional career comes with constant uncertainty, and Eliot is honest about how hard that balance can be.
"It's difficult. There's a lot of uncertainty around those factors, so you almost have to take it day by day and see where you're at each stage. You've got to find time outside golf to spend with family and get that balance right. It's one of the more difficult parts of playing high-level sport. In the end, you just have to hope your hard work pays off, that you perform, and that it takes care of a lot of the other factors — financially and otherwise."
Prioritising financial security
Financial security is never far from Eliot's thoughts, even as he commits fully to golf as his one and only plan.
"It's definitely something I think about. I try to put all my thoughts into this being the only plan. I went to university and got a degree, but ideally I don't want to use it, I want to keep playing golf and see if this can be my only path. I tell myself that if it doesn't work out, I'll deal with that when it comes; there will always be options. Financial security is a worry, but it's not something I'm going to sit and dwell on. I try to push that thought to the back of my head and leave it there."
It's an experience that's led him to a clear message for other young golfers weighing up their own futures:
"More people should ask for help and support. Advice like that can be huge. In the past I've probably put money into areas I didn't really need to, and looking back now it feels wasted. But it's a learning curve, isn't it? If you can get that advice as early as possible, you're one step ahead."
To fund his ambitions along the way, Eliot took work that let him stay close to the game.
"I've been a greenkeeper, which kept me close to the sport I loved. It gave me the chance to play and practise every day, because the hours worked in my favour, starting at 6am and finishing at 2pm meant I still had plenty of time in the afternoon to practise."
Why the Right Team Matters
If there's one theme that runs through Eliot's outlook, it's the value of surrounding yourself with people you trust to carry the load.
"Having the right team is huge. If you can take as much stress away from yourself as possible, and just narrow your focus onto the golf, that's how I get the best out of myself. Having the right people around you, and making smart choices about who that is, matters more than people realise. It means you have people you can go to and say, 'I'm dealing with this at the moment,' and they'll say, 'Don't worry about that, we'll deal with it. Just focus on yourself and do the best you can with what you can control, and we'll help with everything else.'"
The Advice He'd Give His Younger Self
Patience, it turns out, is the lesson Eliot wishes he'd learned sooner.
"Mainly, don't rush any decisions. I've rushed into things before, such as changing golf coaches, when I should have stuck with it a bit more. When I joined my current team, it was a slower process, but it made sure it was the right fit, and it's one of the best things I've done: taking my time with that decision and making sure it was right. I think if I'd done more of that in the past, I could be in a slightly better place now. But that's the main piece of advice I'd give."
Still Living the Dream
For all the pressure, the doubt, and the financial uncertainty, Eliot's love for the game hasn't dimmed since childhood.
"Yes, I do feel like I'm living a dream. Growing up, this is what I wanted to do — it was my dream. To now be at the stage where I'm trying to do it for a living, and it's becoming a job, but it's still enjoyable. I look back at people in school who probably judged me for playing golf; it wasn't a cool thing to do back then. But I found something I enjoyed, and I stuck to it."
Update: Since speaking to David James Wealth, Eliot has been selected for the second time for the Great Britain and Ireland team in the 51st Walker Cup at Lahinch on 5-6 September. He has also finished in 15th place at the Nexo Championship in his debut appearance on the DP World Tour.
We wish Eliot all the very best and thank him for spending time with us.
