Since my last column I have played three events, which started with a top 10 in Austria. It was a joy to play some good golf again. Take away one or two loose shots and it could have been a very special week.
The next tournament was in Germany, and I missed the cut. I was cruising along nicely at three under-par in the second round and got severely punished for a poor shot which resulted in a quadruple bogey. That wasn’t fun!
I then played the French Open and finished 38th. It was a really solid week on a brutal golf course with a very strong field. Things are certainly getting better and better as the weeks go by. The improvement in my putting has been a huge positive. I have ranked in the top 10 in putting in almost every event for the past few months (Shout out to my putting coach, Andy Paisley, for that!). Once my ball striking gets back to its best, I should really start knocking some good scores in.
I have to talk a little bit about the golf course from the French Open, Le Golf National, in Paris. It’s the host of the 2018 Ryder Cup and it is quite simply, in my opinion, going to be the best Ryder Cup venue of all time. From a player’s perspective, it is incredible and one of the most demanding courses I have ever played. When you hit a great shot, or make a birdie on one of the tougher holes, you really feel like you have achieved something.
I felt completely drained after each round. There is not one shot out there that you can relax on. Have a look at the course online and check out the pictures, you will see what I mean. Many scorecards have been and will continue to be ruined in that body of water between the 15th and 18th holes.
They’ve also made a lot of changes to the spectator areas and it feels as though each hole is its own stadium. This made the atmosphere so special so I can only imagine what it will be like at the Ryder Cup.
It’s the Scottish Open for me next, then three weeks off. I’ll be heading to Orlando with my wife to rest and recharge, and get ready for a big finish to the season!
