JUST a year after suffering a serious stroke, Basingstoke Golf Club's Nick Holloway completed a remarkable comeback to action by finishing third at the Fuller's London Pride Gold Medal.

The 29-year-old fell ill last summer, losing the power of speech and movement, together with the ability to swallow. He was still in a wheelchair at Christmas and was told there was only a 15 per cent chance that he would walk again

However, he has gradually recovered and says he is now 97% fit, something he proved with an excellent performance in the Fuller's London Pride Gold Medal, which was played at Frilford Heath, in Oxfordshire and is considered the English handicap championship.

Holloway amassed 36 points from a handicap of 15 to finish third on countback, just one shot behind the winner, an amazing achievement considering his health problems over the last year.

He comes from a golfing family, has played since he was a boy and held a five-handicap before his stroke – so getting back to golf was one of his priorities.

Early this year he got started when he hit half a dozen balls with a wedge.

“That was all I could manage, but I slowly built it up and played my first round in mid-February,” he said.

The next step was to put in cards for his handicap which was re-allocated at 20, though he has already reduced to 15. He’s lost about 20 per cent of his length and finds the short game challenging because of loss of feel, but he’s very determined.

Holloway said: “I have played a lot of competitive golf in the past and now it’s all about getting back into that mentality.”

Alongside that he’s started a new career, launching his own lighting design company for concerts, exhibitions and corporate events.

“I don’t like to say it, but the stroke is the best thing that’s happened – apart from getting married! It’s opened my eyes and given me a whole new perspective on life,” he said.