Sarah Stirk interview: Sky Sports presenter talks women in golf, the Masters postponement and more

On what lies ahead in golf...

"Having both the Ryder Cup and the Solheim Cup in the same year would be brilliant, but I think the Ryder Cup will be held this year.

"My personal feeling is they will find a way to play it this year. It's become such a big monster, I think it will take place. From what I'm hearing, talking to people in the industry, I think it will happen.

"I think the PGA will be in August, the Ryder Cup in September, The Masters in November.

"If The Masters is in November, having another one in April, doesn't that devalue it? Yes, it would be amazing this year, but I think they should cancel it. Look at the anticipation for next year's Masters. Would that not enhance it? One in November, one in April - I just don't think that works."

On her love of tennis...

"Tennis was my first love - that was my dream, I always wanted to be a professional tennis player. I had a very bad injury when I was 15, and I had been working towards turning pro when I was 16.

"When that dream was diminished I always wanted to go to college in the USA, but I didn't really have any results when they were recruiting. I ended up going to a small college near Houston in Texas.

"I always knew I'd probably come back and I did after a year, coming to Loughborough."

On McIlroy's tennis technique...

"Very good wasn't it? Andy Murray is good at golf, too - I think the coordination is really similar, so there's a lot of crossover. Sergio Garcia is really good apparently and look at Tim Henman, he's an awesome golfer.

"I've played with Rafael Nadal at a corporate thing a couple of years ago. He plays off three or something, he's a really good player."

On playing golf...

"I've got quite restricted movement in my shoulder, but thankfully it's never really affected my golf.

"I didn't really start playing golf until after University. I joined a club up in Manchester and ended up playing quite a lot.

"Since I've been at Sky I haven't played that much. The lowest handicap I got to was six - if I play to 12 now, I'm very, very happy.

"There's some good stuff, but there's a lot of bad stuff, too."

On getting into the media...

"It all started when I was at university in Texas, thinking 'OK, if I'm not going to be able to do this (play tennis professionally), what can I do?' It happened really quickly - I can't play, but I love sport, I want to watch it, I want to be there, so what's the next best thing?

"I started writing for a university newspaper and then spent the summer writing hundreds of letters writing to newspapers and magazines and then doing loads of work experience.

"I didn't have a sport in mind - tennis, rugby, golf, football, whatever. Every summer holiday at university I would do something; I even did Match of the Day and got offered a job there in my first year. I was so close to taking it.

"I did a post-graduate journalism degree at MUTV, but so much of television is about working your way up, doing it on the job, gaining experience."

On women in the media...

"When I was starting out there was Hazel Irvine, Gaby Logan, Sue Barker; I've always had them to look up to, but for sure it wasn't like how it is today. You look at the explosion at Sky over the last 10 years. Women in sport used to be token - we need a female on the football team or on this channel or whatever. Now it doesn't feel like that at all, we've gone way past that point.

"Back when I was starting at Sky, my boss said to me you're here because you're good at your job and you know your stuff - that's why we've hired you, you don't need to prove it. I've never felt like I've encountered any negativity there.

"I've always been so passionate about sport - I love it and I do know it, and that gives you so much self confidence. If you doubt yourself or feel in any way insecure, that comes across. I felt so secure in knowing my stuff.

"I also think playing tennis to a decent standard, even golf to county level, has made a difference. Working in football or rugby would've been different - I'd swat up and do all the research, but I still wouldn't have played it. That definitely gives you a slight advantage.

"There's a lot of ex-athletes in golf and in sport. I look at myself as a presenter and journalist, and there's always room for a professional like that. I think I give something different to what an ex-pro can.

"I would encourage anyone looking to get into sports media to get involved in sport as much as they can. In golf, we all know what the game is about, how frustrating it is; we love it, we have that understanding and respect for it, and it's an advantage. But don't feel like you have to play it professionally or even close.

"There's always a need for presenters, journalists and broadcasters and I don't think that will change."

On working for Sky Sports...

"What I really like about my job is that it's quite varied. I like the hosting side of it, I love the Sky Cart stuff - you might host a tournament, but then you're also speaking to players as well.

"Interviewing Henrik Stenson just after he won at Troon was a huge highlight but it might have been topped last year at Portrush.

"It didn't quite go to plan in terms of how it was managed, and because we were live right there on the green, he just kind of walked in.

"We can't time that, it's when people have signed scorecards and so on. It's quite natural, and that's the way we've tried to go; it's more familiar, because we know all these guys really well now.

"Historically, when we weren't doing it on site, we were not seeing them that often. Now, they're seeing us every week during the season, and it's a big factor in getting players to be less guarded when we speak to them.

"I think they look forward to coming and talking to us after their rounds now. To do that winner's interview with Shane on the green was just incredible."

On women's golf

"Georgia Hall is an amazing ambassador. She's lovely, she's warm, she's engaging. She's 23 now and mature and composed, but she's also kid-like in how she acts. I remember asking her if she realises what (winning the Open) means, and she sort of giggled - it was a lovely moment; she was excited about it. When you watch her, you warm to her because she has that naivety which is really engaging.

"She isn't programmed. She's always had amazing confidence in her ability, she knows exactly what she wants and where she's going; but she just seems like a young girl, having a laugh, enjoying what she's doing. You just seem the warm, happy Georgia, and that's an unbelievably rare balance.

"In terms of inspiring people, I get asked this all the time. We need role models, all of us. It's massive.

"We have that chicken and egg scenario in women's sport - we need to see it to be inspired by it, but commercially it needs to be viable for broadcasters to be showing it.

"If they're not on TV, they're not going to inspire the next generation.

"I get how difficult it is. We get it in the neck - if we've got a women's major, I feel like we should be showing that, but still in economic and commercial terms, our PGA Tour product is more watched. What do you do? We're trying to satisfy our audience base, but how can we grow the women's audience base without showing it? It's a really hard balance, and I think we've done a good job.

"We've stood up there and said we're making a commitment, and I think it's about time. There is an appetite for it, and it's growing.

"The Solheim Cup was arguably the best event I've ever covered. To see the way (Europe) turned the tide, it was just incredible."

My favourite…

Tournament I have covered…

The Open.

Tournament to watch as a fan…

I wish I had gone to The Masters as a fan before I worked at it. It's amazing, but I wish I'd experienced it as a fan - I will one day.

Place to travel to…

The Algarve, definitely, when it comes to getting away and playing golf.

Person to work with…

It's hard, I genuinely love working with all of them, but I'll say Rich (Beem) and Radar (Wayne Riley). Typically I work a lot with them and they're great.

Rich was a great find; we were keen on that American voice but he'd played a couple of years on the European Tour as well, and having that major champion pedigree also helps. Radar, I'm a massive fan of what he does; he's so talented, but he's also nuts. We've developed a really nice relationship.

Player to interview...

Maybe Henrik because he's so cheeky, he always keeps you on your toes. I'd probably say Rory is number one though. He's always honest; he just gives you so much, he's so engaging. It's how he tries to operate - this is me, this is authentically me. He does it better than anyone out there.

Recent innovation in golf…

Top tracer has been massive. Without sounding too much like I want to big Sky up, the stuff we've done with the Cart and the Sky Zone has hopefully added a different dimension to what they've been used to.

Thing outside of golf...

Probably my dog. I'm quite private, I don't put a lot of my personal life on Instagram. I was in Portugal a few weeks ago, and this guy came up and said 'sorry to bother you, I'd love to get a picture.' And he was like 'how's Mia?' which caught me by surprise! I work for a dog charity as well - animals are a big passion of mine.

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More in this series...

Nick Dougherty

Richard Kaufman