Steven Alderson was bullied at school for being autistic. Decades on, a historic win has made him an Australian national hero

By Jack Bantock, CNN

(CNN) — Less than a fortnight ago, Steven Alderson was simply trying to get his head around the daunting size of the first international airport he’d ever set foot in and – more pressingly – find a KFC.

A few days, plenty of chicken and 36 phenomenal holes of golf later, the 44-year-old was getting to grips with an even more important matter: the ever-ballooning size of his hero status back home in Australia and across the wider world.

Victory at the Estrella Damm NA Andalucía Masters in Spain earlier this month made Alderson the first ever autistic winner on the Golf for the Disabled (G4D) Tour, a circuit run in association with – and parallel to – the DP World (European) Tour.

Yet it was not solely the history-making nature of his triumph, nor the fact that it was achieved by a whopping nine-shot margin on his G4D debut, that saw him tee up and into the hearts of onlookers.

Nor was it just the endearing origins of his “Spud” nickname, affectionately bestowed upon him as a nod to his overwhelmingly potato-based diet. Having grown up with various food allergies, Alderson – by his own admission – effectively lives on potato chips, fries and the like, with chicken the only meat he eats.

Instead, the tide of popular support swelled from the winner’s interview a watery-eyed Alderson gave in the wake of triumph at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande. Fighting back tears, the victor recalled the years of bullying he had endured at school, and even some golf clubs.

“Normal people just think people with disabilities are different and they’re probably easier to be bullied and picked on,” Alderson told CNN Sport.

“I got to the point where I was 15 years old and that was enough for me.”

“I’m like the next biggest thing”

After switching schools five times due to bullying, Alderson left education at 15 – the earliest possible age at the time – and, searching for solace, immediately enrolled as a member at Willunga Golf Club in South Australia.

That decision is reaping dividends now, with Alderson’s triumph and subsequent raw revelations triggering a global outpouring of love from those who saw the footage across various social media platforms.

“Okay, that does it, Steven Alderson is our favorite golfer,” read the caption from Australian news outlet 10 News First for a TikTok clip of the interview that has amassed three million views to date.

“Do I care about golf? No. Do I want this man to succeed at everything he ever sets his mind to? Yes, absolutely,” the top comment read.

Shaking off a few nights of big celebrations and little sleep, last week Alderson was back at Willunga to compete in a celebrity Pro-Am event alongside two national cricket stars, Callum Ferguson and Alex Ross.

He can scarcely contain his excitement when he shares news that he has been invited to tee up in a Pro-Am prior to LIV Golf Adelaide at The Grange in February, a tournament and league organized by Australian golfing royalty Greg Norman.

Alderson never envisioned himself as a celebrity, but the reality is becoming increasingly hard to ignore.

“It’s been crazy over here,” he said. “I’m like the next biggest thing at the moment, all over the world and on the internet.”

Blowing up

Fortunately, Alderson is blessed with an ally who is well accustomed to keeping the golfer’s feet on the ground: caddie Trent Blucher.

Once members of the same club, the pair have known each other for almost two decades. It meant that, even though life had seen them lose contact somewhat in recent years, Alderson had no doubts who he wanted on his bag for Spain.

“Trent understands my disabilities and my likes and dislikes, which helps,” Alderson said. “It’s a good partnership.”

That understanding proved vital during Alderson’s few moments of jeopardy at Sotogrande.

Having powered into a two-shot lead courtesy of a five-under 67 opening round, the Australian looked to be cantering home after an early eagle helped him arrive at the 15th tee with a commanding lead.

Yet disaster struck when Alderson subsequently got into bunker trouble. With premonitions of a horror choke flashing through his mind, a few years ago he may have succumbed to the fear and subsequent frustration – “blowing up,” as the pair term it.

Blucher, though, has become adept at containing the blast radius.

“I’ve known Spud for a long time, so I know if he’s having a mini blow-up,” Blucher said.

“Sometimes, you just gotta let him because that’s how Spud is. Then other times, I need to just stand in front of him and go, ‘You’re wrong. You should own it.’”

“There’s no point in me being right – it’s about just helping him. If I can help him just one time through a round of golf, then that’s my role and I’m happy to do so,” he added.

A superb long putt saw Alderson limit the damage with a double bogey before easing home at seven-under par overall and sharing a long hug with Blucher. No other player in the field finished below par.

“Trent is amazing at making sure everything’s relaxed, heart rates not racing,” he explained. “Just keeping everything in check and going through the process for every shot.”

Next chapter

Victory in Spain – swiftly followed by another in the Webex All Abilities Players Series South Australia at Willunga on Sunday – stamped Alderson and Blucher’s ticket for their next big adventure, a trip to Dubai for the season-ending G4D Tour Series Finale in November.

The duo will have to draw up a new checklist for the United Arab Emirates, having completed their three-point inventory for Spain: bring the trophy home, visit the Tour equipment trucks and meet Jon Rahm.

Alderson is keen to introduce two-time major champion Rahm to the famed wines of the McLaren Vale region when the LIV Golf star touches down in Adelaide for February’s event, with the Spanish star known to be a food and drink connoisseur.

Rahm’s Basque-inspired Masters champions menu earlier this year will have done little for Alderson’s pallet, but the Australian’s willingness to embrace the unknown hints at personal victories that can be measured in more than just silverware and social media fame.

From navigating Qatar’s dizzying Hamad International airport to working through language barriers at Spanish restaurants, the trip threw up a wealth of new experiences that Blucher believes will benefit Alderson in immeasurable ways.

“By the time we came back a week later, not only did he have the trophy in his hand, but he was strutting around that airport – he knew how to get around, he was leading me to where the KFC was,” Blucher recalled.

“’To travel is to live,’ is the quote, and to see Spud have that sort of experience which golf has provided for him, it’s one of those chapters in his life – a life journey and life lessons that you just can’t think to guess you’re gonna learn prior.”

When the next chapter begins in Dubai, Alderson may well recruit a whole new swath of fans, but perhaps the people he is most keen to catch the eyes of are those he can relate to most.

“If you’re being bullied, just do your best to ignore it and be the better person,” he said.

“You’re gonna be the better person in the long run when you’re older, anyway.”

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