How South Tyrol's top golfer defies the virus

“I could open a travel agency by now,” jokes South Tyrol’s top golfer Aron Zemmer. “I can find a trip to any city in the world in just a few minutes, with a return flight, hotel and rental car - and at the lowest possible price.” In addition to playing golf, booking trips is one of the most important activities for a golf professional .

The Seiser was on tour in many parts of the world during the recently ended coronavirus season, including China, Australia, South Africa (3 times), Portugal, Northern Ireland and Austria. And this with a wide variety of travel conditions, which were constantly changed by the different countries. Finally tournaments again After Zemmer's successful start to the season in January and February in South Africa, the coronavirus tsunami also hit golf. For four months, from March to June, everything stood still. Like all golf professionals, Seiser also had to take a break from competition. He spent the first weeks of quarantine in Seis, then he was allowed to train as a player of national interest at the Verona Golf Club. He was supervised there by his long-time teacher Giorgio Grillo. At the beginning of July, the first two tournaments were finally on the program - in Austria and with a sophisticated coronavirus concept.

Reading the green correctly is crucial when putting.

“There were precise regulations regarding Corona on the European and Challenge Tour,” says Zemmer. “Every player was sent a corona test a week before the tournament, which they had to do themselves and send back. In addition, you were tested a second time immediately after arriving at the tournament location. Then we went straight to a large hotel right on the golf course. The entire tournament entourage was housed there and closed off from the outside world.”

“Flying has also become a lot more difficult these months,” says Zemmer. “There are far fewer flights and to reach a particular city you often have to change several times. I recently flew from Cadiz in the south of Spain to Mallorca, and it was quite an undertaking. At the end of the season I was in Johannesburg and to get there I had to fly from Milan to London. The prices for flights have fallen significantly. South Africa and back were now available for 600 euros.” A lot to lug around “I also have a lot of experience with cars now,” says the 30-year-old. “In the past, players were provided with a car free of charge at the tournament locations - usually from a car company that supported the tournament as a sponsor. In Corona times you now have to take care of the rental car yourself. Luggage also often causes problems. With the 14 to 16 clubs and everything else, every flight adds up to around 40 kg.”

“I just hope that we can have a somewhat normal year of competition in 2021.” Aron Zemmer The Seiser fondly remembers his two years in China. In 2 and 2018 he played on the China Tour and developed into an established tour player there who can now compete well on the Challenge Tour (this year he finished 2019th in the prize money list). “Golfing in China is great,” says Zemmer. “The courts are in excellent condition and the tournaments are well organized. Everything else is of course difficult, the food, the language, the unfamiliar culture, etc.”

After the last tournament in Johannesburg at the beginning of December, Zemmer ended his most successful season to date. “I just hope that we can have a somewhat normal year of competition in 2021. I have a fixed starting place on the Challenge Tour and would like to enjoy every tournament there as possible.” Profile of Aron Zemmer

Aron Zemmer comes from Siusi, is 30 years old and competes for GC Eppan. He has been South Tyrol's strongest golfer for 10 years. In the first years of his career he was on the Alps Tour - mainly in Italy, Austria and France. In 2018 and 2019 he played on the China Tour, and at the end of 2019 he secured a permanent starting place for the Challenge Tour, the second highest European tournament series. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Challenge Tour had to be shortened to 11 tournaments this year. His best results most recently came at the tournaments in Cadiz and Mallorca (13th and 16th). At the end of the season he was sensationally in the lead after the first day at the South African Open. In the end it was “only” enough for 46th place.

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How South Tyrol's top golfer defies the virus

Traveling all over the world. Most people can only dream of that. Especially in times of Corona. South Tyrol's best golfer has outsmarted the virus in recent months.

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