Ahead of the defence of his Open de France crown, Austria’s Number One Bernd Wiesberger talks about the Olympic Games, looking up to Markus Brier, his Ryder Cup prospects and what he gets up to off the course….
Most players don’t get the chance to defend a title too many times in their career, so this is a special week. It’s also a special course – I felt I would enjoy this place the first time I played it. It’s a course that challenges every aspect of your game, and I’ve always felt comfortable in that situation. The changes they have made to the course will bring that out even more, so I’m looking forward to getting started.
Last year I wouldn’t say I got off to a slow start, but it was only steady until I got to the weekend. I played with Max Kieffer on Saturday, I think he shot 65 and I shot 66 and he got into the final group, and I was one or two groups ahead of them. So I knew my game was in good shape, obviously you can never expect to shoot a 65 every day out there but on the final day, everything seemed to click. I made five birdies in six holes from the fourth, and the game felt easy. I felt like I was well in control and didn’t do anything stupid, and didn’t get too aggressive. I had James Morrison in my group who played really well and put some pressure on me, but fortunately I scrambled and putted well enough on the back nine to keep a safe distance.
Winning this tournament once was special,but to win it back-to-back would be amazing.
When you look at the list of winners on the trophy, almost all the European greats have their names on it. I don’t want to put myself in the same bracket as them, but it definitely feels good to see my name on a trophy alongside them. It’s a real honour to be part of that group.
France has been a real happy hunting ground for me. I won twice on the Challenge Tour in France in 2010, first in Lyon when I shot a 62 on the final day, and then in Toulouse. The only Austrian woman to win on the Ladies European Tour, Nicole Gergely, also won in France in 2009, so this country has been pretty good for Austrian golfers.
I’m looking forward to playing with Martin Kaymer in the first two rounds.We’ve played together a couple times before. He used to have a bit of a different schedule when he was playing mainly in America, but this year he has focused a bit more on Europe so we see him around a bit more, which is great for the Tour. We get along really well, it’s always nice playing with him. He’s a great guy and a great player and he’s also some success around here in the past, so it’s going to be an exciting first two days.
Markus Brier was an inspiration for me when I was growing up. When I was a leading amateur and then started playing on the Challenge Tour, he was still very successful on the main Tour so I didn’t get to see him that much. But he was definitely someone to look up to, coming from the same country and showing the path for me and other young Austrian golfers coming up through the ranks.
Hopefully I qualify for the Olympics, because it would be such an honour to represent Austria in Rio. It will be a lot of fun, and of course it would be an honour to win a medal. I’ve played for Austria in the World Cup but you don’t get the chance to do it very often, so I’m very excited about it. But I’m also excited about meeting people from other sports and getting an appreciation for the whole Olympic experience. I’m going to watch a couple of different sports and get to know some of the other Austrian athletes who I wouldn't necessarily meet. I’m definitely going to spend some time in other arenas, and it’s great that everybody comes together on one huge sporting stage.
Of course I’d love to play in The Ryder Cup, but it’s not the last thing I think about before going to sleep at night. I know I need to play very well in the tournaments coming up, and obviously this week is a great chance to make an impression. If I could repeat what happened last year, it would be a huge step towards qualifying. It would be amazing to represent Europe at Hazeltine in September, but if it doesn’t happen this year then hopefully there will be other chances.
This is the seventh week out of the last eight that I’ve played a tournament, so it’s been a very busy stretch. But when I get the chance, it’s nice to go back home to Austria and put the clubs away a bit and relax with friends and family. I like hanging out with my brother in Vienna and spending time with my girlfriend. I think it’s important to have those days where you switch off completely from golf and do other things, whether it’s playing or watching sport or socialising. It’s important to clear your head so that when you do go back to golf, you feel refreshed and excited.
I don’t ski as much as I used to. I broke a collarbone in 2003, but I still ski every now and then. It’s something I enjoy doing, but unfortunately it’s difficult to find the time and sometimes you feel guilty if you’re away for a week because you’ve missed out on a lot of practice. Our job is on the golf course, and whilst it’s important to take holidays, you can’t spend too long away from the range. But maybe at the end of this year or the start of next, we can go away for a few days. I don’t really worry about injuring myself again, but obviously you’ve got to be wary of what’s around you, because some skiers are only beginners and they can sometimes lose control!
