Ugo Coussaud: “Living in the United States is not my dream”

For his first season on the DP World Tour, Ugo Coussaud achieved almost flawless results. 31st in the Race on the cusp of the DP World Tour Championship, the final XXL meeting of the 2023-24 financial year, the player from Team Saint Laurent takes stock and does not avoid the question of evolving soon on the PGA Tour. A very strong performance in Dubai could shake up his schedule. Even if life on the other side of the Atlantic, he admits, is not “his cup of tea.” »

Comments collected by Lionel VELLA, in Dubai

It is on the barely shaded terrace of the driving range Jumeirah Golf Estates what Ugo Coussaud spent a few minutes with us. Hyper relaxed after securing a superb sixth place in Abu Dhabi last weekend, the native of Angoulême, accompanied by the manager of the Team St Laurent, Maxime Demorydeciphers his first and very rich season on the European Tour.

GOLF PLANETE: Is 2023-24 the dream season for you?
Ugo COUSSAUD : Yes, definitely. The dream would perhaps have been to secure a victory. Why not this week? There is still a possibility. For once, this would truly be a dream season. But obviously, I am very satisfied with this first season on the Tour.

GP: Did your appearances on the European Tour last year while you were still a member of the Challenge Tour allow you to better understand this arrival at the highest level and, therefore, to perform very quickly?
U.C. : Yes, without a doubt. I had taken the measure of certain routes (Editor’s note, five tournaments played, three cuts made). And above all the level of play required. And I realized that I was completely in my place. This allowed me to arrive much more calmly.

I'm still a little anxious by nature. I asked myself: “ I'm here ok but do I really belong here? Will I be able to keep my card? »

Ugo Coussaud

GP: Were there certain things you dreaded despite everything?
U.C. : I'm still a little anxious by nature. I asked myself: “ I'm here ok but do I really belong here? Will I be able to keep my card? »There are plenty of players who come up and get lost. Things are happening so quickly in high-level golf. I'm very happy at the moment but I'm aware that it could go the other way very quickly. It’s such a complicated sport. The most important thing is to have a good team around you. This allows me to pinpoint the things that are working and not just the things that aren't working. We just have to try to improve a few small points and that was the most important for me.

GP: So you were very quickly reassured with this second place in Qatar at the start of the year…
U.C. : Completely ! Everything suddenly relaxed for me (laughter). Having the card so early in the year was a treat. This also allows you to put things in place more calmly for the rest of the season, to allow yourself more things, particularly in terms of mental preparation, but also to conserve energy to perform better on the courses. It’s a circle that feels good. It's a virtuous circle.

GP: Of the twenty who joined the Challenge Tour at the end of 2023, sixteen kept their card and three even won on the European Tour. Does this surprise you?
U.C. : No ! It's a very challenging Tour that ideally prepares you to face the floor above. The level of play is crazy.

My ultimate goal was to make a top 30 at the Race to qualify for The Open 2025 (at Royal Portrush) but I learned that it was now only the top 25 that was concerned.

Ugo Coussaud

GP: Benjamin Hébert recently declared that it was harder to move up from the Challenge Tour than to keep his card on the DP World Tour. Do you confirm?
U.C. : He has a lot of experience from both Tours. I clearly agree with him. Afterwards, the years on the Challenge Tour are years of construction. They allow you to work in the shadows. But if we work well, they allow us to arrive solidly on the European Tour. It’s clearly a good Circuit. It must be preserved and developed so that the players who come up are as efficient as possible.

GP: Apart from this victory which still denies you, have all the objectives been achieved this season?
U.C. : Yes ! My ultimate goal was to make a top 30 at the Race to qualify for The Open 2025 (au Royal Portrush) but I learned that it was only the top 25 who were concerned. We learned this just before the tournament in Abu Dhabi. I made a nice jump after the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (+11 places in the Race) but I still have work to do this week, knowing that it's a bonus week for me, without really a lot of pressure. But with that nonetheless in the back of my mind.

GP: And then there is this crazy issue of ten spots on the PGA Tour for 2025…
U.C. : Yes, absolutely! For me, it’s a bonus bonus! If it happens, it will be the icing on the cake. And we will then have a lot of discussions with my staff to manage this. And I'll go play there. But I don’t get up every morning and say to myself: “ I have to make this top 5 or this top 10 to achieve this. » Besides, I don't even know. It's a bit like Matthieu Pavon last year here who finished with four birdies on Sunday and won his right to play. And it's gone for him. If it happens, that's great. If that doesn't happen, I will still be very happy with my season.

GP: What does life in the United States inspire you?
U.C. : It's not my cup of tea. But for golf, it’s great! To be honest, living in the United States is not my dream. At all! That doesn't stop me from going there. I will do my best. But I don't think I'll live my old days in the United States!

Photo : ROSS KINNAIRD / GETTY IMAGES EUROPE / Getty Images via AFP