KIPP POPERT

ALONGSIDE the battle for supremacy in the Race to Dubai and the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeriah Golf Estates this month, the world’s fi nest Golfers of Determination will lock swords in the 36-hole EDGA Dubai Finale, the seasonending event on the EDGA European Tour.

Among the elite fi eld will be World No.1

Worldwide Golf: Amazing victory at the EDGA Hero Open, how does it feel to be World No.1? Kipp Popert: It’s pretty surreal, it hasn’t really sunk in yet but it’s a good title to have, but it doesn’t change anything, I’ll still work as hard as I did.

WWG: How important do you think this EDGA European Tour has been in elevating the level and the profi le of disabled golf around the world? KP: I didn’t hear or know about disability golf until I watched it on Sky Sports in the UK when they were playing in Scotland, Adem Wahbi was on TV, so I looked into it and that’s how I got started. I’m sure that will happen for a lot more people, hopefully.

WWG: What’s it like teeing it up on the same courses as the stars of the European Tour? KP: It’s brilliant! I’m getting early experience of playing tough courses and playing to the pin positions the Tour pros play, so I think that has been the biggest challenge. It’s a learning experience. I’m getting much better at it and I want to take my game to the next level.

WWG: Give us your thoughts on how much you’re looking forward to this EDGA European Tour Dubai Finale? KP: I’m looking forward to it so much I came four weeks early! It should be good, playing in a nice weather and playing on a course that I’ve seen on TV, it should be good fun.

WWG: What are your thoughts on the Jumeirah Golf Estate’s Earth course and Dubai as a golfi ng destination? KP: It’s just lovely, it’s always lovely weather, I haven’t got used to the heat but I’m slowly getting there. The Jumeirah Golf Estates complex is amazing, the facilities here are brilliant and both courses are second to none.

WWG: You’ve already achieved quite a lot in what has been a short career, what would it mean to take the title here in Jumeirah Golf Estates? KP: It would mean a lot, and I’ll just do what I do every day - work towards my long term goals and hopefully pick up a few trophies along the way.

WWG: With that in mind, what’s your ultimate ambition in the game? KP: I think it’s to achieve my potential. Growing up, with all the operations I’ve had, for me to have that self belief when I was in hospital beds is a strong thing. My ultimate ambition is to be on the European Tour playing and competing with the best in the world. I don’t know what trophies I’ll win but hopefully I’ll pick up a few. It’s challenging to most people looking from the outside in but to me it’s what I have always grown up with. It has been tough but I like the challenge, it means that when I win an event it means even more to me because I know how hard I had to work.

about that being in 2028, which is a bit of a way off now but that’s a massive goal of mine. If we can get it into the Paralympics it’ll be showcased on TV, and if I can play on the European Tour and be a competitor worldwide that would do a lot for people with disabilities because I never had anyone that played golf with a disability to look up to.

WWG: Give us an idea of how challenging it was growing up with cerebral palsy. KP: It’s challenging to most people looking from the outside in but to me it’s what I have always grown up with. It has been tough but I like the challenge, it means that when I win an event it means even more to me because I know how hard I had to work. There were years where in school I’d have to have an operation in the summer and then I needed a four or fi ve month break as it would take me about six months to recover from the operation. One of my major operations was done on my 16th birthday as I needed it to be done so bad, I just fi nished my GCSEs and I was in the hospital bed for the summer. For me it’s what I had to go through and it’s just normal I guess. I used to enjoy the challenge of being on a certain level, having an operation done and then having to work even harder to get to that level again.

WWG: Your parents are doctors, how much of a driving force have they been in helping you to fi rstly overcome the disability and pushing you towards following your dreams? KP: I don’t normally get emotional but my parents mean the world to me, they have allowed me to just do whatever I’ve wanted to do. They’ve never asked me to go to the golf course, I’d just want to. My dad would drop me there at 6am before going to work in the summer and he’d pick up me up at 7pm. Once he did forget, he picked me at 11pm and there were thunderstorms! I was sleeping on the driving range! (laughs). But my mum and dad have been massive for me, I think everyone would be lucky to have parents like that so I’m very fortunate and I really appreciate them.