Samoa Open champ tells his story

By Adel Fruean 04 July 2018, 12:00AM

Invest Samoa Open 2018 title holder, Alex Edge, has a story to tell.

The Australian professional golfer not only claimed the Invest Samoa Open 2018 title for the first time, it was also his first time in Samoa. 

“I am from the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney but now I live more in Castle view, Sydney. I am the eldest child of my parents’ children, there are only two of us, my younger brother and I,” Mr. Edge told the Samoa Observer. 

“I started playing golf at 10 years old. I enjoyed watching Tiger Woods on television, so he inspires a lot of golfers of my age, older and younger. To try and act like him on the golf course is a good thing, to try and achieve what he has achieved would be incredible."

“Tiger Woods is very motivational but golf itself is very satisfying, we get to have a great lifestyle, walking around a nice weather and a nice environment itself. It is very satisfying to hit a ball where you want to from a great distance. What attracted me to golf is you could say it is like a very good metaphor for being competitive."

“Just like anything, you want to beat your friends in any sport or arguments even. But golf, it can be really competitive because it is such fickle game, it may seem easy, but it is very hard in a way and you can feel so good about it when it goes away so quickly,” he said.

“It’s a very good opportunity for those who are very competitive. They can get their competitive juices flowing because it is an individual sport and you’re going to rely on yourself, sometimes blame yourself, but you do not have a team, or coach, to help, you have to do it on your own, make it happen."

“It is a good sport especially for young people because you learn patience because the skills cannot be learned overnight, it takes time and dedication. But also you learn discipline, you realise you have to push yourself and work hard to get better, and also that helps with the mental side of things in golf. With golf you learn different kinds of etiquette, how to present yourself but also how to hold yourself as far as showcasing sportsmanship for people."

“You have to be honest and play by the rules, so there is lots of self-policing in golf, no one calls a penalty on you, and you call a penalty on yourself. And there is no other sport like that, at the end of it; it shapes people into learning good life skills,” Mr. Edge said.

“I took up professional golf in 2014 because it was less about size and power. It made my parents happy because I used to play football and sports that I had more injury as a result of playing."

“I play on the Australasian tour, this year I have been to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Tahiti, all around Australia, soon I will go to Fiji, Vanuatu, and then go to Asia at the end of the year."

“My first win in Samoa is very satisfying, this is my biggest win of my career, and it was really fulfilling to have the support and applause by the local people. It made me feel good, cameras all day, it made it feel like a big deal too,” said Mr. Edge.

Apart from playing the sport, he also got to visit the Tosua Ocean Trench, Piula Cave Pools and beaches.

 “It is such a beautiful country; the people are very nice and friendly. I like the laid back attitude. Coming from Sydney, and the night I had to try and get to the airport, to travel here, it’s very busy and fast. But Samoa has a very nice vibe about the place."

“I am going to go back home and tell everyone at home how good Samoa is. It’s been beautiful weather for us."

“I found this island to be my favorite Pacific Island. The people and place are so nice and I will cherish the memories I had from this place."

“Other than golf, I enjoy watching movies, read some books just to escape from golf, a bit of more creative and imaginative stuff rather than golf."

“Sometimes golf can beat you down a little bit so you don’t often win. One of my main goals that I am aiming for is to win the Australian Open. When I was a little kid, I watched the Australian Open and it has been a dream to actually win that."

“I would also like to return and win the 2019 Samoan Open, and on that note, I will definitely be returning to Samoa and also for the holidays,” he added.

By Adel Fruean 04 July 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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