Later this 12 months we are going to see the Solheim and Ryder Cups being performed inside a couple of weeks of each other. At Finca Cortesin in Spain Emily Pedersen will seemingly make her third look, alongside her compatriot Nanna Koerstz Madsen. Within the males’s sport Thorbjorn Olesen, twice a winner prior to now 9 months, is making a concerted transfer to creating Luke Donald’s facet in Italy. Then we’ve the Hojgaard twins, Rasmus and Nicolai, who’re already being talked about as possibles for Rome. They flip 22 in a few weeks.
The rise of Danish golf has been one of many speaking factors within the sport for a while and, for a rustic with one thing like 150,000 registered golfers, they’re now an outstanding power. We spoke to Pedersen to see what the nation and the federation excels at and what classes might be learnt from them.
What does Danish golf accomplish that nicely?
I believe one of many issues is that each one the coaches work collectively throughout the board they usually at all times go on coaching camps collectively. They’re so good at getting assist from exterior and listening to different coaches and they’re very open-minded. Thomas Bjorn has been having a couple of conferences with the federation in order that they’re making an attempt to make use of his expertise however, as an entire, the Danish Golf Union are so good at making an attempt to continuously be taught and develop and that’s serving to the gamers loads.
When did you become involved with the Danish Golf Union?
I used to be on the nationwide staff at 12. When you will have reached the extent of a nationwide staff you’ll at all times have at the least one follow camp yearly the place the junior girls and boys, males’s and girls’s groups, and the professional men and women will get to practise collectively which is nice. We will even have particular person camps with the professionals and amateurs however I believe it’s fairly distinctive to have the ability to see what everybody else is doing and it’s an important motivator. So you’ll have a 14-year-old watching the Hojgaard twins and the way they’re practising and it’s the identical with the women and girls and spending time with us.
How is the transition dealt with from the newbie to the skilled sport?
They maintain us within the staff once we flip professional. Ten years in the past they created this professional staff so, on your first couple of years as an expert once you is likely to be within the hunt to get to the Olympics, you’ll nonetheless get plenty of help from federation. Quite a lot of us are utilizing them as coaches in order that’s nice to maintain the momentum and it provides you a little bit of a security internet once you flip professional which is good. It’s already an enormous factor to show professional, it’s your job, and it’s a large assist to have individuals to lean on and ask and be round.
Is that interval the toughest to maintain issues shifting ahead?
It’s a large time. Your on a regular basis life has been comfy and now you’re by yourself and that is your job. You’ve gotten faculty from 8-4 after which scheduled follow after which it’s a must to learn the way a lot to work out, practise, prioritise your time and when to relaxation. You’ve gotten all day and 12 hours to handle. It’s good to have a little bit of steering and other people to lean on from individuals who have performed it earlier than.
What’s the angle to junior golf like in Denmark?
Girls’s junior coaches will ask me and my coach what we did at that age. There’s plenty of help and plenty of good kids who journey in a staff. The principle factor is that everybody is open-minded to increase on what they’re doing and to share it with others. I’m at all times glad to share my experiences – everyone seems to be doing it otherwise and that may encourage individuals.
(Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
What was it like as a lady golfer rising up in Denmark?
We at all times had this women’ solely tour which is encouraging women of all ages and handicaps to go to those tournaments. So, if you happen to’re off 20 otherwise you’re off scratch, you possibly can go. I’d additionally practise with the fellows and be taught to compete. The fellows generally is a bit extra aggressive across the brief sport and they might at all times try this and that actually improved my sport and mindset. I grew up with JB Hansen, Lucas Bjerregaard was additionally round, and there have been plenty of robust gamers. I used to be already a professional by the point the Hojgaard twins got here by means of.
Thomas Bjorn has additionally been nice. He’s not within the federation however he helped me get a administration deal and is the type of one that I may at all times name or message to ask for some recommendation and he’s tremendous open. Thomas is an enormous character and the most important identify in Danish golf so for him to wish to assistance is nice.
When did you first hear about them?
I solely really heard about them once they received the Eisenhower Trophy in 2018. I requested my coach who they have been they usually type of popped out of nowhere. Then they took off and now they’re doing so nicely. I’ve performed with them since they usually’re each massively spectacular. You overlook how younger they’re however they act fairly mature for his or her age on the course and deal with themselves so nicely they usually know what they need. They’ve at all times needed to do it and their self-belief shines by means of a lot and that’s a part of the rationale that they’re so good and clearly they’re tremendous proficient. Nicolai is without doubt one of the longest hitters on any tour however they each deal with themselves so nicely and that makes them stand out a bit. They’re tremendous skilled.
You got here by means of with Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Nicole Broch Larsen, how a lot does having friends with you assist?
Competitors is nice, particularly once you’re near somebody. That helped us all originally, now I don’t evaluate myself to them as a lot however as amateurs and once we got here out we pushed each other on. Nanna now has a fiancé and Nicole is married so the older that you get, the extra you need your personal house however that was big once we all turned professional.
How would you summarise the Danish mindset?
Typically fairly hard-working and we’re fairly important of ourselves, that may be a very Danish manner. We’re a bit bit prefer it’s by no means adequate and to continuously attempt to get higher is a really Danish mentality.
