Towards the end of last year, I had my plate full – I was finishing up my Master’s degree in Business Analytics at the University of Iowa, completing my military service “Spitzensport-RS” in Magglingen, and starting out my career as a professional golfer. I ended 2023 on a high with a degree to my name and a great showing at the DP Qualifying School, earning myself full status on the Challenge Tour and partial status on the DP World Tour for 2024. This year, my tournament schedule was much fuller, and my life became more golf-centric, being on the road for 30 weeks this year. In many ways, this year was not quite what I had hoped for after such a promising trajectory coming out of 2023, securing only a lower category on the Challenge Tour for 2025. That being said, as in any career, there are highs and lows, and I’d like to provide some authentic insight into my year and relive some moments in writing. Some of you who have followed me throughout the year may recognize some excerpts.
How was the season?
I celebrated both my best finishes on the DP World Tour and on the Challenge Tour last year with a 42nd place at the Omega European Masters and a 12th place at the Finnish Challenge. I recorded a further two top-25 finishes on the Challenge Tour and some decent tournament finishes along the way. My scoring average and total strokes gained versus the field improved over last year. Finally, I was proud to have overcome adversity and bounce back from bad stretches on various occasions. All this shows me that I am on the right track.
I commenced the year with a Swissgolf camp in Al Ain, UAE, which was direct preparation for the upcoming South African swing. I remember the first event at Zebula Estate in the North of South Africa felt major. My personal intensity was very high, and I missed the cut by 2 shots. I thoroughly analyzed my tournament and had a clear plan on what I needed to change on the technical, mental, and strategic sides for the following week. It took me a significant portion of the first half of the season to realize that striving to become better every day was important, but it had to be kept in relation to the bigger picture. Overanalysis and constant searching for changes each week proved to be too reactive. It was more fruitful to have specific long-term themes to work on and to know my tendencies by heart. Additionally, my emotional investment was high – understandable, as I truly care and want to perform to the best of my abilities – but it also led to me being overly self-critical after tournaments. This was perhaps most evident to me after a tournament in the latter half of the season in Poland. I was playing well and was inside the cut line for a long time before giving it away on the final holes. I was furious with myself and disappointed. It was emotionally draining. That experience reinforced the idea of looking at and evaluating longer periods, seeing this journey as a process rather than a "life-or-death" situation each week. I followed it up with what I subjectively feel was the best month of the year in terms of results, mindset, and enjoyment.
What did I learn, and what will I change for next season?
I’ve learned a lot. The first was the importance of seeing the bigger picture. I used to take each event under a microscope and immediately try to adjust technical aspects, which was neither sustainable technically nor emotionally, as there was no overall direction to the changes. I will now be setting clearer plans regarding what I want to achieve in a time period and then taking the results as they come, knowing I’ve done the best preparation I can and have an overarching goal.
Secondly, the importance of planning the schedule wisely. I was very eager and played a ton of tournaments, even eight weeks in a row to end the season. Given how top-heavy the ranking points and prize money are distributed in golf, it’s more important to have a handful of top finishes rather than running on an empty tank and getting a string of mediocre results. Next year, I’ll focus on planning shorter blocks of tournaments to ensure I’m rested and ready to compete.
Finally, I needed to learn how to adjust from college golf to professional golf. As a college athlete, I had the luxury of having my schedule planned out, coaches at every event, a support system, teammates to travel and live with, and studies as a distraction from golf. As a professional, it’s been easy to let golf take over completely, which I’ve realized isn’t always productive. Moving forward, I’ll aim to find a better balance by working on other aspects of life alongside golf.
What’s next?
Now there is some time for technical work before preparation in warmer regions for the 2025 season. Next year, I’ll continue to play primarily on the Challenge Tour, with some Pro Golf Tour events to fill gaps in the schedule. While the full tournament calendar is still being finalized, I’m excited about the opportunities ahead and ready to make the most of them.
I wish you all a festive winter season and look forward to taking 2025 by storm.
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