I feel a bit disapointed after that week, the course was the kind of where i should perform a bit better. Comparing with the other South African courses where you have to be long, this one was more a strategic one! But anyway making the cut and making some points on the Sunshine Tour was the goal before travelling to Ndola (Zambia). The first round was the best one even if i started with 3 consecutive bogeys with a final score of 71 and 73,74,73, i finished at a decent 42nd place! Just the time to write this report and tomorrow i'll drive to Durban for the next one! What i heard it should be a great course where they played many times the SA Open so i'm looking forward and will let you know how was the course!

I wish you all a great week and if you're lucky like me to play golf then...play well and have fun,

Best regards,

Alex

I'm very happy and please of that week in bogogno...The first round was by far my best round on that course ( El Conte ) 5 birdies and an eagle for no drop shot, a dream start for the 1st round of the European Tour Q-school stage 1! The rest of the week was a nerve game...second round 75 which at the end was a decent score for the form of the day! 3rd round was again a solid round of golf, 68 with 7 birdies and 3 bogeys but the goal was reached. And after that i started to feel a bit nervous for the final day...it's not like in a real tournament where you have to take risk and every spot is more money...here you have to be top 26 and then you qualify for next round...being level par after 13 holes was good but then i was thinking and playing way too defensive which made me doing a couple of bogeys on the final 5 holes but it was at the end good enough to go trough that stage!

I'm really pleased and looking forward to the 2nd stage in Spain from 2-5 of december but before i fly next friday (7th of october) to South Africa. Next stop Zambia for a Sunshine Tour event.

Have all a great week and write you soon,

Take care,

Alex

I am a bit sad that i could defend my title a bit better than loosing in the first round vs. Damien Ulrich. I have to say that he is was better than me in that game and playing the man in form at his home golf course wasn't really my chance! Now i'm also not really happy the way the draw is made, i explain my self : in every sport the top seed is playing against the last seed but here the first 8 of the order of merit draw the name of his opponent. I'm not a person how's used to complain but about that i have too because i feel like! Last year it was the same and i was seed N°2 and i drew the N°8 so what's the reason to be high in the ranking?!

I wasn't good enough that's the answer of this year but there are, in my eyes really stupid rules! The rest of the year looks like that : SwissPGA in Gruyère than the Q-school in Bogogno and soon back to South Africa where i need to be ready and fit to face 4-6 tournaments to keep my Sunshine Tour card for 2012.

I wish you all a great week and i'll keep you in touch,

Best regards,

Alex

„Friends of Alex Chopard“ auf der Golferreise nach Norditalien

18 Mitglieder des Clubs „Friends of Alex Chopard“ trafen sich letzte Woche zu einer tollen Golferreise nach Norditalien. Am ersten Tag wurden bei sonnigen aber auch heissem Wetter auf dem Golfplatz von Castelconturbia mit einem „Scramble“ die ersten Golfbälle geschlagen. Diese Teamwertung ist immer wieder beliebt und bringt viel Abwechslung mit. Am zweiten Tag fand dann in Bogogno auf dem herrvorragenden Golfplatz die Clubmeisterschaft statt. Mit viel Engagement wurde gekämpft . Als Sieger bei den Damen wurde schlussendlich Martha Burgermeister vom Golfclub Schinznach-Bad sowie bei den Herren Peter Wiesner vom Golfclub Dietschiberg/Luzern auserkoren. Alex Chopard hat es den Mitgliedern allerdings vorgemacht und siegte ausser Konkurrenz mit einem Score
von -4. Am Abend wurde dann ausgiebig gefeiert und zwar in einem schönen Restaurant in Arona am Lago Maggiore. Dieser schöne Tag endete dann noch im Clubrestaurant auf der Terrasse mit Cigarren und Drinks. Der letzte dritte Tag wurde dann wiederum in Form eines Teamwettbewerbes in Castelconturbia ausgetragen, bevor sich die Mitglieder dann wieder auf den Heimweg Richtung Schweiz begaben. Die Reise war in jeder Hinsicht ein schönes Erlebnis. Gesellschaftlich wie auch Golferisch hat es viel Freude bereitet. Alex Chopard hat immer wieder sein Können aufblitzen lassen. Es hat viel Spass gemacht und die Frage wurde auch gestellt wohin denn die Reise nächstes Jahr gehen soll.

There is a little of a disappointment after playing on your home course and not beeing able to play for the podium! I had way too many loose shots that put me in trouble. The driver was once again the problem, once or twice a round i lost a ball ending up with a double and if you want to be in the mix those are the mistake to avoid! I'll rest for a few days now after a long stretch of tournament and sponsors day.

I sent two invitations request for the Sunshine Tour, one at the end of the month and the other during the Omega Masters. To be able to qualify for Crans i need to win all the next tournament, which is possible but it's still a touhg task! Anyway my priority for this year is to get a major Tour Card for next year (European, Sunshine, Challenge Tour).

I wish you all a great week end and see you maybe soon on the golf course,

Hit them straight,

Alex