Victor Perez says being able to tee off in the men's Olympic golf competition on home soil will be a memory he will cherish forever.
The 31-year-old received a warm welcome from the home fans when he arrived at the first tee at the National Golf Club just before 9 a.m. local time.
Perez, a three-time DP World Tour champion who makes his Olympic debut this week, showed his resolve amid growing expectations by shaking off a slow start to shoot a one-under 70.
While he was pleased with his excellent performance with consecutive birdies on the final two holes, the focus after the game was almost entirely on the pride he felt at the start of the 72-hole individual stroke play event.
“I mean, I don’t think anybody likes the first tee,” Perez told reporters.
“But on the range, I told myself, and I told my caddie, James, that we’re going to get there 10 minutes early to really feel it all.
“This is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. [experience]I will never hit a tee shot like that again.
“The Olympics opened in Paris, we are French and have the full support of the home fans.
“Whether I was there for 10 minutes or four minutes, there was no more pressure, so I just thought, you might as well be there and just try to take it all in and enjoy the human contact, which is awesome.”
“This is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. [experience]I will never hit a tee shot like that again.
“The Olympics opened in Paris, we are French and have the full support of the home fans.
“Whether I was there for 10 minutes or four minutes, there was no more pressure, so I just thought, you might as well be there and just try to take it all in and enjoy the human contact, which is awesome.”
Perez will join dual DP World Tour and PGA Tour member Mathieu Pavon in representing France in a 60-player field that includes eight of the top 10 players in the Official World Golf Rankings.
After four bogeys and one bogey on the front nine to finish in 39, Perez bounced back with birdies on the 11th and 15th holes and capped off a perfect day as the crowd cheered.
“I think the French really enjoy playing golf here… I think they were happy to see Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele just win the British Open,” he added.
“They were on the practice field before the game and even cheered me on and gave me encouragement.
“It worked on the first tee shot. It didn't work as well on the front nine, but other than that, it was great.”
The National Golf Club holds a special place in Perez’s heart, as he played tournaments at the venue as an aspiring junior golfer, and those memories came to Perez’s mind Thursday.
“We played here against the French under-12s, under-14s and under-16s, and I remember everybody staying at the Novotel on site, coming out at nine o’clock to play against older players, trying to win the game, fighting for a Coca-Cola or something,” he said.
“So, this place is very special to me.”
Asked how the feeling of competing in the French Olympics differed from winning his first DP World Tour title at St Andrews, Perez added: “It's really hard to compare. It's not really the same thing.”
“When I won at St Andrews in 2019, it was my first year on tour, and that win was life-changing, it changed my life, got me the exemption and everything.
“It's a little bit isolating, I would say. It kind of sticks out.”
