3 time DP World Tour winner and 2012 Ryder Cup star, Nicolas Colsaerts, hosts a Q&A evening at Topgolf Dubai. All about his career to date and his come back to golf after the pioneering help from Aviv Clinics Dubai.
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NewsTranscript
00:00How is your health and how are you feeling?
00:03Well, my health is good.
00:06Some of you might not know, but I was diagnosed with a kidney disease in November,
00:13which is the first time in my life where I was faced with something that I basically had never had to deal with before.
00:20I was hopping from one plane to the other just thinking golf,
00:23and all of a sudden you look at your wife and kids and you think,
00:25am I going to be here the next couple of days?
00:27So it was quite difficult for a couple of months.
00:31And so my health is a lot better because, you know, I'm in the chamber,
00:37I'm with five times a day, five times a week, sorry.
00:41I haven't been looked after incredibly well the last couple of months,
00:45so for that I'm very grateful.
00:48Right, Mikko, you're a resident in Dubai and you hold a Dubai Golden Visa, you and your family.
00:55Why did you choose to come and live in Dubai when obviously you had a few choices
00:59and where were you before you came to Dubai?
01:03Well, my wife and I lived in Monaco for six years.
01:06I come from Belgium, Monaco is French-speaking.
01:09It was basically one of the easy options.
01:13And Rachel is from Australia, so she didn't particularly like living in an apartment.
01:20Belgium was out of the question having to wear turtlenecks and woolly hats for the majority of the year.
01:27So Dubai was a pretty simple choice because of the quality of life,
01:34because of the practice facilities.
01:36I mean, golf is everywhere.
01:38It's within 20 minutes of where you live in Dubai.
01:41And I've been coming here for 20 years.
01:43I mean, I've been lucky enough to speak to some of the old boys in the corner over there
01:47and they tell me about golf in the 80s and 90s here.
01:50But I came here for the first time in 2001 and I've seen the place change incredibly,
01:56as it's been illustrated before.
01:58But we're quite happy to live here.
02:01So how did you first find out about Dubai, Mikko?
02:06Well, the first time I heard or came across Aviv with the video that's playing on the screen,
02:13Aviv became the title sponsor of one of the events on the DP World Tour in 2021 last year
02:21and was a bit curious, not knowing that a month, month and a half later,
02:28I was going to be diagnosed with my disease.
02:30And the first meeting that I had with Aviv,
02:35I also found out that Professor Shai, who was behind the whole research, was a nephrologist.
02:39So it made sense to everyone that it was a good opportunity to get together
02:45and try to deal with my issue the best way possible.
02:50So can you just explain a little further on your treatment you've experienced at the Aviv Clinics Dubai?
02:57It's careful when we open the doors and hit balls.
03:00I think most of the audience here is OK.
03:03I'm a bit worried that Mikko, if he pulls a little left, you'll get very close to the clinic.
03:07I miss rides usually, so we're good.
03:08Are you still the Belgian bummer or are you the former Belgian bummer?
03:12I'm closing in on 40 years old, so I'm still called the Belgian bummer.
03:17But as time goes by, I'm starting to hit the ball a little bit shorter.
03:19So give us a few more details of what actually you've experienced at the Aviv Clinics.
03:26I mean, apart from the hyperbaric chamber sessions that I do, I was unbelievably impressed with,
03:34I mean, I've dealt with physios and dieticians and psychologists for as long as I can remember.
03:39But walking through the door the first time, I had no idea that I was going to be completely screened
03:45the way that I have been to prepare myself for the treatment.
03:50So it was also an eye-opener for me for a few different things, also understand the way I function.
03:56And I think since then I've developed a huge amount of self-awareness.
04:00But also going in every morning, seeing lovely faces with smiles and understanding that people are there
04:08to really help you and put you back on your feet as quickly as possible.
04:12So is the treatment over? You've gone through however many sessions, five days a week.
04:18Have you completely completed your Aviv Clinics treatment or is it ongoing?
04:26I'm about to finish now. I started the treatment mid-March.
04:31I had to go to Belgium because I had different commitments in the middle.
04:34But I'm closing in on, I think I have about ten sessions to go.
04:39And right after, I think the day after I finish the treatment, I'm off in the plane to my first tournament,
04:47which is probably your next question. Sorry, I blew everything.
04:52We've done this before. You didn't know that.
04:56Now, let's go to the Olympics in Rio. Tell us a bit about the experience and perhaps your family connections.
05:05Well, the Olympics, before golf became my profession, I was really passionate about sport.
05:14It ran in the family. When I was really, really little, sport was basically the only activity.
05:20I mean, I don't play piano or guitar. It was like sport. Everything was based around sport.
05:25My great-grandfather represented Belgium at two different Olympics, early century in 20 and 36.
05:32And so even golf wasn't really a golf in the list of, you know, represented at the Olympics.
05:40I always looked at the Olympics a different way than most golfers.
05:43And when we went in 2016 in Rio, there was the part of me that was really proud to represent my country
05:51and represent, you know, the heritage of my great-grandfather.
05:54But there was also being part of the Olympics as a sports fan and see it from the inside,
06:00being in the Olympic village, seeing the swimmers and the volleyball players and the weightlifters.
06:05And it was, I mean, just thinking of, just talking about it, I've got goosebumps.
06:10You see all different body shapes and sizes at the opening ceremony or the preparation of the opening ceremony.
06:17Next to us, there was three guys from Bhutan who were wearing 16th century costumes,
06:23going down to walk into the stadium at Maracana.
06:26So it was quite a very enriching experience from a sports fan point of view.
06:35Let's go to one of what must be highlights of your career.
06:39Let's go to Ryder Cup 2012, Miracle Medina, Jose Maria, Olaf de Waal, the captain.
06:47Tell us a little behind the scenes and more importantly, Friday afternoon, you, Lee Westwood,
06:55he needed to be there against Tiger Woods and Steve Tricker.
06:59Tell us what happened there, Nico.
07:03Well, it's pretty simple. I kind of kicked his ass.
07:10Which is, of course, something to be really proud of.
07:14So I was the only rookie in the team.
07:16So I was the only one that never been thrown into the arena like this because the Ryder Cup is a different beast.
07:21Imagine you've never played Wembley and it's 80,000 and it's screaming.
07:25I mean, it's basically being thrown into a pretty hostile environment.
07:32Also being the first Belgium to represent Europe at the Ryder Cup was something also to be quite proud of.
07:39So the first game is probably the most thrilling roller coaster that I've ever been on.
07:50And funny enough, I didn't really quite understand what I was doing because I was totally in the zone
07:56and made eight birdies and an eagle, which is to this day the best performance by a rookie.
08:01And single-handedly took down Tiger Woods and Steve Tricker, which was the only European point that afternoon.
08:09And I was celebrated like a god when I walked back into the team room that same night by guys that have played five, six, seven Ryder Cups.
08:17So it was pretty cool.
08:19When you see guys that have played so many Ryder Cups look at you and go, so did you have fun?
08:25It was pretty cool.
08:27And you won one up.
08:29We won one up, so I hold maybe like a 25-footer on 17 to stay one up because Tiger Woods had just hit it to a meter.
08:39And then on 18, after Lee Westwood cowardly missed the green ride after I thought that he was going to take a bit of responsibility in the game,
08:52I lag my putt next to the hole and then he's standing there and I go straight to Lee Westwood and I tell him that,
09:00so knowing that Tiger has a putt to have the game, and so I said to Lee, I don't know if I have what it takes to watch this.
09:09I haven't basically just played the game on my own.
09:12He looked at me and went, might as well watch it.
09:15And next thing you know, Tiger misses.
09:19And so I see him handily taking the guys down and brought only one point for Europe that afternoon.
09:25Any other memories about celebrations that you're allowed in this company to share?
09:32It's funny because I went in the TV commentary at the Ryder Cup this last time in Whistling Straits last September,
09:39and I went for the first time back to Medina.
09:43And I found myself into the locker room where some incredible things happened after we won.
09:51I mean, I saw guys that I grew up idolizing, hugging each other and crying.
09:56You know, Alissabo, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter.
10:01I also remember Poulter on the Sunday morning before the singles.
10:05I'm heading to the range, walking out of the locker room, and he's crossing me the other way to go to the first tee.
10:11He looks at me with eyes like this, and he tells me, let's fucking have them.
10:17So if you know Poulter, if you know the Ryder Cup, he's exactly like he is on screen the way that he is in the locker room.
10:27And you build amazing relationships with these guys because we do an individual sport.
10:33And for once, it's 12 guys together.
10:36It's a huge backroom staff that you feel like you're playing for Real Madrid.
10:41Or Man U, if there's some Man U fans in here.
10:44Most likely, I'd say, unfortunately.
10:49I played hockey, field hockey, until I was 17.
10:51So team sport was always something that I could identify really easily.
10:55And having the chance to do this professionally in the best golf competition there is was quite a ride.
11:01So coming out today, you look fit, you're strong, thanks to Aviv.
11:07What are your plans on returning to the DP World Tour and competitive golf, Nico?
11:14What are your plans?
11:16Well, I'm starting again in two weeks' time.
11:19I've played only four events this year.
11:21I was almost this close of taking a full medical exemption to start off next season.
11:27But after playing the event in Belgium about a month and a half ago, it was quite overwhelming to play again.
11:33And it had to be in Belgium, so it was adding to the overwhelming feeling about going back out.
11:44So I need to get back on the saddle as quickly as possible.
11:46So I'll play the rest of the remaining tournaments in the season.
11:53I mean, I would usually have played 15 to 20 events by now, so there's not a lot of golf in me.
12:00There's definitely rust.
12:02My competitiveness is still there, but the level of golf has basically evolved in the last couple of years.
12:13I mean, you have to be on top of your game to be able to pull it off.
12:18So my first couple of weeks are just basically to try to assess where I am and what I really need to focus on.
12:24But I'm happy to basically go and do what I've been doing for the last 20 years.
12:32Natural, what you've done in your life.
12:36Before Nico – I'm not sure he knows this – hits a few balls and we open the door...
12:43It's a bit second nature, it's okay.
12:46You're looking nervous. Maybe I'm nervous.
12:48I might be rusty, but I'm still nervous.
12:51Before Nico hits a few balls...
12:53Any hands up for a question?
12:55I found out in July last year that I had kidney disease.
13:02So I'm interested, now that you've found that out, how much of your, not necessarily day to day, but your planning of life,
13:11revolves around thinking about that versus trying to stay in your lane of doing your golf.
13:18I don't know about you, but it was quite a shock for me because I've always been quite healthy.
13:23And then you start to ask yourself questions that never came in your mind before.
13:32What was difficult at first was accepting that something was wrong.
13:38Having been quite successful my whole life and having been basically forced to be benched was quite difficult.
13:49But throughout life I guess that you need help from certain people.
13:58There's no way I wouldn't have been able to deal with this the way I have without my wife.
14:02And without the people that I've met the last couple of months.
14:09It's always, you always want to, not like you want to find solutions and you want to find a reason.
14:18You just have to basically just go through whatever you're facing and just take it head on and this is the situation.
14:25Just kind of a golf question. Out of all the majors, which one would you most like to win and why?
14:31A typical one, no judging because I, well I've always had, you know for us back in the 80s and 90s,
14:40the Masters was almost out of reach because you only saw the back nine on TV.
14:46So we had this kind of really like mystique thing with Augusta.
14:51So I grew up really idolizing the Masters, but I grew up also watching golf on the BBC.
14:56You know in Belgium there was no Sky, there was no French TV or Belgian TV that was covering everything.
15:01So I grew up listening to Peter Alice, Ken Brown and all these guys.
15:05And so I hate to say this now, but I went in the TV commentary at the Open now.
15:12I'm a bit ashamed that I will say this now, but it's definitely the Open because I mean we saw last week,
15:17you know being the 150th and it only struck me that all these Links courses that you play for the Open,
15:23you understand that people have been walking these railways for a hundred years.
15:27And stories have happened in this bunker, in this bunker, in this bunker and it's the oldest championship
15:33and you are celebrated wherever you take the, I mean don't get me wrong, a green jacket would be nice,
15:38but I think getting a bit drunk out of the Clara Jug on a Sunday night sounds pretty good actually.
15:44And what was your best finish in a major? Let me test you Nico.
15:48Oh no, I finished I think sixth or seventh at the Open one year.
15:51Seventh.
15:54And you played in all four majors?
15:56Yeah, I played the Masters in 2013, which is quite also an overwhelming experience
16:03the first time you get to the Masters, the first time you walk Augusta.
16:08I remember the first time I went they were like, oh do you want to play a practice now?
16:12And I'm like yeah, can I start straight away on ten?
16:15So we played the back nine straight away and after an hour being there I was playing the 12th hole and the 13th
16:21and yeah, I mean it's holy ground.
16:24The first time you go to St Andrews and the first time you go to Augusta is really two amazing moments
16:31where you feel like you've quite, you've achieved something.
16:36Thank you Nico.
16:38Growing up you just talked about watching the Open on the BBC.
16:41Who were your, two part question, who were your idols growing up?
16:45And since you've obviously set the way for golf in Belgium,
16:48how is the future of golf in Belgium looking and the next generation of players coming through?
16:53So growing up I was that eight, nine, ten year old kid that was chasing autographs and balls
17:01and just looking at these golf players like they were gods.
17:06Whatever that would be, Seve, Faldo, Woosnam, Lange, I mean that was my generation that I looked up to.
17:17We're talking end of 80s.
17:20I always had a soft spot for Fred Couples when I was young and funny enough when I think we played here
17:27and it was just after the Ryder Cup or maybe just like 2012 or 13,
17:32I played a practice round with Fred Couples and when we came I think it was Friday.
17:39So I grew up idolizing the guy and we played a practice round together and Friday I come on nine
17:45and it was the big grand stand and my caddy Brian taps me on the shoulder and goes
17:52and I turn around and there's Fred Couples behind the window of the hospitality doing me like this.
17:58So it was pretty cool.
18:00They say don't meet your idols but in some cases it's pretty cool.
18:06And the state of golf in Belgium, I mean I was basically a flag carrier, flag barrier from 2000 until 2014
18:16when a couple other young Belgian guys came on the scene in Thomas Peters and Thomas Dettry.
18:22Funny fact, I mean there's always a war between you know France and Holland, our two neighbors
18:30and France only has one more Ryder Cup than we do and Holland has zero to our two.
18:37So we're quite happy to all that against our neighbors.
18:44But listen, I was never asked to help which still to this day I find quite incredible
18:52that the Belgian Federation has never really come up to me and said hey can we hear what you think about this or that
18:57for juniors and stuff because I would be the first one to give back because it got me places
19:03that I would have never thought that I would end up in one day.
19:07Thank you Nico. I think we'd all like a round of applause for Vin Landers and Nico Forca.