Golf is a balancing act about what you can control versus what you cannot control but for France’s Chloe Salort the end of the season was only the latter due to injury.
At the Lombardia Ladies Open, the 24-year-old made the cut but bravely persevered through the final round despite being injured to finish the tournament.
Salort did not know then that her rookie season was over.
After flying back home and taking some rest Salort headed to the range to hit a few balls. She managed 10 before the pain in her rib came back.
“I started to cry” Salort admitted, “I just thought what I am going to do, I called my parents and eventually had to admit to myself that I wasn’t going to play the last tournament in Spain. An ultrasound confirmed I needed rest.”
Salort sat inside the Top 21 on the LETAS Order of Merit after the Lombardia Ladies Open and found it incredibly frustrating to not be able to do anything about her result.
“It was hard. I had to pray others didn’t play well but at the same time I’m not like that.
“I’m usually the girl who says ok, I cannot control others and just play my own game. I didn’t not want to support my friends.
“If I want to be the best then I have to play better but that option was taken away from me.”
The Frenchwoman was a consistently strong player on tour all year and recorded two top 10 finishes and no missed cuts.
Her highest finish was tied third at the AMUNDI Czech Ladies Challenge after rounds of 73, 72 and 72.
“It’s hard because my season was good for a first season but at the same time it wasn’t as good as I expected. We all obviously want to be in the top six, that’s the goal. I was hoping for more top five and stuff like that.
“I’ve learnt a lot this season, I know what I need to work on. I played a lot with Sofie and Chiara a lot this season and I saw what was strong in their game and what is not actually as strong in my game.
Whilst Salort has now become comfortable with tour life, this time last year the Frenchwoman wasn’t sure if professional golf was the career for her.
Yet now she admits whilst she was anxious for the constant travel, she loves the lifestyle and has been surprised with the friendliness on tour.
“I was surprised with the friendliness on tour, I thought that when you turned pro, the other girls would not be your friend. I was wrong, I’ve found some great friends this year and I’m super happy about that!
“I would be lying if I said the injury was the biggest difficulty this year, being far from family and my boyfriend and friends probably is. Sometimes you can feel alone, even though I travel with my friends. It’s hard to often be thrown into the unfamiliar.”
Salort is undergoing an injection and hopes that will allow her to recover and play again in time for the final stage of Q school which begins on Saturday the 16th.
After playing in last year’s Qualifying School at La Manga, Salort is keen to learn from that experience and the passionate player is very excited to hopefully head to Morocco.
“When I am on the course, I am very into it. I really live it. I am trying to control my emotions though because it’s very important to be patient. Patience is not my best quality I would say.
“But this year at Q school, I’m going to be prepared. I know I am injured but I’m practising my putting and that is probably the most important part.
“This year I will be prepared because last year I wasn’t. It was new for me. Yet this year I know what I want. I know where I want to go, and I know what Q school involves. So, I will try to not repeat the mistakes of last year.”
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