Victor Jean-Noël’s victory at the BNP Paribas Golf Cup is also one of the virtues of sport. He explains what enabled him to surpass himself on January 18 at the Saint-François International Golf course and praises his son’s performance.
ONAIR: What were your strengths compared to the competitors?
Victor Jean-Noël: Friendship! I invited my friend Alex Robin for his first 18-hole competition. Christian Hildebert was also with us; he is a close friend and longtime player, and Jean-Michel Lamo. For Alex’s first time, I worked hard to show my best game. This concern for exemplary play in a friendly atmosphere allowed me to surpass myself. I did not anticipate it but my success is also the happy consequence of the attention paid to the game and the people with me.
OA: Your son Théo Jean-Noël is the winner in the Junior division. What does his victory inspire in you?
VJN: True honor and happiness! He is a calm, pleasant young man who shares his golf experience with others and dedicates himself to the game. I transmitted to my children a taste for sport and its values of exemplary behavior, positive attitudes, care and rigor. Theo did very well and his success is above all the fruit of his personal work at the CREPS golf center.
OA: How about someone who wants to start golfing but thinks it’s too late? VJN: It’s never too late! I started late myself. This sport escapes the effects of time: from children to seniors, it is open to everyone and provides a lot of benefits. It’s a physical and intellectual sport because of the many factors you face: wind, unevenness, vegetation, weather, ball movement … This sport is thoroughly complete. In addition, thanks to its compensating scoring system, it is a sharing activity so you can play together fairly evenly even if you do not have the same skill level. Go for it!
1. Victor and Théo Jean-Noël : champions from one generation to the next
