Birmingham City's Stuart Parnaby seeks Masters pay-back from his golfing brother

Apr 10 2011 by Gregg Evans, Sunday Mercury

STUART Parnaby has got the perfect thank-you gift in mind for helping his golfing brother make the grade – tickets to the Masters at Augusta.

The Blues full-back financed his sibling before big-money sponsors came along and as a result Ian has flourished as a player and a coach in the United States.

His 30-year-old brother’s dream of playing in the Georgia major himself may be some way off still – indeed, in the eight years he has been in the States he has still not managed to find time to go as a spectator.

But 28-year-old Stuart, who will watch the final day of 2011’s event from his armchair, is hoping to persuade his big bro to attend in the future – and will demand he takes him along too.

“It was always a dream for him to play in it as a kid,” said the versatile full-back. “But he will be watching it on the telly like us again this year.

“As he lives in America I’m sure he’ll go down one day to watch it – and I’ll make sure he takes me with him then.”

When plying his trade for Middlesbrough, the UEFA Cup winner helped kick-start his brother’s career with some much-needed financial backing.

His support paid dividends as Ian turned pro in 2006 and is now teaching golf to amateurs and elite youngsters on a full-time basis.

The former England Under-21 international knows how hard it is to prosper on the golf circuit without money behind you and admits it is rewarding to see his brother succeeding after years of hard work – even if he has turned into an adopted Yank.

“He decided to move over there to play after spending five years at Tennessee University,” he added. “He’s played on the Hooters Tour which is one below the Nationwide Tour. Then there’s the stuff below that.