Christo Lamprecht of performs his second shot out of a bunker at the 2023 Alfred Dunhill Championship.
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At 6′ 8″, the South African amateur may play energy ahead for the Hawks. He’d choose a slam dunk this month in Augusta, at his first Masters.
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The scene: Zooming from the crew room at Georgia Tech, the place the 23-year-old is a university senior.
Dylan Dethier: Growing up in South Africa, who had been your {golfing} heroes?
Christo Lamprecht: Ernie Els. I’ve gotten to know him personally just a little, and I’ve regarded as much as him loads. Gary Player is clearly our golf legend, our godfather, like Jack Nicklaus or Arnold Palmer in America. And Louis [Oosthuizen] has all the time been a terrific mentor to me too. So these are in all probability my high three South African golfers.
DD: How about golf swing inspiration? Is there anyone you tried to repeat?
CL: The humorous thing is, I’ve such a singular golf swing that I’m not copying another person’s. But there’s so many good swings on the market. Rory’s golf swing is so highly effective, and I actually like the approach he makes use of the floor. And then, clearly, it’s simple to take this as a blue-print, however Tiger. His transfer at the golf ball was so athletic, and I don’t assume anybody’s ever executed that as properly since.
DD: What Tiger period are you taking a look at? Were you even born?
CL: It’s undoubtedly early 2000s Tiger. Probably the finest thing I’ve ever seen.
DD: There aren’t quite a lot of six-foot-eight golfers on the market. Have you gotten helpful recommendation from different tall gamers?
CL: There’s not many. I’ve talked to Stewart Cink — he’s in all probability six-four or six-five — about lengths and being tall and taking part in golf. But it’s actually been a one-man studying curve.
DD: The Georgia Tech hoops coach hasn’t come calling?
CL: I simply actually suck at dribbling.
DD: Did you play different sports activities as a child?
CL: It was a joke rising up that I used to be the household canine. If a ball landed someplace, I used to be there. So I performed 5 sports activities. Rugby, which is clearly a big sport in South Africa. Cricket. Tennis. And a little bit of hockey, which is actually like your area hockey. And golf.
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DD: At some level you had to decide on.
CL: I cherished all of them, however I noticed golf was extra what I needed to do, so I put all my eggs in a single basket.
DD: Do you assume that number of sport has made you a greater golfer?
CL: This may be controversial, however I’ve all the time believed you possibly can see the distinction. Golfers who’ve pure skills, good stability, nice at each facet of the recreation — most of the time these guys performed a number of sports activities. Ernie, I feel, performed nationwide tennis. And Rory, I do know he performed just about every little thing too. There’s a lot stuff you study that you simply wouldn’t be taught in any other case. Take baseball — you discover ways to rotate in a approach that helps you hit a golf ball. I feel it helped tremendously.
DD: From the exterior, lots of people would take a look at your life with envy. Playing D1 golf. One of the top-ranked amateurs in the world. Staring down a Masters invite. Is it nearly as good because it appears?
CL: Behind the scenes there is quite a lot of onerous work. The extra skilled you get in a sport, the extra there is that individuals don’t see. And there’s little doubt there’s some mornings that you simply get up and also you don’t need to go to the gymnasium otherwise you don’t need to go observe, no matter. But yeah, I do really feel like I’m dwelling the dream. The work is a part of the dedication, and I’ve cherished each second of taking part in right here at Tech. I wouldn’t be at this level if it weren’t for the college and the construction, and I don’t assume there’s any higher place for golfers to enhance.
DD: You held the Day 1 lead at the 2023 Open Championship at Hoylake. How surreal was that?
CL: It was a loopy week. I imply, I felt each emotion I presumably may. That ecstatic second on Thursday — I used to be main the Open! And come Friday it was like, I’d miss the lower! It was an expertise of a lifetime, for certain. But it was good to know that if I play golf the approach I can, I can beat everybody in the world for a day. That offers me quite a lot of motivation to maintain going at it.
DD: Okay, one roller-coaster main below your belt. Now you’ve acquired the Masters arising. What do you count on?
CL: I used to be speaking to one among our crew donors not too long ago and he advised me, “Well, there’s three majors and one real major.” Augusta is going to be nice. It’s going to be onerous not to consider the second and what the week entails, however my mentality final summer season was nothing to lose. Play my recreation, have enjoyable. It’s nonetheless a golf course, I’m nonetheless taking part in my ball. I’ll study as a lot as I can.
DD: As a Georgia Tech golfer, have you ever performed Augusta earlier than?
CL: Yeah, we’re lucky to get on the market about every year. But, clearly, it’s going to be just a little completely different this time.
It was a loopy week. On Thursday — I used to be main the Open! Come Friday it was like, I’d miss the lower!”
DD: Is there a particular shot you’re trying ahead to hitting?
CL: I’d in all probability say that tee shot on 12. There’s a lot historical past to that gap, with guys profitable or dropping a match there. So I’d like to play it on Sunday with that proper flag and have that feeling. I’ve already considered it so many occasions: Where precisely am I going to intention? Do I take that Tiger line, intention [left] over by the bunker and make par? I’m trying ahead to that shot.
DD: Everyone is aware of how good you might be, however I ponder if folks underestimate how good different faculty gamers are. Give me a way of it. How typically do your teammates beat you in observe?
CL: Oh, man. We simply had our first qualifying after the [Christmas] break and I completed fifth. So, yeah, I acquired beat by mainly half the crew. Lots of people assume there’s a ginormous hole between faculty golf {and professional} golf. But, I imply, Nick Dunlap received a PGA Tour occasion a pair weeks in the past. I simply assume the high 20, 30 guys in faculty golf are ok to play wherever in the world on any tour.
DD: What’s one thing away from the golf course that brings you pleasure?
CL: It’s a combination of household and buddies and being in nature. I suppose I’m describing residence to me. I are likely to burn out quick emotionally and bodily, so I take full benefit of time away. I used to be simply residence for a month and I touched my golf equipment thrice. So I discover a stability. It’s the folks which are necessary. It’s onerous to not need to be comfortable and luxuriate in life with good folks round you.
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