alltastes– a littletoocrudeforme
attimes,thoughotherswillno
doubtdisagree– butthere’sno
doubtinghisgolfingability.He’s
hadanimpressiverisethroughthe
ranksaftergettinghistourcard
backstraightawaytoensurethat
particularepisodewasmerelya
briefblipratherthana major
careerstumble.So,is henow
aheadoforbehindwherehe’d
hopedtobebythisstageofhis
professionalcareer?Theansweris
typicalEddie:“I’vereallynoidea. If
you’daskedmethatquestion
relativetowhereI wastwoorthree
yearsago,I wouldsayI’mway
ahead,butif you’daskedmethatin
2014,I mayhaveexpectedmyself
tobeinthetop 50 oftheworldat
thispoint,soI don’treally know is
theanswertothat!”
Maybelosinghiscardwasoneof
thoseblessingsindisguiseyou
occasionallygethandedoutbylife’s
SchoolofHardKnocks,butevenif
it was,Pepperelldoesn’treallyseeit
that way. “I wouldn’t say cortisol is
goodforanyhumanbeingwhenit’s
elevated,soI’drathernothave
gonethroughwhatI went
through,”herationalises.“It’snot
unusualtogothroughwhatI went
throughandcomeouttheother
sidecertainlymoreknowledgeable
andlearned,butnotnecessarily
better.ButthankfullyI learned
fromit intherightwayandgot
better.It’sveryrareyoufinda
sportsman,andcertainlya golfer,
whohasn’thada serious loss of
form at some point.”SOCIALMEDIASTAR
Pepperellhasareputationasanamusingand
sometimes crude Tweeter. Here are five examples...Anewapproach
Havingsuccessfullyre-established
himselfin2017,aidedbya string
ofsixtoptensfromearly
SeptembertoearlyNovember,
Pepperellfinallypickeduphis
maidentourtitleinQatarlastyear,
althoughthatwasreallyagainst
therunofhisearly-seasonform,
wherenotmuchelsewasgoingon.
Notmuchelseonthecourse,
thoughplentyoffit,it transpires.
“Yes,I hada newcoach,Simon
Shanks,theweekofQatar,which
madea hugedifference,”Pepperell
tellsmewhenI askwhythewin
butnotmuchelseinearly2018.“I
wentfromhittingtheballpretty
badlytoreallywell,andoutof
nowherewon.AfterthatweekI
workedwithmynewcoachand
gavehimsomerope,andwiththat
hehangedhimself,philosophically
speakingatleast!ThenfromJuly
onwards,I tookbacka bitmore
controlandweworkedreally well
togetherfromJuly2018.”
Turningpointsarealwaysa nice
concept,andlookingathisrecordit
wouldseemthathissecond-place
finishintheScottishOpenin
mid-Julywouldfit thatbill
perfectly,butapparentlynotso.
“Theturningpoint,I wouldsay,
wastheIrishOpentheweekbefore,
where I went and missed the cut byEDDIE PEPPERELL
Eddiemadehis
Augustadebut
this yearHebattledtough
conditionstowinthe
British Masters last year