Wednesday, Sep 16, 2020 7:15 AM
MONTREAL – A Quebecker, Laurent Desmarchais, who, at just 19, won his first professional Mackenzie Tour tournament. More and more, this looks like a reliable sign that golfers here will finally make their mark on the PGA Tour.
It’s true, this refrain has been used as often as the promise to lengthen Autoroute 30 or the promise to extend the metro to Laval. But in both cases, the immense patience has paid off and this time seems to be the right one for the next generation in golf.
To reassure you, the statement does not come from a political party, but from Daniel Langevin, a renowned golf coach, who is at the heart of this development in Quebec.
“Not only is the PGA accessible for him, but at a high level as well,” said Langevin, who has been overseeing the development of Desmarchais – a native of Longueuil – for several years.
“People are always going to say ‘Yeah, but no Quebec golfer has done it and there have been a lot of them doing it. It looks like Mount Everest since no one else has. But I think that from the moment that a Quebecer will be regular on the circuit or close to that, it will become possible. Besides, I expect to see three, four and five. The contingent of athletes in Quebec in golf is really good and Laurent is one of the leaders of this group, ”continued Langevin, who constantly hears this debate resurface.
Desmarchais, a tall six-foot-five right-hander, not only stands out for the quality of his game for his age, he also displays tasty confidence. Him, he does not dream of the PGA. He aspires to become one of the best players in the world or even the best. It’s downright refreshing as a speech.
Besides, he was not surprised to win last week. He was in his fourth tournament against this opposition and he had become accustomed to the caliber of his opponents.
“Yes, absolutely, I believed it. You need it to make it work, ”Desmarchais told RDS.ca who recounted his victory in this article from the Sportcom agency.
But it will be his progression in the coming years that will determine the outcome of his sporting career. That’s good because his first round of 62 in Toronto would only be a glimpse of his talent.
“He is right to have great confidence. In the jargon, it looks like it is far from having its face in the wall, it is still far from having reached its peak, ”noted Langevin, stressing that its frame will be even more solid after two or three more years. to push in the gym.
That doesn’t mean Desmarchais has felt that confidence forever.
“To be honest, it developed over experience. A young athlete is a dream. Then it becomes aware and, finally, it becomes relentless or it gives up. It would be dishonest for me to say that Laurent has always said ‘I want to win’. It has happened more in recent years, ”noted his trainer.
There to win every tournament
“When he was younger, a development tournament could exist for him. But it’s been several months since it’s clear, between him and me, that every time he arrives at the plateWhether he’s feeling good or not, whether his momentum is good or not, he’s here to win. You can’t want to be the best if you’re there just to look good, ”he added.
It is precisely at the psychological level that Desmarchais noticed his greatest progress.
“We had access to a specialist and I am often accompanied by Daniel to play segments of nine holes. He can correct some of my mistakes and explain the right mindset to me, ”said Desmarchais, who trains four months a year in Victoria with the National Junior Team while keeping remote supervision of Langevin.
Already known for his tee shots and putts, his approaches are gradually becoming another of his strengths.
“For Laurent, it’s a marathon and constant progression. It just doesn’t stop. In fact, it reflects his determination and resilience to achieve the goal, ”explained Langevin.
There is no doubt about the overall picture presented by Desmarchais, he stands out in his age group in Quebec and even more. So, is he the Quebecer who has the most chances to break into the PGA?
“He’s one of those with the best luck like Joey Savoie (26) and Hugo Bernard (25) who are a bit older than him. They are much closer than you might think. We are in the small details, the millimeters, ”said Langevin.
“Already to see a Quebec player follow up with two courses of 67 after an initial round of 62, you have to play golf for real. No one is going to give it to you. There is also Joey who finished sixth in the Canada Life Series by participating in only three of the four events. It gives an idea of the current Quebec caliber, ”he added.
A parallel is easy to draw with Tennis Canada, which has fostered an outbreak of talent in the country by investing in coaching. Far from complaining about the support given to Quebec golfers, Langevin believes that another step would be useful to make everything optimal.
“It would lack a training center in the east of the country. Tennis Canada has done training poles in a few areas and I know it’s easier with tennis playing well indoors. But, if we could have a pole in the east and a pole in the west, while having a few more athletes in that training pool and a few more coaches involved, I think we could have the same success as in tennis. We have to be careful, we still have a lot of success with several Canadians on the PGA. But could we have more from Quebec and Canada? I think we could double the contingent because the talent is there, ”he said.
Of course, the athletes established in the East would leave for four months to train in the warmth.
Three Quebecers on the trio of leaders
In closing, it should be noted that three Quebecers made up the trio of leaders for the last round of the tournament won by Desmarchais. He was accompanied by Savoie and Bernard who can also count on Langevin as a trainer.
“Usually, I’m not very emotional, but the fact remains that to see three Quebecers on the last line of a PGA Canada tournament, I do not believe that it had already been seen and that it will be repeated. It’s still rare. I should have gone and bought myself a lottery ticket. That morning, the emotions were very strong. When the three of them finished their first nine, it was probably the time in my life that I weighed the most often to refresh my computer screen. Normally I’m on site with them, but that’s not possible with COVID-19. I should have been present to see Laurent’s satisfaction and see that his efforts have paid off, ”confided Langevin, who should be able to recover in the coming years.
After having acquired an excellent foundation with his first trainer, Pierre Dugas, Desmarchais continued his ascent with Langevin. The next step will be to refine its arsenal with the University of Tennessee. The competition will be fierce, the grounds will be more demanding and he will be supported by two coaches. It can only help him to succeed in winning the PGA.
