FIPPA Newsletter - December 2006.
Welcome to this edition of the FIPPA Newsletter.
Marc Lloret - Catalan champion.
Marc Lloret - Catalan Matchplay Champion, Champion Absolut and World Cup star. We were delighted that Marc could chat to FIPPA.NET recently via the founding father of Catalan Pitch and Putt, Martin Whitelaw.
Marc, you have one of the best international careers of any player in
P&P with two World Cup titles, and now both Strokeplay and Matchplay
Champion of Catalonia, where did this all begin, when did you first play Pitch and Putt?
Well I’ve been playing P&P for 8 years now. In fact I started with a group of friends back in 1998 on that magnificent course in Solius. Unfortunately the course closed 12 months ago.
[catalan]Bé ara ja fa uns 8 anys que jugo a P&P vaig començar a jugar l´any 1998 amb
un grup d´amics al magnific camp de Solius malauradament ara fa un any i
pocs dies que va tancar.
What has been the most exciting moment in P&P for you?
I guess there are several moments which touched me emotionally quite a bit and I’ll always remember them as very special; my debut on the Catalan team in Ireland, listening to the military band playing our anthem as they raised our national flag gave me goose pimples! Another memorable moment was my first “major”, the national strokeplay championship in 2003, or the first World Cup which we won in Italy along with other titles. Each will be remembered in a special way, moments I cherish.
[catalan]Be per sort he tingut una serie de moments que m´han emocionat molt i els
recordo com a especials,com el meu debut amb la selecció catalana a irlanda
escoltant l´himne del segadors mentre es pujava la bandera catalana(se´m va
posar la pell de gallina),el meu primer campionat de catalunya strokeplay
l´any 2003, o la primera copa del mòn guanyada a Italia, o els altres
campionats grans que he guanyat sempre els recordo d´una manera especial I
son moments molt especials per mi.
Who is the best player you played against?
At international level there are 4 or 5 fantastic Irish players such as Sean Downes, Chris Scannell and others. Another great player is Patrick Lunnig, and of course in Catalonia as well we have some brilliant players like Jordi Saborit, Paco Salido etc. many excellent players, I wouldn’t know who to pick.
[catalan]A nivell internacional hi han4 o 5 jugadors irlandesos molt bons com Sean
Downes,Chris Scanell o d´altres, un altre gran jugador per mi es Patrick
lunnig, i a catalunya tenim també grandissims jugadors com Jordi
Saborit,Paco Salido etc..tots ells per mi són excelents jugadors no sabria
amb qui quedar-me
What is your favourite course, and what is the hardest course you
have played on?
The best course I’ve played would be Solius in Catalonia. It was really extraordinary with a perfect combination of short and longer holes, where you had to play your ball with a fade or a draw, play low or with more lob. That course demanded everything.
That said, one of the most difficult courses I’ve played was in Ireland where the greens are quite small, some elevated, making it hard to stop the ball.
[catalan]El millor camap que he jugat ha estat Solius Catalonia,era un camp
extreordinari que convinava a la perfecció forats curts i llargs, on també
havies de jugar la bola amb Draw o fade ,bola alta i bola baja,ho tenia tot.
I un dels camps més durs que he jugar ha estat a un camp irlandes on el
greens eren molt petit i amb flams, molt difícil de parar la bola
Catalonia are the World Cup champions - what benefit do you think this
has brought the sport in Catalonia?
I guess having won the World Cup twice was a big boost in promoting the game here.
Those victories really attracted media attention which in turn attracted more people to the sport. Pitch & Putt is now more popular and the number of players and new licences are increasing.
[catalan] Crec que haver guanyat la copa del mon dos cops ha fet que el P&P crexi més
cada vegada ,donada la difusió que ha tingut les nostres victories en la
copa del mon, els mitjans de comunicaciós´han fet ressó d´aquests fet i s´ha
donat més a coneixer a la gent , aixó ha fet que el numero de jugadors i
llicencies aumentin.
What are your ambitions in Pitch and Putt, as a player?
Just like in every sport I reckon it’s important to reach the top. However, it is also very hard to stay among the best, although that is my aim; continue to be competitive and if possible win a European Championship medal. That would be one important title I’m missing.
[catalan] Crec que en tots els esport lo important es arriba a la cima però el que
també és realment difícil es seguir moles anys entre els millors i aquests
es el meu objctiu ,seguir essent molt compatitiu i si podem seria guanyar un
European championship ,es l´unic titol important que hem falta guanyar
What is the best round you have ever played?
My best ever result was 11 under, and a few times I’ve scored 9 or 10 under. I’ve had a couple of superb matchplay games. I especially remember playing at my best during the matchplay tournament in Sardinia.
[catalan] El meu millor resultat es un 11 sota ,també he jugat diverses vegades 9 i 10
sota par, peró també he jugat grans partides amb la modalitat Matchplay,
recordo de manera especial tota la copa del mon de la sardina on vaig jugar
de manera extraordinaria.
Will you be trying to make the team for the World Cup in Chile in 2008?
That would be one of my ambitions; to form part of the team to defend the World Cup in Chile. I’d be really keen about that and I’ll try my best to win my place on the team.
[catalan] Es un del meus objectius seguir poden formar part de la selecció hi poder
participar en la proxima copa del mon de Chile amb faria molta ilusió i
lluitaré per fer-me un lloc en la selecció per poder anar-hi
FIPPA was created earlier this year - do you think this is good for
the sport and what would you like to see FIPPA do to improve Pitch and
Putt around the world.
For me the creation of FIPPA has consolidated P&P as a sport with its own identity distinguishing it from classical golf. Such international organisations are extremely helpful in the development and promotion of our sport.
[catalan]Per mi es molt important la creacció de la FIPPA per consolidar el nostre
esport com un esport amb identitat propia I aixi desmercar-nos del que diuen
que es una derivació del golf ,o una cosa similar els camps de par 3.Crec
que el P&P es un esport amb dentitat propia i gracies a la creaccio de
federacions intenacionals ajuda molt es desenvolupament del nostre esport
Any other comments you want to make...
Express my gratitude to those working for the growth of Pitch & Putt – taking initiatives like that of FIPPA, also to those in the media for making the game more recognised and popular – and growing in popularity from day to day.
Fond regards to all and enjoy your Pitch & Putt.
[catalan]Agrair a totes les persones que estan treballant pel p&P I que el fan
creixer amb iniciatives com la FIPPA ,I aquells que mitjançant els mitjans
de comunicacions o altres mitjans fan que el nostre esport estigui cada
vegada més consolidat I reconegut com un esport amb identitat propia I fa
que cada vegda creixi mçés I més.
Una salutació ha tothom I disfruteu del P&P
thanks Marc,
gracias, Eero
an interview with Marc on the Catalan website, Quimriera.com,can be found here...
(with Martin Whitelaw and Eero Tarik)
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