German golfer Verena Gimmy first played on the LET Access Series in 2018 and followed that up with two top-ten finishes in 2019. The Missouri State graduate finished 25th on last season’s LETAS Order of Merit.
Ahead of the start of the LETAS season, we caught up with Verena to find out her 2021 goals, the tournament she is looking forward to, advice for those who are thinking about playing on LETAS and more.
When did you start playing golf?
I started playing golf when I was 11 or 12, so it was quite late. My parents went on vacation and they did a golf crash course and really got into it. They wanted to do it as a family and at first, I was not happy about it, but when I hit my first ball it flew, and I knew I wanted to do it. It was like love at first sight!
What do you like about golf?
I like that you never have the perfect swing or the perfect shot. You can play good one day and bad the next day and then really good again. You always have to work on yourself and the only person you can be angry with or happy with is you – that’s what I like. It’s always a challenge and also to get to travel to so many countries. You get to see a lot of different people, different cultures and different countries – I love travelling!
How was your college experience at Missouri State?
A year before I graduated high school, I made the decision to go to the US. I wanted to study and I was not ready to give up golf. I also wanted to improve my game more to become a professional one day. It was important to me and my family that I had a plan b, so that is why I did my degree plus I wanted to experience the college system and improve my English. I really enjoyed the people, the culture, travelling to different states, but also the competitive level. I really improved and challenged myself. There were highs and lows, but I’m really happy I played there for four years.
How did you find out about the LET Access Series?
My coach introduced me to LETAS. We were talking about what my goals were in golf and my ambition to play on the LPGA and win tournaments. He introduced me to the Series and said, “if you want to be a professional you have to play pro tournaments in order to figure out what you’re good at and what you still need to work on.” Playing on LETAS showed me what being a professional is all about.
What was the thought process behind your decision to stay amateur?
Staying amateur and then turning professional later on was a good decision because I feel like I still gave myself the opportunity to try and play in these tournaments. I prepared myself mentally to be a pro and I always competed as if I already was a pro. My coach and I, we worked on my mental game of how I feel, how I practice and how I deal with the pressure. I got so much experience as an amateur, I had a lot of highs and some lows – those were more valuable to me than the actual money I would have earned. I played for two-and-a-half years as an amateur after finishing college until I turned pro and also, I only decided after college that I wanted to become a professional, so I still needed to work on a lot of things to make that happen.
What would you say is the strongest part of your game?
It’s usually my putting, but if I look at my stats from last season then I would say it’s my iron game.
What are your goals for 2021?
My goals for this season are improving my game, I want to win some tournaments and I want to have an LET card, so I’m going to try and qualify through the LETAS Order of Merit.
What would it mean to you if you were able to secure your LET card?
It would almost be a dream come true. My ultimate goal is to play on the LPGA. Last year and then being injured at the start of this year has been mentally really tough for me. I missed out on an LET card at Q-School, then Covid-19 happened and I started to wonder if golf was still for me. I played well on LETAS last year, which made me realise I still wanted to do this. Getting an LET card would mean a lot and it would make up for a lot of things.
What are your career highlights so far?
With college, it would be winning the conference with my team twice and also being named Player of the Year were two great honours for me. Playing in LET tournaments, placing as the best amateur in LETAS events and playing some of the best rounds on the day are some of my career highlights.
Which tournament are you most excited about?
My favourite course on LETAS is probably Golf De Lavaux in Switzerland. I got best amateur there once, but I’ve also played some of my best rounds there and I really like the course. It’s challenging but it’s also short. If you strike the ball well, you can shoot a really low round.
When you’re not playing golf, what do you like doing?
I love doing sports. I’m up for any sporting activity. I love long walks with my dog. I travel so much so when I have a week off, I love to spend quality time with my friends and my family.
If you weren’t a golfer, what would you be?
There are so many things that I’m interested in. I imagine probably something with sports and companies. Women’s sport is still so underrated, I feel like I would try and make a change in the industry and change the mindset around women’s golf.
What advice would you give someone who is thinking about playing on LETAS?
I’ve done this recently with a team-mate. LETAS is a great opportunity to improve your game, you find out where you’re at and what you still need to work on. You get to talk to other players and talk about their experience. It allows you to figure out for yourself if you want to travel because sometimes people underestimate how time-consuming travelling it is. Playing on LETAS is a good opportunity to jump in and figure out if this is right for you.
