‘I’d like to give No.1 a crack’
Aussie amateur Curtis Luck would love to emulate Jason Day
For a man who name-drops Tiger as one of his idols, it comes as no surprise that certain traits have rubbed off on Curtis Luck.
The 20-year-old Aussie is not short on confidence, and raised eyebrows when he suggested that he could overturn an eight-shot deficit to win the Dubai Desert Classic (he finished 23rd). It is telling, however, that winning is never far from his mind. He got a taste for it when he became only the third Australian in history to win the US Amateur Championship last year.
Off the back of that, he’s earned an invite to Augusta, been snapped up by ISM – the same management company that represents Danny Willett, Lee Westwood and Matt Fitzpatrick – and posted his first top 25 on the European Tour in Dubai last month.
It’s made for an auspicious start to life in the professional ranks for Luck, and one which he intends to build on by turning pro as soon as the Masters has finished.
Q. How have the last 12 months been? It’s been a big year, and the last five months have been absolutely crazy. I’ve been part of some really strong fields and got to play with Jordan Spieth and Adam Scott in Australia. As a whole, 2016 was great and I had some fantastic results like winning my home-state Open. To top things off by winning the US Amateur and Asian-pacific Amateur Championship was a really sweet ending.
Q. Can you describe the feeling when you opened the Augusta invite? I saw the printing on the envelope so I had a good idea what was inside. I’d seen a lot of social media posts from other players so I was really excited. It sent shivers up my spine. To play in front of crowds that are however many deep and to be out on that golf course will just be unbelievable.
Q. Will you be seeking any advice from some of your peers in the lead up to Augusta? I was lucky enough to play with Adam Scott last December, so I got a bit of advice. What really stood out was when he said the course can kind of transform overnight and play completely differently from one day to the next. Jordan [Spieth] said the same thing. I haven’t actually met or spoken with Greg Norman or Jason Day, but hopefully I will be able to hit them up for a few practice rounds to get ready for the Masters. Q. Do you get star-struck playing alongside some of the game’s best players? I guess it’s pretty cool to float around the range and see some big names out there doing their thing. But ultimately I’ve earned my spot, so there’s no reason why I should be intimidated.
Q. Do you have any mentors? Brett Rumford has been one since I was about 17. I started practising with him back home and obviously he’s won multiple times in Europe, so he’s got bags of experience. Terry Gale is another. He’s about 70 now, but he’s really well known in Australia and he’s like my golfing grandad in a way.
Q. What does the future hold? Ultimately, I want to turn pro at some point this year. I think that will be just after the Masters. Winning the US Amateur is really well recognised in America, so from April onwards I hope to play a few events on the PGA Tour as a professional. At this stage, I think that outweighs playing a couple of Majors as an amateur. I am going to back myself because I believe I am going to play multiple Majors.
Q. What is the ultimate dream five or 10 years from now? Winning tournaments and giving world number one a crack. That is every elite sportsperson’s goal in their field. I would love to play on the US Tour and to rival the likes of Jason Day at the top of the rankings. I think I can do it because there are so many really good young players performing at a ridiculous level as soon as they hit the Tour now. Jeunghun Wang has won three times in his first season on the European Tour. I’ve watched him on the range and he is seriously impressive. I want to keep up with these guys and I think you’ve got to have that belief that you can compete with them.