… hopes COVID-19 doesn’t ruin 2020 Guyana Open Cup

By Clifton Ross

REIGNING Guyana Open Golf champion Avinash Persaud said he’s training 4 times a week in hopes of competitive action returning soon, adding that the time-off was good way to mentally refresh yourself as a professional athlete.

Guyana’s most successful golfer told this newspaper on Monday, that he has been maintaining his pedigree by hitting the greens during private practice sessions at the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) Course a few times every week.

Persaud, who has won the country’s top Golf title a record 10 times, with a number of those titles coming consecutively, believes that the little training-time afforded to golfers, who may be working or have other outside commitments; is needed in order to maintain one’s form as a pro-golfer.

“I’ve been keeping and putting in as much practice as I can during the week. It’s good to keep training and go out there, get in some strokes just for a couple of hours a day; it’s good for me”, declared the champ.

Although golf is playable during the pandemic due to the way golfers can reduce the number of holes as well as take to the greens without a caddy, the COVID-19 risk is still high. Persaud, not looking too much on his time away from golf, noted that he was using quarantine as a way to refresh the mind and body,

“I always keep on training and practising because I’m hoping there is a tournament sometime time soon. But as a professional golfer, it is a very important time to take some time off and get your mind off golf and ease some stress,” said Persaud.

A few weeks ago, the executives and members of the LGC gave back to their community of Lusignan on the East Coast of Demerara. The drive was part of many around the country and world, which was specifically geared towards helping those affected by the pandemic.

Residents of Lusignan received a hamper among other means of relief, compliments of the LGC family, who said they felt the need to take care of the single-parent families and families of caddies who are out of work. The champ hailed the move as one which will only help to fight the pandemic going forward.

Persaud also believed that should the current state of things remain a daily way of living for the next few months, the sport and its shareholders could suffer greatly.

The champ who went to Jamaica and Suriname last year to represent Guyana at the respective invitational tournaments, believed that the ripple effect could trickle across the board

The harsh reality is that should the course remain close for a few more months, the financial setback which mainly affects caddies and those employed in different positions at the Club, will inevitably end up hurting everyone affiliated with the sport – sponsors, players and grounds-men and others.

“It was a good thing (the relief drive) because it helped the caddies and their families as well as those single parents who are facing a tough time during C0VID-19. We will have a good day when things get better but it can affect us because we need golf to keep the club and ground going; along with our sponsors for our weekly tournaments,” the champ pointed out.

Wrapping up his interview, the defending champ was optimistic that the future will be kind to gold and that the LGC can host its annual Guyana Open Cup, which usually takes place between October and November.

Persaud was further confident that his training and weekly practice sessions can see him get in some putting roughly 4 times a week, which will be enough to capture his 11th title, once the Guyana Cup is hosted.

“Not playing competitive golf is tough but it’s not a worry for me (my playing form) because I’m always training and working on my game. But hopefully we can get in a few tournaments when things get safer, before the Open Cup,” Persaud concluded.