When the 2017 European Challenge Tour season ended, Victor Perez found himself exhausted and frustrated, having just finished 18th in the Rankings — three spots shy of earning a European Tour card, despite collecting nearly €50,000, including a win, in his final five events.
He was so tired, in fact, he chose to skip the six-round marathon at the European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage.
With nothing left in the tank, the Frenchman committed himself to improving his game over the winter and making an earlier run up the Rankings when the Challenge Tour returned to action in the new year.
Golf, however, is rarely that simple, and through his first five starts of 2018, Perez had missed three cuts and failed to record a single top 15 finish.
His confidence might have been lower had it not been propped up by some successes, like a sixth place finish in the innovative Belgian Knockout.
Despite an invitation to his home European Tour event, the Open de France, Perez found himself lost and searching for answers after shooting rounds of 77-80 around Le Golf National.
It was the same day he shot 80, where Perez’s season turned around for good – thanks to the advice of one of the world’s best players.
“I didn’t have my best stuff with me that week as I was trying to focus on playing ‘perfectly,’” he said. “I sought out advice from many people on site, but the most impactful conversation was with Jimmy Johnson, who caddies for Justin Thomas.
“I asked him about how Justin plays so well so consistently. He explained the simplicity with which Justin approaches the game and how he focuses on his strengths to play his best golf.
“Once I started focusing on simplifying my decision-making process, my game took off to new heights.”
Indeed it did, following that fateful conversation Perez made the cut in every one of his remaining Challenge Tour starts, and amassed an incredible record of six top ten finishes in 11 events which propelled him to third-place on the Road to Ras Al Khaimah with €194,236.
The University of New Mexico graduate finished tied seventh in his first appearance after the Open de France, and then claimed a share of fourth at the Galgorm Resort & Spa Northern Ireland Open, presented by Modest! Golf, to qualify for the limited-field Rolex Trophy.
In the seven starts from the Rolex Trophy to the season-ending Ras Al Khaimah Challenge Tour Grand Final, Perez did not finish outside the top 15, recording three top five finishes in his final four events highlighted by a win at the Foshan Open, and a second place finish at the Grand Final, which saw him miss a play-off, and a chance to win the Rankings, by a single shot.
With his maiden European Tour campaign set to begin tomorrow at the Honma Hong Kong Open presented by Amundi, Perez has not forgotten how the right advice, at the right time, unlocked his growing potential.
“I was so close last year and just came up short with a little lack of experience,” he said. “I feel like I played such great golf since August with all those top tens and top 15s. I couldn’t be happier.
“The Open de France was great for me to understand what little things the best players in the world do throughout the week. It is this advice which helped me gain confidence and indirectly my 2019 European Tour card.”
