Yes, I took a month off because the 2023 season was long and demanding, and I needed to put down the clubs and get my mind off things. I took the opportunity to do a lot of sport and start physical preparation for the 2024 season.
I spent some time in Dubai to get the best training conditions, because where I live in Munich, it's complicated in winter. In Dubai, the courses are extremely well maintained and the greens are highly technical. It's ideal for working on your short game and putting in particular.
My typical day is sport from 7am to 8:15am, then breakfast, then golf from 9am to 12:30pm. Then lunch and back to the golf course. We often play mini-tournaments with the other pro players present, which allows us to put ourselves back in the situation of a player under pressure. It's also a chance to meet some of the great players like Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott, with whom I played a round. It's interesting to rub shoulders with these players, and there's always something to take away, like the way they manage their recos.
My assessment of the 2023 season is that I know I'm ready to move up to the next level, which is the DP World Tour. Unfortunately, I didn't get off to a great start to the season, and that's a shame, because in the end it came down to nothing, either in the Challenge Tour final in Mallorca or on the cards. It's very frustrating because I missed the elevator to the DP World Tour by one shot, while I made a comma on 17 and 18... It was difficult to manage for two weeks. But then you have to turn the page and look ahead to next season.
I plan to return to South Africa at the beginning of February. There are some changes this year in the calendar. There are some new tournaments, in India for example. My calendar is already planned. I will adapt depending on my current shape. I don't rule out playing a few DP World Tour tournaments because I have a small category that allows me to do so. But that will not be my priority because it does not earn points for the Challenge Tour and my goal remains to get on the DP World Tour with a full category for 2025.
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