Dutchman sets sights on Olympic Games and Ryder Cup
The pride of Holland, Joost Luiten celebrates his 30th birthday today (7 January). Born in Bleiswijk, near Rotterdam, his real name is Willibrordus Adrianus Maria Luiten which is certainly a name to be reckoned with! Fortunately for television golf commentators, he answers to the simpler name of Joost Luiten. Let’s hope his game is also a force to be reckoned with in 2016. It’s an important season with golf back in the Olympic Games after more than a century, and, of course, it’s Ryder Cup year.
The build-up to Joost’s big 3-0 was rather mixed. A mediocre year for the Dutchman saw him struggle on the greens; make all too often two double-bogeys; and finish outside the top-50 in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR). And that has serious consequences. It means he will not be receiving an automatic invitation to play in all the Majors in 2016. Well, at least not yet. He can still retrieve the situation with a few good finishes over the next couple of months and so improve his ranking.
A slight dip in form can make a big dent in the bank balance. On the European Tour last season, Joost earned just over 775,000 euros. That was a snip compared with his winnings of nearly two million euros the year before. It was a celebratory 2014 season with victory in the ISPS Handa Wales Open earning him the biggest cheque of his career: 375,780 euros. It was also Ryder Cup year and Joost looked destined to become Holland’s first ever Ryder Cup player. A cool putter in the summer, however, saw that dream fade. Since turning pro in 2006 (plus 5), he has won four tournaments on the European Tour, and two on the Challenge Tour. His current OWGR is 86th ; and in the Race to Dubai (ET) he is 35th.
Golfer of the Year in 2015, Olympic medal in 2016?
A change of lifestyle, created by playing more in America, plus a change of caddy in 2015, could well be contributing factors to Joost’s change of direction in the rankings. In 2014, he finished 11th in the ‘Race to Dubai’. Yet, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Joost had made quite a few changes in his team and to his playing schedule in his quest to reach the top.
Over Christmas and New Year he took some well-earned time out at the end of a frustrating year to relax with family and friends, and rethink his game plan from the comfort of his own apartment in Rotterdam. He is now rested and his batteries recharged ready for the challenge ahead. Once again, he’ll be flying the flag for Holland as the only Dutchman with full playing rights on the European Tour for the new season. Next stop: Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship in the United Arab Emirates, 21-24 January.
However, even though things didn’t quite go according to plan on the golf course, Joost was honoured in December with the “Golfer of the Year” award in Holland for the sixth consecutive year.
Out with the old, in with the new
Joost will shortly be announcing the name of his new caddy for 2016 but has already confirmed that he is planning to play in more of his favourite tournaments in Europe this year. And that will mean more quality time with his swing-coach Phil Allen. Equally important, Joost has a new sponsor: TaylorMade. He is playing with TaylorMade woods now and that means more distance on his drives. He estimates that with the new M1 driver from TaylorMade he’ll get “2-miles per hour extra ball speed and four metres extra carry”.
The 2013 Dutch Open Champion, who started playing golf as a 9-year old when his uncle took him to “GCR”, now Seve Golf Centre in Rotterdam, is also ringing the changes in his personal life. Last month he split with long-time girlfriend, Lyan, who even caddied for him twice in the par-3 contest at The US Masters. Joost’s ambitions in 2016 clearly lie in representing Holland in the Olympic Games and Europe in the Ryder Cup. Both would be a first for Joost and a first for Holland. But first another Dutchman needs to sharpen-up his game for the Olympic challenge …
Happy Birthday! Proost Joost! Gefeliciteerd!
And may all your New Year dreams come true …
Wendy Hoad
PICTURED (above): One of the proudest moments of his golfing career to date, 2013 Dutch Open Champion Joost Luiten from Rotterdam, poses with the trophy after a thrilling play-off with Spaniard Miguel Angel Jiménez at the Kennemer G&CC. (below): Smiles and jubilation from Joost’s biggest fans on the 18th green – his parents, Nico and Nel, and his girlfriend Lyan Zielhorst. Photography by Golfing Inspirations.