The Entrepreneurial Pro

Not that things have always been smooth sailing.

"In the early days it could be quite difficult dealing with some of the factories," he remembers. "Some would try and cut corners, which I needed to clamp down on – and quickly. But I've built up some excellent relationships and they know the standards I need to maintain. I'm very hands on and the challenge comes I need to find a solution if something goes wrong."

Such is Stewart's reputation in the world of golf gear that he's been approached by well-known golf equipment and apparel firms with a view to handling their own production. While he will continue to supply corporations with customised merchandise for their private golf days and tournaments with their own products, the future for Stewart could well lie in taking care of business for new and established golf brands.

"It's an interesting and exciting time," he says. "The business has been growing each and every year and I've developed a lot of good relationships. My goal is to become the number one bespoke golf product supplier in the world, and I think we're on track."

As for his upcoming appearance at the Hong Kong Open, Stewart is quietly confident.

"I've actually been playing pretty well over the past year, and my putter has started working a bit better," says Stewart, who finished in fifth spot at the recent Yinli Hong Kong PGA Classic in Dongguan after another opening 65. "I'm not playing anywhere near the amount I used to but maybe that's a good thing, so we'll see. You can never really tell with golf."

For more information about J Stewart Golf visit www.jstewartgolf.com