After years of hard work, Josée Doyon finds herself just a few strokes away from the LPGA, thanks to a spectacular shot that may well have changed the direction of her career.
At the end of October in Venice, Florida, the Quebecer obtained her ticket for the final stage of qualifying for the women's professional Golf circuit. Like his career, he was not going to have an easy one.
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“The cut was -4. I went to the 18th hole at -3. I had a 21-foot putt and I had to make it. I succeeded on the very last hole of the competition. […] It was really the moment, the shot that could determine my career,” said the athlete from Quebec two weeks after this feat.
“I really wanted it to be filmed, but if it had been, maybe I wouldn't have made it,” she added, with a little excitement still in her voice.
To follow in the footsteps of Jocelyne Bourassa or Maude-Aimée Leblanc by joining the world elite, Josée Doyon will have to give everything from December 2 to 9 in Alabama.
For the occasion, 106 players will compete over five rounds at the superb Magnolia Grove Golf Club in Mobile. There will be a cut after four rounds and the top 25 in the standings will receive their full-time LPGA card after a fifth and final day.
Impossible in Quebec
The one who turned professional in 2017 believes that she could never have come close to this objective by remaining in Quebec. That’s why she now lives in Ohio.
“There is no professional circuit in Canada for women to develop. There are maybe one or two tournaments per year. You have to compete on circuits that allow you to open these doors and that’s only in the United States or Europe,” admitted Doyon.
Ohio was an easy choice, as she completed her studies at Kent State University in 2016. In golf, the political science and criminology double major left her mark at the institution located a few miles from Akron, as she will be inducted into its Hall of Fame in February.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY JOSÉE DOYON
A little stress
At 31, Doyon believes his time has come. She has never been closer to her life's professional goal.
“I’m on the rise,” assured the woman who notably shot 65 at the Glencoe Invitational in Calgary in June. It's a lot of excitement because my level of play is only increasing. If I continue to play elite golf, I'll be fine. It’s definitely stressful, because I’ve been working for years to achieve this goal.”
“Physically, I am in the best shape of my life, and mentally, with a lot of experience, I am more ready than ever.”
To prepare and also to perform, Doyon can count on her husband and younger brother André Giroux. On the golf course, few duos have more special chemistry than them.
“We are literally always together, but we really make an extraordinary team,” she explained with pride. We complement each other well. I always feel supported in what I do. […] We both have the same goal, so it’s easy to move forward.”
PHOTO PROVIDED BY JOSÉE DOYON
