Player Blog: Paul Peterson

American Paul Peterson writes this week's Player Blog. Having won on Tour in 2016, the 28 year old talks us through his battle with Thomas Pieters, his love for craft beer, his travel and the most impressive player he's played with.

I feel like every few weeks I fly around the world. In the last six months I’ve played in England, Portugal, Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Dubai, Malaysia, South Africa and now I’m in India. I got some advice a while ago to save up my air miles so I should be in a good place. I’m always tempted to use them for a holiday but there’s a lot of good credit cards designed for people like me in mind, so I’m saving them for something special one day.

The travel we get to do on the European Tour is amazingand I’m aware how lucky I am. The Tour does a great job of taking the schedule to some incredible places and incredible cities and whether it’s the Czech Republic, Denmark, South Africa, Switzerland or Scotland, the variety of where we get to play really helps improve me both as a player and as a person.

It’s always fun to come back to Asia. I played quite a bit over here in 2014 and 2015 and I seem to play well in this part of the world. It’s great to see a lot of familiar faces and catch up with some of the Asian Tour guys and remember when I started my professional career.

I’ve heard quite a bit about this course and it looks incredible. I’m not sure I’ve ever played a 4,000 yard back nine before but it’s not the 600 yard par fives that scare me, more the sound of the 275 yard par three 16th hole. I doubt the tournament officials will play it that far back but the course is certainly going to be challenging.

It’s been a good start to the year for me. I’ve played seven events and the only two cuts I’ve missed have been by one shot, in tricky conditions in Dubai and then in a strong field in Abu Dhabi. I played well in Joburg a couple of weeks ago and feel like I’m trending the right way. If I can get my putter working, I know I can shoot low. I think I saw on the European Tour Twitter feed that I’ve shot more sub 65 rounds than anyone in the last couple of years, so I’m obviously doing something right.

When I’m not playing, and not travelling, I’ll be back in Arizonawhere I live, looking for a game with my friends or practicing at courses near me. The weather there is pretty great year round so we’re always out on the course, or walking the dogs or having a barbeque in the back yard.

I’m a big craft beer fan. Growing up in Oregon, it has become the craft beer capital of the States and every time I’m back in the US, I’m always trying new beers and asking friends what the latest beer is. I tend to go away for a few weeks at a time and it seems as though every time I come home there’s another ten craft beers to try.

I couldn’t believe the beer in Prague last year. Not sure I’ve ever paid less than a dollar for a pint of beer before. I didn’t really get a chance to celebrate my win there as much as everyone may expect as I had a 5am flight the next morning. I held the celebrations for when I was back in the States with my friends and family but if I manage to defend my title this year, I’ll be sure to cancel any travel plans and celebrate accordingly. It’s a pretty good city to have party in.

I remember a lot about that week in Czech. I shot 64 on Saturday and was two behind Thomas Pieters in the final group. He was pretty chatty early in the round and but once I started making a few birdies I could sense his game face coming on. Players like him are able to turn a switch and step up their game in those moments. He was hitting it so far, I just had to stick to what I could do and try and hit it in close, first, before he could.

Winning your first 🏆 in style...https://t.co/wMrQhg1nfL

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) 21 August 2016

I’ll never forget that final putt. I had been in contention in events before but never won or had a putt to win before. I must have practiced that putt in my head or on a course back home 10,000 times but I felt confident over it. I knew Thomas was in close and that if I holed it, he couldn’t catch me. I hadn’t hit a putt from that part of the green at all that week, not even in practice. I had been reading the greens well all week and trusted my read and it was great to it roll into the middle of the hole.

I actually had my mental coach on the bag that week. He was travelling and picked up my sticks and it was a great week for us both. It was the only time he has caddied for me actually, so I guess he has a hundred percent record. He’ll actually be on the bag again this year when I had back there so maybe we can make two-for-two.

Martin Kaymer is probably the most impressive player I’ve played with so far on Tour. He is such a complete player and an amazing ball striker. Thomas was really impressive in Czech, with how far and straight he can hit it off the tee, but the truth is there are so many great players on the European Tour. I look at young guys like Jordan Smith and Romain Langasque, from the Challenge Tour, they arrive on Tour now ready to win which I think is different from how it used to be. The Challenge Tour seems to really prepare these guys for life on Tour and I don’t think it will be long until those two guys pick up a win.

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