After two and a half months offseason, world number one Joan Ram came to Hawaii to kick off his 2022 with the Sentinel Championship. At the beginning of the new year, he reflected on his outstanding performances in the 2020-21 season, enjoying the fun of being a new father during the offseason, and looking forward to the new year.
(Star Perspective - Ram: Believe in yourself, calmly fight!) ）
After a successful season, my goal this year is to "get to the next level". Every year, my goal is to do better than before. This is not an easy task. Because I had a very consistent finish last season (top 10 in 15) and won a Grand Slam title. But I can still say that I am happy to take on more unknown challenges and reap more victories.
It all depends on how success or failure is defined. In the sport of golf, winning the championship cannot just be counted as a "success", nor can it be said that winning second place is a "failure", can it? Obviously, the goal in my mind is to make myself perform better throughout the year.
(Ram ranks first in the world)
Becoming the number one in the world is what I have always wanted. And I did it because I've done well in the last races. If I want to sit on the throne of the world number one, I must continue to play at a high level and strive to become better. From beginning to end, I had to focus on myself and try to improve my ability and improve my competitiveness. If I could do that and play in a way I'm familiar with, the rest of the problem would be solved.
I don't think about "a player is in second place now and he's going to catch up with me," I'm just trying to do my best and win a game. I hope to have a more fulfilling year and win more championships.
(Ram wins the U.S. Open)
I played a lot of races since June 2020 and ended up with two wins and good results at Grand Slams as well. As I entered the offseason, I changed sponsors and worked hard with new clubs. I didn't want to make it an excuse to play badly, so I put in a lot of effort and ended up playing well in the year. At the time, I was ready and would be a little uncomfortable in the first few months, but it turned out that all my efforts paid off, I did well from the start and had a chance to win the game.
In the past year, I have experienced the coronavirus and had to regret my retirement; I have also played well and won the US Open; I have done my best to score points for the European team with everyone in the Ryder Cup, and I have become a father.
(Ram with wife and children)
At the end of the Ryder Cup, I felt like I had been exhausted by the intense rush of the past year and a half. After returning to Spain, I decided to take a break, not only for myself, but also for my family. I want to take on the responsibilities of being a father, a husband, with my wife and my son. I'm glad I made this decision because since my son was born, we've had helpers to help my wife take care of the kids at night, and I've done very little. Because I'm going to race, I have to get enough sleep. So, after deciding to take a break, I told my wife that I wanted to share the burden of taking care of the children.
During those two months, I really, really, really enjoyed waking up a few times at night to take care of my son. Being able to get up in the morning to feed him, bathe him in the evening, and enjoy the joy of fatherhood. Predictably, once he goes to school, I won't be around him for most of my life. I really cherish these moments and know I won't regret staying with my family for the offseason.
(Ram replaced with a new no. 1 wood)
For two weeks when I first got home, I didn't play golf at all. Although I still go to the gym to work out, it's more of a habit. Then I slowly started playing some games with my friends and gradually resumed practicing, but the first month was not so tight.
I now have a new Number One wood and a new set of poles, but I'm still getting used to it. While it takes a process, I've really enjoyed it so far. In particular, the appearance of this club is matte black. I'm a very fond of matte colors, which is my personal preference. In addition, as a loyal spectator of Formula 1 racing, the carbon fiber used in the car is also a material that I like, and now I use this material of clubs. So far, my feelings about the new clubs are pretty much the same as the data on the swing analyzer shows. The more deficiencies I can find, the better, and it's a good thing for me to make progress.
(PGA TOUR Swing Analysis - Want a great batting point? Hardcore king Joan Ram's swing is worth learning)
I have some clear requirements for my swing and if I don't play well, I always think back, so I don't need my coach to be around all the time. Golf is not a simple batting game, but to do your best to score the best score. The swing may not be perfect, but it's important to play better and play a lower number of strokes.
It was an honor to be able to participate in the Sentinel Championship. That means I did a good job the year before and won one. It's a pleasure to be in Hawaii because it's a game I've been looking forward to. I've done well on this pitch before, so this time I hope to get better results and have a chance to win.
(Ram in the Sentinel Championship)
This game brought together almost all the champions of the previous year, and I was playing against the winners, so the competition would be very fierce. My opponents are all players with championship-winning qualities. Therefore, it would be a great honor to be able to win this time. At the same time, I'm also very happy to have spectators during the game, as well as Maui's strong support for the PGA Tour and us, and I will enjoy the week.
Now, I feel good! I'm so happy that my body and mind have been relaxed. I'm ready for the year.