Hong Kong golfer Leon D’Souza ‘feeling really good’, as he chases PGA Tour Canada Q-School dream in Florida
- University of Southern California economics major competing in the USA East 1 tournament at Weston Hills
- D’Souza has been in Miami working on his game and playing on a local tour
Hong Kong golfer Leon D’Souza is “feeling really good” as continues his journey on the path to becoming a professional this week at the PGA Tour Canada Q-School tournament in Florida.
D’Souza, who is in his final year at the University of Southern California, is competing in the USA East 1 tournament at Weston Hills, which begins on Tuesday (US time).
The economics major has been in Miami for the past couple of weeks “practising every day and just working on my game” while also playing on a local tour in the area as part of his preparations.
“I’m feeling really good. My game has been developing nicely, practice has been really good and it’s been nice to be able to focus on things for a couple of weeks here now,” he said.
“I feel like my game is in a great spot. As with anything, you can’t force things, and that especially applies to golf.”
While D’Souza’s obvious aim is to get tour status, he considers this week to be a win-win opportunity as far as his overall game is concerned.
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“The goal right now is to qualify and get tour status but it’s all a learning experience,” he said. “There’s no losing going into Q-School, if all I get is the experience then I can take that experience on into the next one. If I do qualify, then fantastic.
“Technically I’ve come a long way. My results have improved, physically I’m in a great place. So I’m really happy. Obviously, I can go on and on about where I could be with my game – that’s just the way sport works. But definitely I’m very happy with everything so far.”
Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho confident he can mix it with best in the world
Like fellow Hongkonger Taichi Kho, who is at Notre Dame, D’Souza believes playing in the US has only improved his game, while being away from home has helped him mature.
“Obviously, the courses are different than they are in Asia, there are different fields and different competition, so that helps with golf immensely,” he said. “But then there are other benefits. You just you mature, you start living, so it’s definitely something that’s beneficial.”
While D’Souza is in Florida the Asian Tour is turning its eyes on Thailand and the next International Series event from March 3 to 6.
More than 50 Tour winners and six Order of Merit champions will form part of an elite 144-man field at Black Mountain Golf Club, including Reigning Tour No 1 Joohyung Kim of Korea, as well as Thai aces Jazz Janewattananond, Sadom Kaewkanjana and Phachara Khongwatmai.
Teen sensation Ratchanon Chantananuwat will make another appearance having received a sponsors’ invitation. The 14-year-old prodigy has not missed a single cut in his past five starts on the Asian Tour.
