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| A dream
come true for Peppo |
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Article
published on the weekly magazine
Sport Week
(N.46 2000) |
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Canonica at the PGA Tour
Vincenzo Martucci |
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| Let's give to Caesar
what belongs to Caesar. Emanuele "Peppo" Canonica,
whom has earned the card to play next year in the
U.S. PGA circuit, is not the only Italian golf
player successful in such a difficult undertaking. Before
Canonica, in 1971 Roberto Bernardini
(today instructor at Acquasanta) had qualified for the
center stage of golf. Honestly he specifies: "Peppo
has been tremendous: congratulations. I admit that now
a days it's harder, there is a larger amount of players".
Canonica, which is the adjective
that can be used for an Italian that qualifies for the
U.S. PGA?
"Bravo! It's almost
an impossible undertaking to achieve".
Is the secret called luck?
"No, it's called will. I have been after it for
a while. I was helped and guided by people that pushed
me to try".
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People
like Costantino Rocca?
"Exactly. It was he who insisted the most: "You
have to go to the United States, there you will find the
courses fit for you". If he wouldn't have had some
personal problems, he would have stayed, instead of participating
at only five competitions after the second place at the
British Open. I had the States on my mind for over two
years now. I had a good beginning this year, therefore
I immediately tried".
What is this U.S. PGA dream of
yours?
"It's the real golf, just like soccer in Italy. One
of the most practiced sports in the country, without having
to mention the financial side of it, television and sponsors".
But what substantial difference
is there between the European PGA and the American one?
"You play more, you always find strong adversaries,
those who never come to Europe, the ones that stimulate
and help you play better, win more, rising faster in the
ranking. You earn more money: this year I closed off the
year placing myself 26th in Europe and earned just as
much as that who placed 115th in the American Tour...
Plus, the circuit is organized better and the courses
are more fit for my game: they're wide, with my length
I can overcome many obstacles. And then, and then...Maybe
you have less expenses to face: they pay your mobile phone,
board and they give you a car. Regarding transfers, you
pay the airplane tickets and the hotels, but you stay
almost five weeks on one coast, then you move to another
coast for a while".
At the age of five years, Peppo already played golf: what
did he dream of on the green?
"Form the age of 10-11 I already thought about it:
I used to say...One day I'll go to the States." And
now that you are in the States, what do you dream of?
"Now, I dream of winning my first tournament in order
to maybe make it one day to a Slam tournament".
What happened at the Italian Open? A great start with
an anonymous end.
"I was tired. I was sleeping very little at night.
I had just passed the first round of qualifications and
still couldn't get used to the time zone change from the
Unites States, and believe me that 9 hours of difference
are plenty. I wasn't 100 percent in shape and consequently
had a loss of concentration".
Who is the player to whom you
refer to?
"Costantino and then Price. I like the way he behaves
on the course and out. A monstrous player that in any
time stops, talks to you, kids and jokes around. He always
used to tell me: Why don't you come and play in the U.S.?,
well, here I am".
So what is your program now?
"For this first year I'll stay in Montecarlo. I'll
see how it goes at the first stage in Tucson from the
8th of January, and then I'Ăll be in Hawaii. I would like
to stay two full months there, then I'll participate to
a couple of competitions in Europe, then again the States.
I think I'll be participating to 23 or 24 tournaments.
My wife Antonella will come in alternate phases, my instructor
Giorgio Bordoni will be there every month for about ten
days, and my caddy Pat Luton, instead, will always stay
with me. The Spanish Olazabal and Jimenez have made my
same choice".
Is making a lot of money the real
goal to reach?
"If I play good, a lot will change compared to Europe,
and I could even retire ahead of time...but what I actually
think about the most is to win and to do my best at this
extraordinary experience".
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