« I haven’t hit a lot of balls lately, he blurted out with a broad smile. I take a lot of time for my companion (Marie Fourquier) and my little boy (Nathan). He is already a month old and during this period, I thought very little about golf. “
Adrien saddier fully embraces his new life as a dad. It will be understood that golf is not his priority for the moment. But this fatherhood will inevitably shake up his habits as a professional golfer. He knows it. He is preparing for it.
A small twinge in the heart
“Things will change for me because I will no longer be able to do four weeks at a time, he explains softly. I will try to fit in between some tournaments when possible. It’s up to me to find the right balance. But it is obvious that the first week when I will be leaving will be, inevitably, a little complicated. There will be, of course, a little pang in the heart. So yes, the outlook will change for me. But it’s a very nice change. »
Makis Chamalidis to the rescue
170th in the Race in 2021, the Haut-Savoyard will benefit from a category 17 on the DP World Tour in2022. He should normally play between ten and fifteen tournaments. Roughly what he experienced this year … A 2021 exercise where he alternated the good (7th to Crans-sur-Sierre last August 29) and the worst (seven cuts in nineteen starts). Explanations. “At the start of the season, I had problems with yips and anxiety on the course, he breathes. That’s why I was playing badly at the time. I was not at 100% of my ability. To remedy this, I contacted Makis Chamalidis (a mental trainer, editor’s note). At the end of the year, I ended up pretty well (four cuts out of four franchises) because I was well mentally, we had solved a lot of problems in my head. We had found good solutions. “
Bitterness
Sensations that he will not be able to take advantage of given his category, especially at the beginning of October at the open from Spain or at theAndalusia Masters… « I had a bit of bitterness not being able to enter these tournaments, he still regrets today. Because I really felt I could achieve the results needed to keep the card. But it’s like that… “ The pandemic linked to Covid-19 also did not really benefit Adrien Saddier. Just before the interruption in March 2020 of the game for long months, he had thus aligned two excellent results (3rd to Oman, 12th to Qatar). At the end of the year, he will manage to slam two other top 10s (6e au Scottish Championship, 9th to Cyprus Open) but the category freeze between 2020 and 2021 has clearly not been in its favor.
Abu Dhabi in front of … TV
“That’s what handicapped me the most somewhere, he admits. I had finished 90th in the Race and I would normally have been able to participate in Rolex Series. That’s what held me back a bit. I also lived it rather badly. When the others were playing Abu Dhabi in january, it made me c… because I was on my sofa when I had done what it took to be there… But these are decisions that we cannot control. Unfortunately, it must be accepted. It’s also up to me to find the necessary rebound. The work done with Makis is bearing fruit. I am now focusing on 2022. “ Precisely: how does he apprehend the coming season, he who could have launched it at the end of November in Joburg Open (reduced to 36 holes due to the appearance of variant Omicron) but the birth of her son a week before decided otherwise.
Spain or Portugal in January
“I’ve been pro for 8 years, he says. There, I take a real break, and it makes me feel good… I feel much fresher. I really have big goals for 2022. I have a fairly solid team around me with whom we don’t hesitate to say things to each other. Makis helped me a lot. These new mental directions are doing me a lot of good. As in Crans-sur-Sierre for example. My trade-in program? I contacted my coach, Benoît Ducoulombier. January 3, I will be in Saint-Donat (06). For a week. And then, I’m getting organized to go to Spain in mid-January or in Portugal. For ten days. Not very far either because if the little one has a problem, I prefer to be there fairly quickly. David Baudrier (his physical trainer, editor’s note) comes to play sports with me for four days in my region … But otherwise, nothing has yet been completely stopped. “
Juggling between the DP World Tour and the Challenge Tour
Nor does he rule out the idea of making several forays into the Challenge Tour, the second European division where he will enjoy a category 6. “It is indeed a possibility, confirms the one who will be 30 years old on May 15th. But the calendar has not yet fallen, so it is not easy to project. Afterwards, if we go there, it will have to be done intelligently. It will be necessary to target the tournaments to play, those which I like the most, where I have already performed… Make a small well thought-out mix. It’s going to be an exciting season to play. The future looks rather interesting, even if the general level is improving year by year. To pass the cuts, you have to fight each time. To finish in a top 10, you have to at least do at least -15… It pushes you to improve yourself, to ask the right questions, to look for the right answers too… In short, it pushes you upwards… ”
