When we focus on golfers with the potential and talent to propel Quebec golf, Joey Savoie and Étienne Papineau inevitably top the list. Golf is a sport of details and that’s what you have to look at to understand what golfers here are missing to be able to settle permanently on the PGA Tour.
Savoie and Papineau have a very good relationship. The two golfers have been following each other for a long time and this week, they faced off on the fairways of the Château-Bromont golf course, as part of the Omnium du Québec, the most anticipated tournament of the year on Quebec soil.
If the two golfers were the favorites, they were accompanied on the course by a ton of athletes capable of winning top honors. They came from all over North America.
” It’s really cool ! It’s an Anglicism, sorry, but it’s the simplest word, “said Savoie Thursday after the first day of competition interrupted by a storm cell.
The field is full of good players. Some are among the best in the world. Even if they are not known, we all know that the caliber is exceptional.
Joey Savoie
Among them, many Quebecers are able to prove that the caliber within the Belle Province is rather high. This kind of tournament, organized by PGA Tour Canada, is the perfect opportunity to compare his game and his development curve. However, golfers here can see that they too are among the best in America.
“The caliber of play in Quebec is improving more and more,” said Savoie.
Aside from him and Papineau, Étienne Brault, Brandon Lacasse and Raoul Ménard, to name a few, are among the finest projects in Quebec golf.
According to Étienne Papineau, “there are very good players in Quebec”. “It’s just a matter of time before we have Quebecers on the PGA Tour, he believes, because we have the talent, that’s for sure. »
A season to grow
A month ago, Papineau allowed the Quebec golf community to rejoice by winning the first tournament of the season of the PGA Tour Canada, thanks to a cumulative -18 at the Open Royal Beach Victoria. A first for a Quebecer since 2013.
PHOTO FROM ÉTIENNE PAPINEAU’S INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT
Quebec golfer Étienne Papineau
“I couldn’t really ask for a better start to the season, but there’s still a lot to play for,” said the 26-year-old golfer. He thus reigns at the top of the Fortinet Cup standings.
My goal is to continue to play well and not to sit in this position. I will play the pedal in the background to finish first in the standings.
Etienne Papineau
It was his first victory on the circuit. Pumped up for the rest of the season, he is aware of the work that remains to be done to one day play regularly on the PGA Tour. In February 2022, the golfer from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu was able to embrace a first experience at the mythical Omnium Waste Management in Phoenix. “I know that when things are going well, I’m able to compete with the best,” he admitted.
From now on, to maintain the lead in the Canadian rankings, “the stars just have to align”. “I know I have what it takes to compete at the highest level. »
In the case of Joey Savoie, it’s a more up and down season. A “neutral” season, as he insisted on recalling.
Despite sporadic good performances, he regrets that his “highs may not have been high enough”, precisely. He appeared in the final groups of two consecutive tournaments on the Latino Tour and “it’s something that [le] make you proud”. However, he would have liked to “be consistent over four rounds, instead of just two or three rounds”.
Also a native of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, the 28-year-old golfer is however satisfied with his game. When it comes to results, a plethora of factors can come into play. However, in the way, Savoie is optimistic: “I am where I want to be. It’s about performing better and better. I will continue to improve myself to be able to be a little more precise. I am more and more in control of my momentum and I know more and more of my tendencies. »
Push for Quebec
The beauty of the bond uniting Joey Savoie and Étienne Papineau also lies in their desire to play for more than themselves.
They are aware of evolving within a period with the potential to register as a turning point in the history of Quebec golf.
“Quebecers are very involved and there were a lot of people [malgré la météo]. That people come to Bromont, it gives visibility to our Quebecers. I hope that we will have other great tournaments in Quebec”, noted Papineau.
Their goal will always be to win tournaments and progress to the PGA Tour. Through this, there is still the idea of propelling their discipline and becoming ambassadors, and references, for the next generation.
“I am aware of this and I feel privileged to be in this group. I want to continue to push golf in Quebec with the others. Trying to push the limits and so much the better if my name is on this list, ”concluded Savoie, humbly.