Player Blog: Bernd Wiesberger

It was a goal of mine to make the EurAsia Cup team. I think we had a stronger team compared to a couple of years ago when we had an outstanding win. Being part of a team in a sport when you’re basically on your own for the rest of the year is something special. We can pride ourselves on this tour that we’ve got really good friendships, so it was a pleasure being in a team room with those guys.

When you’re playing foursomes and fourballs in the first two days, you motivate each other as a pair. Then, after the round, you motivate each other as a group of 24, including caddies, and then of course with Thomas Bjørn as captain. You’re just trying to get the best out of each other. I think Thomas used to be very hard on himself on the golf course, but he was very supportive in the team room. We had good individual talks and he really motivated us ahead of the Singles matches on Sunday.

In a team environment, you just have to adapt a little bit. For example, on the Friday I was playing with Rafa Cabrera Bello in the fourballs. He caught fire around the turn and holed a lot of putts, so I just let him do his own thing. I knew I was playing well, but he was really building momentum and I wanted to keep him riding that wave.

I think it was harder to get into the top 50 in the world than to stay there.

I’ve been working on consistency in different areas of my game to be able to play as many weekends as possible and gain a lot of ranking points. It was all over social media when I earned ranking points for 26 straight events. I was getting tagged in it online and I think it was Sergio Garcia and I going on the longest run at that point. It started around the time I missed the cut at Baltusrol in the US PGA Championship in 2016 and then it finished at that same tournament at Quail Hollow on the last green! It was a good run and there were a few highlights in those 26 events, including winning the Shenzhen International. I’m quite proud of that number.

There are couple of Major moments that stand out for me.

The first was at my Major debut in 2012 at Kiawah Island in the US PGA. I had my family and my coach there. The first step you take getting into the car branded with the Major logos on it and driving up to the clubhouse was a cool experience.

There have been a lot of events that have left their mark on me. I really enjoyed The Open at St Andrews; that was so special, even though we were unlucky with the one day delay, but that was a great week. We play the Old Course on a regular basis at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, but playing there in an Open was very special. Being the first Austrian to quality for the US Open and the Masters was special to me, too. There have been a lot of moments that I pride myself on. When I played with Rory McIlroy in the final group at Valhalla at the 2014 US PGA that was a moment where I felt ‘OK, I’ve made it to the Majors and now I know I can compete in them as well.’

I think if you take the long trip to get to Asia, you might as well make it worth it!

Playing well in Asia has been a pattern for me. My coach was over in Indonesia for a couple of years, but he’s moved back to Europe now, so maybe there was a little bit of a connection. I had my first win in Asia in Korea in 2012 and you’d have to say it’s great to play over here, because we get treated well and play great courses. I’ve had a lot of good results here in Malaysia, including finishing third here last year. I’ve also been part of two successful EurAsia Cup teams, so it’s always a place I enjoy coming back to.

When I made that nine-birdie run here last year, I didn’t really realise I was doing it.The first time I really thought about what was on the line was the 14th hole. We had to wait on the tee, because the group in front were looking for a ball in the trees and they let us play through. I hit the ball up the fairway and Ross Fisher, who was in the group ahead, picked up I was on a good run. I realised I was on a seven-birdie streak. I made the birdie there and made a long one on the 15th. Then I was very much aware! Before the 14th, I was just plugging away and doing my thing and riding the wave. I didn’t really realise until I was seven circles in.

I would love to be able to look back on a healthy and successful career on the course in the game I love.

That’d be something special to tell my kids. There are a couple of things I’d like to do away from golf, as I think when you get out and explore the world you find things you could see yourself getting into. Right now, though, I really want to focus on what’s at hand. I want to be 100 per cent focussed on what I’m doing now and I’ve done well when concentrating on one thing.

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