Joël Stalter is looking to carry on the form he showed last time he teed it up at Cleydael Golf and Country Club when he returns to compete at the KPMG Trophy this week.
The Frenchman has fond memories of playing at the Belgian course, where, in his second professional event, he finished fifth at the 2014 tournament on the European Challenge Tour.
Now challenging for a spot in the top 15 of the Road to Oman Rankings, the 23 year old is both confident and excited to compete again in Aartselaar.
“I know the big week is coming soon, I just want to keep putting myself in a top position come Sunday,” said Stalter who is currently 13th on the 2016 Road to Oman.
“When I last came here it was only my second event as a professional and I finished fifth, so it was a really good week for me. I love the course and the place – is it not far from Antwerp which is a great city.
“Looking at the course the greens were really good and it was very narrow off the tee – so you have to hit it straight. The greens were very firm which helps separate the field even more and it is not something we see every week, so hopefully that will happen again. It is a beautiful place and the facilities are great.
“Even better is that it is only two hours from home, as I live in Luxembourg, and I have a group of friends coming over to watch so it will be really fun.
“I think my game suits the course too. You have to hit very straight off the tee if you want to take advantage of some holes. If you’re long there are a few options as well, so it is good. Overall my game suits many courses, some better than others, so I can see myself having a good week.”
Formerly France’s highest-ranked amateur, Stalter starred in American collegiate golf, claiming five senior titles while studying at the University of California.
Since turning professional in 2014, the former stable-mate of Brooks Koepka has made a big impact on Europe’s top developmental tour – shooting two course records already this season in Kenya and Madrid.
“A little bit of luck here and there is all I need to push on a bit further,” he said following a fourth place finish last week in Switzerland.
“It is only one or two shots a tournament that is the difference between winning and not winning. But I am happy trying to finish in the top 15 every week because it is a long season and consistency is key.
Joël Stalter finished tied 10th at the Turkish Airlines Challenge, one of three top-ten finishes this season.
“Over the season there are going to be times when you finish in the top two or three and you put yourself in contention. The more you do it the better you become at it.
“It’s all about making a few more putts and I think I can go lower. It’s funny, the two days I shot 64 for the two course records I didn’t hole that many putts. I just played well, hit it really close, so I feel like I have got a lot more rounds like these if I can sink a few more putts.”
