The new season has well started with 6 tournaments already.
The new season has well started with 6 tournaments already.
We started earlier in January near the Suez Canal (Sokhna) in Egypt with two events played at Sokhna Golf Club. It was not my first time there and with the way I played at the end of last season, expectations were high on my end. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. I missed the cut of the first event, and finished T23 on the second tournament. However, there were some good things happening on the course with my game, and I knew this was only the start of the season. Going back to competitive rounds after a few months of break is never easy.
After a two weeks break filled with training sessions, I flew to Turkey for the next two events, both played on the same course, Lykia Links. I had never been to Turkey before, so no expectations of what golf courses look like there. Through discussions with friends who had been to Lykia Links before, I only knew it was links style, windy and long, veeeery looooong. And when I got there I was not disappointed! An excellent golf course and a real test, where good strikers can make a difference. With a T7 for the first tournament, hopes were high for the second tournament where I was T19 after two rounds. Unfortunately, they canceled the last round due to storms. It was unfortunate for me but my friend James was tied 1st at that point, and only the playoff was played during the third day. A great playoff between two great players (James Meyer de Beco and Mathieu Decottignies) and I was over the moon for James when he took that W after three playoff holes! He is a hard worker and we’ve traveled together for so many years now!
After Turkey, I had another 2 weeks break where things moved pretty fast on a personal note, I found and moved in a flat in Brussels with my girlfriend in a week time, so my time was split between practice sessions in the mornings and driving through Belgium to fil the flat with the necessary furniture in the afternoons. Fun time for sure!
Then it was time to fly to Cairo for the next two events. Two golf courses where I played two years ago during my first season on the ProGolf Tour, Allegria GC and NewGiza GC. To be honest, I didn’t have the best memories in mind going there as I had really poor results two years ago, and I knew they were tough courses. But again, I knew my game had changed and improved a lot, so the confidence was good.
To be honest, I had some of the best ball striking in my life over these two tournaments and I finished T18 and T10. Both tournaments ended on bitter notes. First tournament I lose a ball 3rd round, 15th hole, par 5. Second shot going straight at the heart of the green and we just never found it. Second Tournament, 3rd round, last hole, par 5. Unlucky break where the ball stopped in the middle of an unstoppable break 3m past the hole and never came back down, which left me a horrendous putt.
Anyways, a good and very motivating first part of the season. The next events on the ProGolf Tour are end of April in Haugschlag (Austria) and beginning of May in Sankt Polten (Austria). In the mean time, I will be playing next week at the Mont de Marsan Open in France. This will be a good opportunity to keep the competitive rounds going and to measure myself against some of the best French players.
✌🏼✌🏼✌🏼✌🏼✌🏼✌🏼
