I plan to make Dubai and The Els Club more my winter base, says Frenchman Gary Stal

Gary Stal, has played in Challenge Tour events this season and currently lies 24th in the 2022 Road to Mallorca Challenge Tour Rankings.

His best finish this season was a tied 8th in the Bain’s Whisky Cape Town Open in late February, 2022, at Royal Cape Golf Club, Cape Town, South Africa.

Gulf News caught up with the Frenchman when he we coming through Dubai, at The Els Club, for some practice and to celebrate his 30th birthday prior to travelling to South Africa to play on the Challenge Tour.

Gary: I come here to Dubai and The Els Club a lot to practice. I rent a place a few hundred yards from the first tee at The Els Club which makes life easy for me.

Conor Rogers and the rest of the management and golf club team at The Els Club always look after me so well and I am always made so welcome. I also play some competition golf at The Els Club, that is arranged here, with a number of leading pros both based here and coming through Dubai along with some of the best amateurs around. These are fun and it is important to keep competitive and sharp at golf all year round.

Franck Lorenzo-Vera, the brother of Tour player Mike. He is based in Cannes in the south of France and we communicate on-line by videos, which works well for us both and it does not need any hi-tech video equipment.

I also use the gym here at The Els Club with their great new facilities at The Country Club and I go there every day when I am here in Dubai.

I will play the Challenge Tour this season. I am ready for a strong season and feeling fit and well. I won twice on the Challenge Tour in 2012 and I want to start climbing the ladder of golf again.

I won in Abu Dhabi just before I turned 23 years old. It was the year that former World Number One Martin Kaymer was, at one stage, eight shots ahead in the final round.

My putting was very strong those days, and when you win, you can continue to play well through confidence.

I lost some of that confidence and that was the difference, it affected all of my game, especially putting. There are a lot of good players out there and we all have to play very well to succeed on Tour, whichever Tour it is.

I plan to make Dubai and The Els Club more my winter base.

The city location for international travel is exceptional here in Dubai, the golf facilities are amongst the best in the world, and the weather and everything else completes a very attractive package. Dubai has become the destination of choice for winter practice for golfers, as we can see from so many pros in town, from all the Tours on both the men’s and ladies’ games.

France will always be my real home, and summer base for vacation and for seeing family and friends.