“How do you judge this first part completed at 2 under par?
It feels good to resume with a good part. Sure, I put some stupid bogeys on the map, but overall my game was fine. I admit, I was not totally serene before starting this week. I didn’t really know if I was going to quickly find the rhythm of the competition. But I also know that the season is very long, that you have to maintain your level of play and hope to progress a little more each week to create your own momentum.
Was it the long break between tournaments that worried you?
No, the winter break was really nice. Besides, I don’t remember having been able to take advantage of such a break for a while. It was very nice to completely get my head out of golf. The problem is that you quickly get used to not doing much and it’s not unpleasant. Now, I was also very happy to be back on the road to tournaments, especially on this course (of Lake Nona) which is a plotted top. And then I love this tournament because it has a very fun side with all these celebrities associated with us.
You are associated with a somewhat special amateur this week, Maurice Allen, ex-long drive champion…
Come to think of it, it’s quite funny that a long driver like him is associated with me, who is known to be rather short! But it was fun and we really had a good time. I didn’t try to calculate how far he was overtaking me, that would have depressed me too much! He almost drove the green of 18 (a par 4 of 368 m), but he only took out the driver three times I think on the course, because the par 4s were too short for him, which is crazy when you think about it… Overall it’s still an experience fascinating. His drives don’t sound the same and his ball flight isn’t the same as ordinary mortals. He told me that his driver had a loft (an opening) of 4° which is unreal. He plays in another world. »