We recently caught up with Italian two-times European Tour winner and Dubai resident Renato Paratore about life in the Emirate, playing fast and his high hopes for the future.
WWG: How long have you lived in Dubai and why did you choose it as your hub?
RENATO PARATORE: I’ve lived here for a little over a year now. The weather is great for practice and the courses are always in great shape. There’s also the added bonus that I can stay at home when the European Tour events come to Dubai!
WWG: What’s your favourite course to play recreationally and why?
RP: I like to play lots of the courses, but especially the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates. I find it a very complete and good test of golf. You certainly know where your game is at after a round there!
WWG: A few Tour professionals are based in the UAE – do you have a regular practice partner out here?
RP: Yes that’s another benefit of being based here. I play with other Tour professionals when I can, especially Guido Migliozzi, we are very close friends and practice a lot together.
WWG: Where are your favourite pizza joints in Dubai?
RP: Motorino Pizza is soooo good, if you go there, go for the ‘Dom Dom’ pizza, that’s my favourite.
WWG: Who is your coach and what have you been working on recently?
RP: My coach is Alberto Binaghi from Italy. Our current focus is working on my ability to shape shots effectively. We are also focusing on maintaining a good hip rotation during the backswing.
WWG: In the past you have been outspoken about the pace of play in golf – what measures would you put in place to help improve the speed at which professionals play the game?
RP: Yes I love playing fast, but it is not easy to speed the game up. Due to the nature of the events we play there are so many players on the course at one time and that often leads to backlogs. The weekends are always much faster when we move to two balls, I certainly enjoy those rounds and I guess it is another incentive to make the weekend!
WWG: Is there anyone else on Tour who plays as fast as you?
RP: Yes there are a lots… Jorge Campillo, Romain Langasque and Callum Shinkwin are ones that come to mind straight away.
WWG: Are there any players who you dread having a tee-time with because of how slow they play?
RP: Yes there are, but playing with a slow player doesn’t bother me too much. What’s definitely worse is if you have a slow three ball in front of you and you find yourself having to wait on every shot.
WWG: Last year you won the first full-field Tour event back after the temporary shutdown at the British Masters at Close House – what was the key to that victory and how did you remain sharp during lockdown?
RP: Winning after the lockdown was a great feeling and I took a lot of confidence from knowing my game was still there, despite the long break we’d had. During lockdown I didn’t practice any technique, instead I focused on my body and getting into the best shape I could. Being based in Dubai I was fortunate to have about a month to train and practice before the restart, so I came into the event feeling like I had played a reasonable amount of golf in the build up.
WWG: How much has golf grown in Italy over the last 10/15 years thanks to the emergence of the Molinari brothers – with them both playing the 2010 Ryder Cup and Francesco going on to win The Open?
RP: The success of the Molinari brothers has definitely attracted more people to golf in Italy, especially after Francesco’s victory at Carnoustie in 2018. Everyone knew about his win and you could feel the curiosity for the game growing. I hope more success by Italian players in years to come – and a growing number of good courses in Italy – will ensure more people are playing or just following the game.
WWG: How often do you change equipment and is there anything new from Callaway in your bag for 2021?
RP: This is my fourth year with Callaway and I feel really happy with what I’m playing, especially the ball and the driver. The only change I’ve made in 2021 is to bring in the new Epic driver. I really like the spin levels off the face and feel it is slightly longer than my previous model.
Check out the highlights of Renato’s victory last year:
