Posted on: 20 December
The festive season is here and I trust you’re having a relaxing time with friends and family.
Before swapping my golf clubs for Xmas stockings I had 4 events left to finish off the 2023 European season. The first event was in the south of Italy. Savelletri is a tranquil seaside town where the weather is great and the food is fantastic. Mediterranean style living at its best. After a slow start to the tournament I ended up with a fairly solid result.
Next it was off to Murcia in Spain. As the crow flies its quite close to the previous event but such is the scheduling of commercial flights it took two flights to get there. I arrived in Spain the next day but it seems my clubs preferred to stay in Italy. The following day it was a two hour drive back to the airport to reunite myself with my clubs. Luckily they behaved and I finished the tournament inside the top 10.
Back on the big bird for the flight back to Australia for 2 weeks of coaching, practicing, and relaxing. After a bunch of long haul flights, my aging body was starting to feel the effects of a long season……. I wanted to play plenty but my back said no. A balancing act to remain sharp and well prepared for the final two events but resting enough to ensure I can play to the level that is required of international golf.
The penultimate event was on a resort island off the coast of Vietnam. Not too often one takes a ferry to get to the tournament hotel. The hotel and the facilities on the island were fantastic. The course is very demanding with hazards lurking on every hole. It was very windy the first two days and low scores were scarce. I had treatment on my back every day and as the week progressed it started to feel a bit better. A tiring week but it left me feeling better about my back and my game.
The final event of the year; the Tour Championship in Mauritius. A course and an event that I had some success at last year. Again, it required the best part of 24 hours to get there but once there the palm trees, sunshine and beautiful weather make it worth the journey. More treatment on my back and I was feeling a lot better and looking forward to a good week. Going into the final round I was in the final group, one shot off the lead. Unfortunately, a severe bout of gastro Saturday night and Sunday morning meant I was close to withdrawing from the event. I nearly passed out a few times. Lots of vomiting. Lots of …….. you know what. But thanks to modern medicine and advice from the doctors I was able to finish the event. I was sincerely proud of my effort.
Now back in Perth it’s time to get back to coaching. Back to helping people play the game that I love. I hope you have enjoyed reading about my travels this year, as well as a few coaching articles. The good news is that I finished 19th on the European Legends Order of Merit for 2023 which means I am exempt for the 2024 season. Before returning to Europe I hope to help as many of you as possible to improve your golf and help you enjoy your time on the golf course. To book a lesson visit michaellonggolf.com.
