Turkey has yet to really make its mark on the golfing landscape, but that could all be about to change after the emergence of some impressive young amateurs, chief among them Gencer Özcan.
At the Eisenhower Trophy two years ago, Özcan – one of the star home attractions at this week’s Turkish Airlines Challenge hosted by Carya Golf Club, played at his home club – finished in a highly creditable 17th place.
Özcan’s performance at Royal Adelaide Golf Club helped his native Turkey to 19th place out of the 72 teams competing, which represented the highest finish the country had recorded in the prestigious biennial team event, ahead of more established golfing nations such as Germany, Ireland, Japan and Portugal.
Özcan, who was partnered by Mustafa Hocaoglu and Hamza Sayin, finished the four-round stroke play event with an aggregate score of level par.
He said: “It was a great experience to play in the Eisenhower Trophy. I played really well – better than I had expected, because I had only played in five or six amateur events before that week. So I was really pleased with how it went, and made me want to play more in bigger and better tournaments.”
The tournament was won in emphatic fashion by a Scotland team which included Wallace Booth and Callum Macaulay, who like Sayin and Özcan were also in action at Carya Golf Club this week.
Özcan has now set his sights on following Booth and Macaulay into the professional ranks.
He said: “I’m hoping to get some more invitations to play on the Challenge Tour this year, then I will try to get my European Tour card through the Qualifying School. That is my dream. But whatever happens, I will turn professional at the end of this year and try to make a career out of playing golf, because I enjoy it so much.
“It will be difficult to find sponsors because golf is still not that big in Turkey yet, but I’m hoping to organise something in the next couple of months. So far the Turkish Federation and also Carya Golf Club have been really good to me, so I have to say thank you to them.
“I was a little disappointed to miss the cut this week, but I hadn’t expected to play my best, because I had hurt my back and shoulders and so couldn’t practice as much as I would like. But I was pleased to see Hamza and Koray [Varli] make the cut, especially Koray, who’s only 18. I think he’s going to be a very good player.”
In a sign of golf’s increasing popularity in the country, Turkey will hold the Eisenhower Trophy for the first time when Antalya Golf Club and Cornelia Golf Club stage the contest in 2012.
