Times goes but passion stays! I remember back in 1999 invited by the South Africa Tourism Board visiting Gary Player having tea in his home Ranches and Lob Wedges over is private pitching green. Later on our way to 1904 Stellenbosch Country Club I got to meet and play with back then rare +4 HCP Andrew Plunkett. In the 80's Driving the ball over 300 yds was something almost unreal. Andrew was unreal and later I convince a sponsor to invite Andrew to Switzlerland for an intensive training summer. During that Summer of 1990 Andrew was the attraction of Crans sur Sierre Driving Range. His Power Swing Power Lag was something never seen before.... and after Winning the 1990 Amateur most prestigious Omnium I thought this one is the "One"! Just wait....
... I had to wait 27 years not for Andrew Plunkett but for Davide Albertini not quite the same profile but for sure great determination to make a case that with hard and serious work starting golf late can still do great job! And great job Davide did by finishing level Par his best 4 rounds results so far. Most importantly, I could Caddie Davide and get a really close up on his performance capabilities. During our 4 rounds together, we got to paired with 2 players scoring their best round as well, (64 and 62), and this gave me a great "Laboratory" to better understand how two amateurs can score so low and still not win the Omnium...
When I first launch CaddiePlayer in 2013, my first thoughts were how does it can benefit my own country? as at the first place it’s because of my country Switzerland than I could built such a machine to calculate innovative Swing Score, PuttZones and many more great Data to improve someone's scoring.
To me, as many others, serving our country really means that "I want to be a part of something bigger than myself". In golf, bigger them myself would certainly means seeing a Swiss Citizen playing full time on the European Tour* and be proud every week when I am there, to see the Swiss Flag officially somewhere at the Player Lounge or at the Range. As back then Swiss Players were no where near... The paradox of Swiss Golf is that for some powerful economic reasons Swiss Companies LOGO are in every Major Golf Tournaments but still their citizens TOP Elite Golfers not*.
When early 2014, I contacted the Swiss Golf Authority (ASG) to introduce about the added value from CaddiePlayer, they put me in contact with Joel Girrbach. After receiving 10 rounds (this is a good number of rounds to average the Data), I got impressed by Joel's Data SwingScore at 68,3! I then immediately inform the ASG.... Today, I am proud to see Joel Girrbach making history by winning last week the Swiss Challenge Tour in Sempach his home Club.
Let’s hope next year The Swiss Flag will finally be back on the European Tour. Until next time, Stéphane
When I found out that a 16 years old from Nigeria was about to come to Evian for the Championship qualify Jabra Let Access; I tweeted > "Does she need a Caddie?" One week later here Evian I was meeting Smily/Happy Georgia Oboh and supportive Mother and Father. 36 holes of CaddiePlayer Caddie later, I was convinced, Goergia has the right "MindSet" to make it to the higest level. Now its just a matter of getting her "SwingScore" low... probably sometimes in 2018.
Until then #IamCaddiePlayerStéphane welcome #CaddiePlayerGeorgia
I have just ended my first "RolexSeries" week with a Monday stretch to experience US Open qualify at the historical venue Walton Health Golf Club where spectators could enjoy their "Bank" Holiday walking free on the course next to their stars witnessing one of them as so called "BEEEEF" (Johnston) Hole in One at the second hole of the "New" course (1905). What a great experience it was!
CaddiePlayer Jacquelin and Havret played well, respectively 7 and 6 under but when you have only 15 qualify spots, playing well is unfortunately not well enough as 9 under was the playoff score.
Wentworth BMW PGA Championship and first "RolexSeries" event was also the launch of their new look "Website" EuropeanTour.com as well their innovative "European Tour Performance Statistics" Card.
In 2012, after conducting my putting research, I was trying to convince the European Tour Authority to use CaddiePlayer alike stats card by at least collecting the distance of the first putt. This initiative was to be better in line with modern research findings (Broadie 2011) and with it more putting data's. Finally, after 7 years of waiting the European Tour deliver it... As per now those data are still on Caddies "Voluntary" base but soon to become Mandatory in order to deliver a better understand of Players Performance and with it to give extra entertainment information to the spectators.
So with this European Tour Statistics initiative I welcome all European Tour CADDIES to a new kind of data's Area....
Until Next Time #IamCaddiePlayer Stephane
CaddiePlayer Raphael Jacquelin new format Statistics from European Tour
CaddiePlayer Gregory Havret new format Statistics from European Tour
