After a welcome two-week break from his schedule, Victor Perez is back and ready to lay siege to the European Challenge Tour, beginning with this week’s KPMG Trophy at L’Empereur Golf and Country Club.
The Frenchman’s last outing was on the European Tour when he finished as a quarter finalist in the innovative Belgian Knockout, bowing out of the competition to Scotsman David Drysdale.
And after a fortnight spent recharging his batteries ahead of an intense period on the Challenge Tour, Perez is looking forward to his KPMG Trophy debut and making the most of the opportunity to work with his coach.
“I think this is a good chance to improve your game,” he said. “I’m going to play in this one, Saint Omer and then go to Scotland, so there’s just so much golf going on. If I do have a good week then it’ll be fun.
“My coach is here and I haven’t seen him in a while so I’m trying to tune in a little bit. I was feeling pretty good but I just want to tune in and I obviously know that there’s going to be four weeks of golf and I’m just going to take it one shot at a time and see where it goes.
“I’m coming off the back of a great tournament. The quarter-final against David Drysdale was fun and playing in front of a lot of people, in just a little nine-hole course, it felt like a bigger crowd.
“It was awesome, especially in that little match play format. I had two weeks off after that just to try and relax a little bit and get some energy because I think we’re just going to put the foot on the gas until the end of the season.”
Prior to the match play stage of the Belgian Knockout, the 25 year old had only carded two bogeys in his last 54 holes and he is aiming to continue keeping the ball in play around a course which will require diligent strategy, according to the man himself.
“I’m keeping the ball in play and not making too many mistakes,” he continued. “I think I only had one bogey in 36 holes in Belgium which made me play stress-free golf.
“I think the Belgian Knockout course suited me. It was one of those tight courses in the trees where you just have to think your way around it. I felt like I kept the ball in play a lot off the tee, which is something I’m going to need this week.
“I think there’s going to be strategy involved this week because there are dog legs and some cross winds so it’s going to be interesting to see what the guys are going to do off the tee.
“It’s quite firm so you can roll the ball – I know a lot of guys use the two iron so the play off the tee is going to be key.
“If you want to get yourself in contention for the weekend, it’s going to be about placing the ball in the right areas.”
