MIND OVER MATTER
PABLO
LARRAZABAL
We had an opportunity to catch up with IJGA
Alumni, Pablo Larrazabal. During the Alfred
Dunhill Championship (ADC) at Leopard Creek
in South Africa, the golf course where he made
his debut as a pro golfer twelve years ago, Pablo
accomplished something remarkable. A blister
on his right toe caused him pain which affected
his ability to swing, putt or even walk. But Pablo
kept his mind on a positive note. He recalled
Tiger Woods in 2008 winning the US Open with
a fractured tibia and injured ligament in his knee.
Pablo kept thinking: if Tiger did it, so can I! and
remaining focused, he birdied the last hole to win
by one stroke.
There is a lot to learn from this victory. Pablo was
not just fighting his physical pain, but self-doubt
and shattered self-confidence, after missing the
cut in Dubai and struggling over the last 4 years.
Pablo attended IJGA before turning pro in 2002 –
2003. We had the opportunity to reconnect with
him to understand what champions are made of.
You showed a lot of grit during the Alfred
Dunhill Championship, the physical pain must
4
have caused you a lot of mental stress. What
was the most difficult part and how did you
manage to control your mind?
-Well, during the last round at the ADC I had
two problems. The first problem was a big blister
behind the left foot which caused me to struggle
to walk, it was very painful. The second one was
a big blister on the right toe that didn’t let follow
through with my swing. The second one was the
bigger problem, I had to change my swing on the
back nine to put the ball in play and let the short
game win the tournament for me. It was a total
mindset change. It worked very well…
- What did you think when things didn’t work as
planned on the golf course?
-I played very good tee to green all week. That’s
why I had a nice lead. But on Sunday, I was not be
able to swing due to the pain. After the ninth hole
I was +6 for the day but only 2 behind the lead.
I said to myself “well, I am only 2 behind and I
have played the back nine very well all week, let’s
put it in play from the tee and let the short game
win the tournament for me” and that was exactly
what happened.