Victor Dubuisson is hoping a good start to the 2019 season could be the beginning of a long road back into Ryder Cup reckoning after almost a year on the sidelines.
The enigmatic Frenchman, who is trimmed down after working hard on his fitness, suffered a perforated eardrum last year and had to watch the first ever Ryder Cup held in his homeland from his sofa, four years after he played a starring role as a rookie at Gleneagles. This year he has started well with four top-20 finishes on the European Tour, including a share of 11th place at last month’s Volvo China Open and is looking to regain the form that earned him a Ryder Cup berth back in 2014.
“I hope I can play at the next Ryder Cup – I hope I can play again,” said the world number 296, who won both of his foursomes matches alongside Graeme McDowell in Scotland.
Dubuisson has totally changed his approach to the game after his stint on the sidelines gave him a different perspective. “For me, golf is a job now,” he said. “I’ve changed the way I spend my time off the course and how I prepare for practice. The way I approach everything in general is with a more professional outlook.”
His fitness regime is also tailored more professionally. “I returned to training for the first time in six years,” he said. “Before that, I ate whatever I wanted to eat and never went to the gym. Now I am running a lot and working out regularly. I feel much better in terms of my breathing, whether that be on the course or with my swing. It feels much easier. I feel more flexible as well. Ultimately, I feel much better on and off the course.”
A two-time winner on the European Tour at the Turkish Airlines Open, Dubuisson felt proud as he watched Team Europe and the United States battle it out in Paris last September. “I watched every shot,” he said, “I know Le Golf National so well from playing it so many times over the years and it was amazing to see the course was set up for the drama of match-play. I felt very proud to see France stage such a big event and deliver it so brilliantly for everyone to see around the world.”
