Golf in a time of pandemic: moderate delay

It is wrong to claim that the pandemic has only bothered professional golfers considerably. Young amateurs have also tasted it.

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The COVID-19 crisis has caused a delay in both their development and their progression.

Brigitte Thibault, Céleste Dao, Laurent Desmarchais, Étienne Papineau and company had to manage to find opportunities, whether they were tempting or not. Thus, in the absence of international amateur competitions allowing them to measure themselves against the best of their sport, they have mostly opted for local or regional tournaments.

They all experienced the situation by taking on different challenges. They are not programmed to play a hundred rounds without real importance and without stake at their local club, also testified the Quebec instructor Fred Colgan.

From the lot, Thibault took the bull by the horns by going into exile in the United States, where she won the prestigious Western Women’s Championship in Illinois at the end of July. The fact remains that she worked hard to keep moving … at slow speed.

Again this fall, the Mountain West conference, in which she plays in the NCAA, with the Bulldogs at Fresno University in California, canceled her schedule due to the pandemic. On the East Coast, Quebecer Céleste Dao was able to take part in two of the three tournaments organized by the university circuit with her Bulldogs from the University of Georgia.

At men’s, Laurent Desmarchais, the rising star in Quebec, also stood out with a resounding victory among the pros. He did so despite having 75% of his usual annual tournament entries.

General finding

The finding is however generalized among golfers at the amateur level: the forced spring break and a much quieter summer period than usual caused a delay in development, according to the instructors of the provincial and national program.

“It’s a clear decline of three to four months,” said Daniel Langevin, instructor of the elite program of Golf Quebec and coach of the Carabins of the University of Montreal. When there are fewer tournament appearances, a golfer develops less well.

“Under the circumstances and despite the lack of complete information, they fought well. In addition, they had to deal with psychological conditions that sometimes became alienating, he added. The capacity to adapt bordered on madness. Each young athlete experienced the situation differently. For some it was more difficult. ”

Affected motivation

Leading the men’s national program, head instructor Derek Ingram confirms he’s never been so hooked to his electronics to stay in touch with his athletes.

“There was so much to learn. We had to make sure to help them in their physical development. I certify that the psychological aspect was also often discussed in the various virtual meetings. “

As soon as the pandemic began in March, Golf Canada closed its national training center at Bear Mountain, Victoria. Thus, the juniors and elite amateurs who trained there returned home for containment.

According to the planning of the elite program, they would not return until the end of winter, in the best case scenario. In the meantime, they participate in various development camps.

“It’s difficult for the athletes because it’s the lack of competition that undermines motivation. They fuel the adrenaline of tournaments in order to achieve their short and medium term goals. They can then think about the future. In times of pandemic, some did not play in tournaments and others could not establish medium-term goals. So it’s easy to lose motivation. “

Lagging behind?

According to Fred Colgan, the delay accumulated among juniors and amateurs is not irrecoverable. The elite will however hang around this “crappy” year for a long time, especially when the time comes to measure themselves against the international athletes who have avoided a prolonged stoppage in 2020.

“We were able to maintain the development of individual skills for eight months, but it will be necessary to apply them in a competitive situation against the best in the sport. It will be the equivalent of returning to the game after an injury and a long recovery, ”said the Quebec coach.

All the athletes questioned nevertheless expressed that they were much better equipped to overcome obstacles. Their coaches also testified.

“Those who have been through this 2020 season will become stronger golfers between the ears. They have demonstrated incredible resilience and determination, ”concluded Langevin.