Drenthe has gained a national champion. The 18-year-old Boaz Veld from Hoogeveen became Dutch disc golf champion yesterday. “I didn’t expect this,” he responds. “I went for a top 10.”
It is a good start for Veld, because it is the first time that he participates in the national championship. “You can say yes,” he laughs. That NK took place in Arnhem, in the Immerloopark.
Disc golf is basically golf, but with a Frisbee. The holes have been replaced by iron cages and the arms now serve as golf clubs. Where golf is played with different clubs, in this sport it is with different discs. Different ones are used for far than for near. Whoever throws the disc into all 18 holes in the fewest throws wins.
The Dutch championship consists of three rounds. Saturday were the first two, yesterday was the final round. “I was the most nervous on the first pitch,” says Veld. “And the last one was the most beautiful. That everyone is cheering for you. Yes, I will definitely remember that.”
That second round went especially well for Veld. “I finished that round with a score of -10 (10 below average, ed.). As a result, I entered the final round with two points ahead. And I managed to keep that lead.”
He doesn’t know why that second round went so well. “I think the training paid off.” In addition, he played the entire tournament without pressure. At his debut, a top 10 ranking seemed nice, but he goes home with the cup. And a very big smile.
The next tournament for the 18-year-old awaits at the end of September. Then he plays in the European Tour, in a tournament in Belgium. Will he go for the top 10 again? “No, that is really too ambitious. Good players from the United States also participate. A top 10 is really a few steps too high for me.”
Ultimately, his goal is to set up a career in the United States. It’s much more professional there, he says. “You can really make a professional career there. That is my ultimate dream.”
This summer RTV Drenthe went to the disc golf course in Hoogeveen: