There are many uncontrollable in this present life and I must constantly adapt. Several tournaments were cancelled and moved which always leaves us in uncertainty. So, thank you Mr. Legault for finally allowing me to play my sport in less than a week! I look forward to a ‘’sort of’’ normalcy. In addition, it will give me an additional reason if I find myself in the wood after a bad tee shot: “I protect myself guys, I aimed there to stay at 2 meters, what did you guys think…”

Since April 13, I am back in Quebec and I made my mandatory 14-day quarantine in the apartment left vacant by my aunt Claire. How fortunate to have such a generous and accommodating family. Since that time, my practice has largely been done indoors. It’s too bad because the temperature was so hot and sunny…

For safety reasons and a big push from my national team coaches, I decided to return to Quebec. The situation in Arizona where I practice this winter was under control. The golf courses were opened with several sanitary precautions to prevent the spread of the virus. However, I felt that returning to Canada probably was safer.

The Governor of Arizona considered the practice of golf to be “essential to well-being.” In short, I could continue practicing my sport. However, my qualification for the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada, which I was preparing for, was cancelled. This was not a big surprise, we had to expect it. However, we do not know when, where and even how it will unfold. To be continued…

This is in addition to the cancellation of my qualification for the PGA TOUR-China in March. The global domino effect of this damn virus has far exceeded what was envisaged. My skills in managing uncertainty in times of crisis have been put to the test. One of the slogans on Team Canada is “learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable.” Every athlete must learn to accept the uncontrollable and focus on what he can control! In this case, I could putt on a small mat, work on my grip, train physically hard and intelligently, and then improve some mental aspects such has managing my emotions and my anxiety.

The COVID-19 is a golden opportunity to work on the technical and physical elements of my game in an uncomfortable situation. Astronaut Chris Hadfield gave a Zoom Lecture to all Canadian athletes to guide and encourage us. Since he explained to us his isolation of 6 months in space and his extremely difficult preparation to do this feat, I relativized my experience. For example, Chris spent two weeks in a single, isolated submarine to improve his management in times of crisis and tremendous stress. You know what, two months in his house taking care of his dog and doing push-ups, it’s not that unpleasant…

We keep morale! I have a family that helps each other and parents who let their 25-year-old son live in their house. I don’t know what I would do without them. I’m not complaining, and I keep smiling. Financially, I have a few sponsors and members of Pinegrove who helped me last year and continue to support me. But we are ready to resume the adventure.

Here we go again my friends! #may20th

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For people who know me, they know I like to take my time with big decisions and wait for the right moment even in this case where it seemed almost inevitable that I would become a professional golfer one day. After all, it has been my dream since my junior years at Pinegrove.

Me at 12 years old.

Nonetheless, I felt I needed to meet three requirements before turning pro: prove to myself that I have the potential to play with the elite; have the conviction that I am ready to commit heart and soul to reach the goal and finally, feel that I can get the necessary financial support to allow me to give it my all and rise to the challenge.

Concerning my potential, I think my last 3 years as an amateur golfer allowed me to objectively see the goal as more tangible and to really believe in myself. I played in two RBC Canadian Opens, in one of which I actually beat many PGA Tour golfers including Bubba Watson, Kevin Kisner and Brooks Koepka. Moreover, I was able to recognize that my progression was constant when I made it inside the top 25 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, a first for Quebec golf. Sure there have been plenty of ups and downs, great experiences as well as disappointments, but the results obtained allow me to believe that I can make it happen as I think I haven’t reached my full potential yet.

My Coach Daniel Langevin at the RBC Canadian Open 2019.

Regarding the second criteria, I really took a deep dive within myself: am I ready to commit and continue to put in all the efforts to live my passion? We have a saying on the national team: “leave no stone unturned.” Thus, I had to make sure I was still 100% committed to making the necessary sacrifices to reach my goals. The decision I reached rather quickly was unequivocal. At 25 years old, I am ready to make that commitment to myself, to my team of coaches as well as to all those who put their trust in me and gave me their support. Honestly, it has been on my mind for quite some time but now, I am convinced more than ever.

As for the third requirement and not the least, I have the honour of being a member at Pinegrove Golf and Country Club, an amazing golf club where I have met people who want to help me succeed. Particularly in the last five years, I have had tremendous support from many individuals at the club and elsewhere, many of whom are some of my favorite people  and they contributed this year to the success of my annual fundraiser last October. In fact, it was during the event that I received the commitment from Biron Health Group that they would sponsor me (news flash!) and provide me the honour of associating their name to mine. In fact, Biron is the first company to become involved in such a way and I could not be more proud since Biron is a true Quebec flagship company with outstanding core values, values that I also see in myself. I also just received the support of Levelwear, a great Canadian golf clothing company and am in the process of finalizing a deal with a major golf equipment company. Finally, I recently received a call from Derek Ingram, the national golf team coach, confirming that I have been selected on the Team Canada young professional squad. With all this in place, I can now count on the financial support needed to launch my professional career and that is why I feel completely ready to make the move and confident it will work out.

Geneviève Biron. President of Biron Co.

Derek Ingram. Coach of Team Canada.

Yes, being a professional golfer requires making many sacrifices and yes the path to make it on the PGA Tour is uncertain, with challenges and obstacles along the way. It is indeed a huge mountain to climb. But I am truly ready to give it my best shot.

Thanks to my family, friends and everyone who support me.

Let’s make it happen!

Joey Savoie

Yves Deschamps and Anne Poulin. Two friends who have been there from the beginning.

Pebble Beach with my parents and Yves Deschamps.

The Grove Country Club. My second home in Tennessee.

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I arrived on a rainy morning in Dublin, three days before the start of the tournament. The time difference was felt instantly… Yet to have reached the highest levels of my sport (and the big wallet that comes with success) it meant that I would not have the best night of sleep … I waited patiently for my upgrade to business class, but the moment unfortunately never came. On the bright side, I had the chance to continue improving my sleeping technique at a 90 degree-angle, in a tight space, and with little leg room. Got to keep learning!

I had scheduled a nap upon my arrival to recharge the batteries and practice in the afternoon. My 2-hour nap however turned into five proof of how tired I was, and it was now time to go to the golf course and practice!

After a good night of sleep, the pre-tournament routine started: practice round in the morning, registration with the R & A, another good night of sleep, second practice round and the opening ceremony with the “Hog Roast” tradition. The Irish love their “Hog roast” and you had to rush to reserve an indoor seat in the dining room since the Irish weather interrupted the outdoor festivities. The cold and rainy temperature led the competitors, members and organizers to gather inside to enjoy the welcome speech in English and Galic, the Irish language. It was then time to go to bed since tomorrow would arrive very quickly.

The first round

I had the honor of being the first start at 7:00 am and starting the competition at The Island Golf Club. And if you ask yourself the question: yes I was pretty nervous! The wind and cold were felt on this Monday morning nothing to facilitate this Irish venue where mistakes are often costly.

My start was difficult, and so was my finish. A difficult and disappointing day indeed. Every athlete lives such moments. Crossing the Atlantic and starting with an opening 78 (+7) is not easy to process. Despite my positivism of nature, I was feeling rather frustrated and disappointed. What are we doing now: get away from the golf course for the afternoon, take time to think, walk the Irish coast, rest and basically think of something else. A much needed recharge of my batteries.

When an athlete does not succeed as desired, he usually wants to work harder. It is a natural and instinctive response. However, the best thing for me was to overcome this impulse and regain my strength.

1st Hole at The Island

The second round

Nothing to lose. I had nothing to lose, so why not have fun and face my fears? These were the two goals for the day.

The first opportunity to face my fear came really quickly: the first hole. Out-off-bound to the right, small sand traps to the left, and a headwind to top the cake. All golfers have some demons, I was now facing one of mine. I decided to take the confident approach and hit my driver already in peace with whatever the result may be.

The result was not the most satisfying and I hit my first shot out of four in one of Portmarnock’s famous and unforgiving bunkers. The par save that followed set the tone for the day: at war on this links type golf course. A birdie on the second hole and another on the fourth staged a good start!

The battle was just beginning since the last two holes of the first nine were a struggle and I lost the momentum of my good start. 37, even for the first nine holes. There was still a lot of work to be done.

Without really understanding the reason for the fifty or so spectators following our group since the beginning of the round, I asked my Northern Irish partner Tom McCibbins if he knew these people. Humbly, he said no. However, I quickly realized that he was from Hollywood in Northern Ireland, and that he was practicing at the same course that Rory McCilroy used to practice back in his early days. Tom came from the same hometown as Rory and his many golfing enthusiasts.

Three holes to play

I kept fighting to find myself at -1 for the day. At this point, I believe I needed one or two birdies to make the cut. The 16th hole is a par 5 of 610 yards and we have a back wind. I guess experience made me make the wise decision because I hit a 4 iron off the tee, followed with a 6 iron and a wedge to 5’ to convert a crucial birdie!

Now the fun begins … the last two holes are the hardest on the course. Two par four of 450 and 480 yards with the wind working against us. My work at Portmarnock was far from over.

Concentrated like a surgeon on the operating table, I managed to sink a birdie from 12’ on the 17th hole. I believe in my chances more than ever. As I walk to the 18th tee, I’m excited to play the last hole of the day, but also realistic about the challenge ahead. This is the most difficult hole on the property. The hay is high and dense on the left side of the fairway and three small bunkers are on the right side. Other than that, it is a fairly easy driving hole… It is imperative to hit a perfect shot to give yourself a second shot to the green of about 200 yards. The ball leaves the club face 5 to 10 yards more to the right than expected. Despite the trajectory, I sincerely believed I was still in the fairway, maybe just a little left of those black holes. The walk to my ball is quite long and being in a valley it was impossible to see the final result of my tee shot. It was with serenity that I see my ball resting on the lip of the bunker.

It was automatic, my only goal was to get out of trouble and who knows maybe save par. Now out of my misery, I hit a good 7 iron to 16’ to give myself a chance. Everything was still possible!

At this point, there is nothing to lose. You make it and you make the cut. You miss it and you will need some luck. I took the time to read the breaks from all angles and I thought I found the perfect line. I took a good breath, concentrated on my line and hit the shot.

I miss by just a hair, but the damage is done. Now we have to wait about four hours and hope. My nickname is “Rev” for “Reverend” on the national team, so it was an ironic nickname under the circumstances since I needed to pray for my faith.

The first text I received after the round from my dad was: “you have the gift to make it interesting …” Honestly, I still believed in my chances.

Time flies and the afternoon goes by … I get closer to the Top 64, but in the end I’m short and I finish T78. The conditions were pretty quiet in the afternoon and we missed the cut by one shot.

In five participations at the British amateur, I missed the cut by 1 shot twice. The first being my first participation in Carnoustie in 2014. The beauty of this tournament is the match play part of the tournament, where everything is possible and anyone can win! I had the chance to play in the second part of the tournament on two occasions and these are phenomenal experiences.

Even if a good pint of Guinness brings me a little happiness, an athlete is always disappointed not to advance in the tournament. I’m not disappointed with my boguey at the 36th hole, but rather about my first round where I certainly would like to re-do a few shots … However, it is useless to dwell on the past since we cannot change it.

The British amateur remains a test of patience where a conservative strategy regularly beats an aggressive one. The wind protects the course and uncommitted swings can be very expensive. There is always a bit of luck in a tournament like this where the difference between a good tee time and a bad one can be huge. In conclusion, the right mindset and the control of his emotions are keys to success on these difficult courses of Great Britain and Ireland.

I wish everyone to have the chance to play golf over there at least once in their lives,

It’s an unforgettable experience,

Happy Saint-Jean-Baptiste and Happy Canada day,

All the best,

The Island 9th hole

One of the toughest par 3 at The Island. My playing partner in the practice round made a hole in one.

Portmarnock view of #14

The post My experience at British Amateur 2019 appeared first on Joey Savoie.

The name of the tournament is probably the only thing that did not change, except, maybe, the food as it was still delicious. 

This is not to excuse the result, but simply a list of some things that sums up my learning experience. In the end, playing Hamilton Golf and Country Club was obviously a different challenge than Glen Abbey.

Golf Canada, RBC and Hamilton Golf Club brought the experience to a new height and I was glad to be a part of it.

But what did I learn from this week?

After reflection, here is a new expression, that I will now use: the Silverman effect. Although the definition has yet to be written in the dictionary, the Silverman effect would in my words be this: the simple control and complete understanding of who you are and that with humility and respect.

For those who do not know Ben Silverman, he is a Canadian golfer playing his second year on the PGA Tour. The « luck of the draw » made him my playing partner for the first two rounds along side another Canuck Adam Svensson. Ben shot 61 (-9) the second round, and with 4 holes to go, he had a chance for 59. It was the best thing I saw in person and let me try to explain what it was.

Ben Silverman was prepared this week, just as he most probably is all the time. He is not the longest, the straightest, but he has almost perfect control of what he does.

When he had the misfortune of ending up in the long rough of Hamilton G&CC, he always made sure to intelligently position himself to finish it up with an uphill 10footer for par putt. That’s how he started the tournament: missed the fairway left, layed it up to 35 yards in front the green, pitched it to 10’ and finally drained the putt. Par. While that was happening, I felt like I didn’t miss a shot, but still made boguey on the first hole. 

That surely sums out the Silverman effect, he was well aware of what he could and couldn’t do. He wasn’t trying anything special, he was simply executing the shots he knew he could to the best of his abilities. 

Another shot he hit was on the 17th hole in the 2nd day were he stucked a 235 yard shot to 3’ for eagle. He didn’t hit a penetrating long iron, he hit a high cut/slice 3 wood because he knew that shot perfectly and he executed. 

I have to admit, the Silverman effect is also to have a great short game. He was incredible inside 10’ on the greens, he knew when to hit the putt firm through the breaks or delicate. His speed control was perfect and nothing was moving. He had a small unorthodox putter, but he isn’t in it for style, but rather for scoring.

The Silverman effect is also being humble. Always smiling and aways appreciative of his playing partners good shots. He is a real gentleman. 

What is the feeling of being canadian at the canadian open?

That’s another thing I learned: people in Canada will know who you are if you play the Open!

It didn’t matter if I was an amateur and Corey Conners was on the tee box near the green I was putting. When I made that par putt on the 8th green the second round, people cheered like it was a very important putt! They loved to cheer for the Canadians! I won’t forget my coach Daniel Langevin giving me a little wink and fist pump after that putt. It was the most satisfying putt of the tournament as what seemed like a few hundred people were watching.  

Last but not least, playing the Canadian Open makes you appreciative of whoever is helping you get there. My dad Pierre and my mom Hélène were there all week. My coach Daniel Langevin was caddying and we still learned a lot together even if it has been 7 years since he started helping me. My girlfriend Catherine was also present and even caddied for the practice rounds, what a great moment! My sister and other family friends were there to support as well. More broadly, the Golf Canada family was there and I am fortunate to be on the amateur national team and surrounded by Derek Ingram (coach), by Jeff Thomson (the director) and by a great group of people. 

Most importantly, many friends back home and at my golf club Pinegrove showed their support and it was amazing!

The Canadian Open is in the books and we keep learning!

Unto the next one…

Joey

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