I was sorry not to be at the Final in Dubai this year. It’s obvious that it always makes you angry because it means that your results have not been good enough to get you among the top 50 in the European Circuit, but also because of a very particular and honourable statistic. I was, along with Rory McIlroy, the one who had played the most editions of the DP World Tour Championship. Now he has one more than me and trying to pass him is going to be complicated.
Sportingly, 2023 has not been a good year. It started very well in Abu Dhabi and with good weeks in Thailand, Kenya and some powerful round in Ras al Khaimah, but then came a very bad summer, where I missed more cuts in a row than in my entire career. Now at the end I have had better feelings, but without the harvest of results enough to turn the season around.
The new campaign has started well. The first week in Australia was very good, with a top 10 that at least has served to cut the streak and I am with positive energy, the illusion and the desire to put the same effort and work as always to recover my best level of play.
Being realistic, the results show that I am light years away from my best level, but when I analyse it coldly I know that I am not that far away. The main key is in the shots to green. The drive has improved this year, but I have not managed to capitalise on it with the second shots. The chip and the putter are also better, so I have a clear line of work. I need to continue recovering my best level with the irons, looking for my fade ball.
In my natural way of hitting the ball for twenty years, I always visualise a shot that comes out to the left of the flag and opens about three, four or five metres. However, in recent times I have had many balls that came out on the left and did not return… or ended up even further to the left. I don’t like that and it doesn’t allow me to be comfortable. It forces me to correct where I have to aim, to protect myself more and thus it is difficult to achieve results. It is very uncomfortable for me to aim to the right, but if I aim to the left and I know that there are chances that the ball will not open, you protect yourself by aiming a little more to the right and if the shot is bad, then you can end up off the green and if it is good, at best it ends up five or six metres away which is not a clear birdie opportunity.
This is what has been happening to me and what had me limited. That’s why, both in the three weeks before Australia, and now before travelling to the desert, I am working on my fade ball. This does not mean that when I have to hit a ball to the draw I am not able to do it, but it is important to have a natural shot where you are more comfortable. The standard 7 iron should be aiming four or five metres to the left of the flag and waiting for it to open to leave it very close. I am convinced that when I manage to settle that fade ball, and it’s not far off, the turn of the results is going to be abysmal.
You already know that I am a fairly rational and empirical person. I like to look at the data. Well, the statistic that has the most correlation with the world ranking is the approach to green. If you are well placed in the first, you will also be in the second… and vice versa. It’s about improving in greens caught and in proximity to the flag. This aspect is what is affecting my results.
As for the calendar, in principle I will play the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, Ras al Khaimah, Bahrain and Qatar. From there, we will see depending on how the results go.
I take this opportunity to wish you all a happy new year and all the best for 2024.
