Putting - a key to success
30.10.2019

The Golf Club de Genève is accustomed to hosting major tournaments and trimming the course on worldclass tour level. The Challenge Tour (Rolex Trophy) is held every summer at Lake Geneva. Since the elaborate course and green renovation based on Augusta National standards - the greens can be ventilated from below as needed or the moisture can be deliberately dissipated. The private club now owns the fastest greens in Switzerland. The members of the Swiss PGA were able to experience the new greens and the demanding course at the beginning of October at the Swiss PGA Championship 2019. "The Swiss PGA plays a key role in Swiss golf - without Teaching Professionals our sport can not develop further," explains François Lautens, manager of the GC de Genève. That's why managers and executives in Geneva also believe it's "very important to support the Swiss PGA".

The association received a lot of support in the context of the Swiss PGA Championship: The club organized the championship perfectly, offered meals and found a prize money sponsor for each day. This, combined with warm hospitality and a first-class maintained course, will lastingly be remembered by the participants.

"The Stimpmeter shwoed 13.4 (4.05 meters)" in the final round on Thursday, October 3 - a green speed, which is otherwise probably only found in international major tournaments. An unfamiliar challenge even for those Swiss PGA members who regularly play tournaments. Corsin Caviezel, who dominated the competition with a round of 68, says: "Putting on these greens was extremely fun - and humble at the same time." He'd never been lucky enough to be on such fast greens to play. "I broke off the practice round after 9 holes to practice putting and getting used to the green speed." Before the first round of the tournament, he spent 90 minutes (!) on the putting green . "In the four days in Geneva, I invested about three hours into putting practice». GCG Manager François Lautens sees this as a compliment: "Our greenkeeping team did nothing special in the run-up to the Swiss PGA Championship - we cut and rolled the greens to 3.5 millimeters per day."

The putting practice in Geneva should pay off for Corsin Caviezel. Because the key to success lies in the short game in Geneva. "The greens and their surroundings are very demanding. The short game within a 80 meter range is extremely important, "says Caviezel. And because the Grisons had these greens better under control than the competition - he needed 28, 34 and on the final day again 28 putts - he could celebrate his second Swiss PGA champion title.

After three rounds, hardly one had Corsin Caviezel on the list. The Grison was six strokes behind Marc Dobias and five behind Justin Brink. At the end, the two shared secon place - two strokes behind Caviezel. "I started in the final round with the goal of having fun - I wanted to play junior golf, let it really crack," said the 32-year-old with a mischievous grin. "I knew that it could go wrong in nine out of ten, but I had nothing to lose." The 32-year-old played offensively, had six birdie putts from less than four meters on each of the first seven holes. On the 8th hole, a par 5 dogleg left with water in front of the green, from 192 yards on the second shot - "I had to play an 80 meter hook around the trees - the ball landed one and a half meters next to the flag», says Caviezel. "After the putt had fallen to the Eagle, I was in the tunnel. On the 9th hole, I chipped in and on the 10th, I stuffed a 15-meter putt. The following two hours I played my best golf. "After 13 holes, Caviezel found himself at the top of the leaderboard. But he claims that the pressure was not as great as in the final round of his first PGA title. In 2016, Caviezel celebrated a start-finish victory at the Swiss PGA Championship in Andermatt and played in the final flight on the final day. In Geneva, however, he had to wait in the clubhouse for the last flight. "To score in the last flight with the last putt of the tournament is the most beautiful thing for a golfer. But winning as a 'ordinary Grison' in Geneva is also something special, "says Caviezel.

The performance of the Teaching Pro from GC Ybrig, is also recognized by the Geneva: "The course and especially the greens were difficult. The players needed time to get used to our greens. Corsin Caviezel's 68 on the final day was impressive, and also an outstanding performance compared to the Rolex Trophy scores, "said François Lautens. From the point of view of the GC de Genève, the manager takes a positive view of this event and is convinced that his club will definitely host the Swiss PGA or its championship once again. When this will be, is still open.

However, it is clear who won the senior title at the Swiss PGA Championship 2019: David Thompson celebrated a start-finish victory and won by three strokes ahead of Karim El Baradie; another three strokes back Lloyd Freeman took third place.