Pasqualle Coffa (26) was a late bloomer in golf. She only started as a teenager. She fought her way up to the highest level in a spectacular way. But after a bad year, she is now no longer active at the highest level. Despite sporting setbacks, she continues to follow her heart and focus fully on golf. “It really hasn’t been easy lately, but I will get through this.”
At the beginning of her golfing years, her development was rapid. Until she was 16, she had never touched a golf club, but it turned out to suit her. “I have always ridden horses and saw a future in it. Until I was introduced to golf on holiday. A technical sport that I found interesting to do.”
As a teenager, she never expected that she would make it to the Dutch top. “I mainly did it for fun, but I noticed that I was getting better and better. The higher the level, the more I focused on details. I was of course behind the competition in the beginning, because golf is an experience sport. But by playing a lot of golf, I made big leaps.”
“If you perform well, you can certainly earn a living with this.”
In the winter of 2018, she moved from amateurs to professionals through a qualifying tournament. “At that moment you can start playing for prize money. If you perform well at the major tournaments, you can certainly make a living playing golf. Although the sport also costs a lot of money, for example due to the extensive travelling. But luckily I have sponsors who support me.”
There are no doubts that she has the qualities to compete in the professional circuit. She has almost reached the top ten several times at tournaments on the Ladies European Tour. But like many other top athletes, a bad period began. “I have had a number of setbacks and that has created uncertainty. You know what you can do, but it doesn’t work out. If there is one thing you need as a golfer, it is self-confidence. You are alone on the court, you have to show it.”
“Other athletes struggle too.”
If things don’t go the way you want, quitting top sport is the easiest way. However, the Heusden resident is not a quitter. “I regularly talk to other athletes who also struggle. It is nice to exchange experiences and take away the good things from those conversations. I am not alone and feel support from others. That has made me look to the future with confidence again.”
The fire to go for it is burning again. “Golf is and remains my passion. I want to put this unpleasant period behind me and return to the highest level. I’m really looking forward to becoming the best version of myself. I work hard for that every day.”