Ahead of the inaugural GolfSixes, we caught up with the European Challenge Tour’s Reinier Saxton who will enjoy a taste of the European Tour when he represents the Netherlands alongside Joost Luiten at the Centurion Club this week.
How are you feeling ahead of this week? What do you make of the draw?
“I am very excited for this week. I think we have a tough group, with very good players – some young guys as well – especially with the English players competing at home. Overall it will be a really tricky group, but they are all difficult groups and it should be fun.
“I’m really looking forward to playing with Joost. He is someone I have played with before – we are both members at The Dutch – and although we haven’t seen each other much over the last few years due to our different schedules I know him pretty well.
“It will be good to play something different. It is nice to compete in match play again, especially as it is with someone else, and I have never played a competition with just six holes – so it is going to be very exciting. You have to be very good from the beginning or you’ll struggle!”
Historically you have a very good match play record – you beat Tommy Fleetwood in the final to win the Amateur Championship in 2008 and won yourNational Match Play Championship as an amateur five times. Do you think that experience will stand you in good stead this week?
“I do really love match play. I have had a good record here and there in match play over the years, especially in the Netherlands as well, so it will be good to compete in that format of the game for a change.
“I think both Joost and I are good drivers of the ball, and Joost is very good with his irons, so if I can get the ball on the fairway then Joost can hit it close and I can make some putts we will be looking good. The key this week is making a fast start as well. If you’re one up after the first you only have five holes to go, so it is so important to start well.”
What shape do you feel your game is in?
“I feel like I haven’t performed my best yet but my game is good in practice. I played pretty well in South Africa, played well in Kenya but missed the cut somehow, then played well in Turkey but didn’t do a lot with it. I feel like my game is there but it hasn’t been showing in tournaments so far.
“But for me the season properly starts this week. I feel good about my game, but I need to start showing that form in competitions.”
You are coming into this season on the back of your best Challenge Tour season to date after you finished 29th in the 2016 Road to Oman Rankings. What are your hopes for 2017?
“It is time to finish in the top 15. I played pretty well last year but I didn’t really play to win. I made a lot of cuts and played really well at the end of the season, but I was not in a position to win. I feel pretty good about this year – and I’m getting older so it has to happen in the next couple of years!”
Who has impressed you so far this season?
“I played with Tapio Pulkkanen in Turkey during the first two rounds – he shot a 62 in the first round – and while he didn’t play well last year he is a very, very good player. I was very impressed with his game – he hits it a long way!”
With the likes of Darius van Driel, Jurrian van der Vaart, Wil Besseling and Daan Huizing, among others, competing on the Challenge Tour this season there is a large Dutch contingent on the Road to Oman. How much are you enjoying the company of your compatriots this year?
“It is really nice to have a big group of Dutch players on the Challenge Tour. We have some very good players who need to improve just a little bit more to go to the European Tour. We’re not that young any more but we’re pretty good players, so it would not surprise me if a few of the Dutch guys went up this year.”
