New Austrian Open winner Marc Warren has revealed the pressure he was under from seven-year old son, Archie to return home with a fourth pro career victory trophy.
Warren had intended to remain in Austria for this week’s Euram Bank Open but after ending a near six-year winless drought the Scot jetted out from Vienna and via Prague to Liverpool to be met by his wife, Laura and son Archie who had driven down from Glasgow.
Archie was just two months old when he attended his first European Tour event, the 2013 BMW PGA Championship and where his father gallantly lost out in a play-off at Tour HQ. That was the closest Warren’s been to victory since Sunday’s triumph in the Austrian hills on the outskirts of Vienna.
Marc Warren and son, Archie five years ago at the Dubai Desert Classic. (Photo – exclusive by www.golfbytourmiss.com)
Warren said: “I was thinking yesterday (Sunday) about Archie quite a lot as I wanted to win for him as he’s seven and a bit now at the age where he can maybe appreciate what that means a bit more.
“I thought, whether I win or not, he’s still going to have a smile on his face, as he always does, but I wanted to give it my all down the stretch for him. That spurred me on quite a lot.
“When I was on Facetime on Sunday night, he popped his head with his usually smiley face and asked: “Are you bringing home a trophy?
“I showed him the replica trophy and said, ‘that’s amazing’ then disappeared again!
“So, with Laura and Archie having driven down to Liverpool to collect me, it’s made for a nice journey home.”
Warren teed-up in Austria having contested 142 Tour events since capturing the 2014 Made in Denmark and recording a pair of seconds and just seven other top-10s.
The Glaswegian lost his main Tour card at the close of 2018 ending 130th on the Race to Dubai though he regained full privileges laer that year at the Q-School but slumped even further to 215th last year in missing 13 of 21 halfway cuts. It was only that last week’s first event since lifting of the competition lockdown was a joint European and Challenge Tour event that Warren got his start in the field.
He said: “Until you win, you don’t realise how many people are rooting for you, I suppose. It is great to have that support as it’s a special thing when friends, family and everyone else gets to enjoy a moment like that with you, even from afar.
“Your first win is always special, but this one is definitely massive after the way I had played the last two years. It’s great to come out the other side of that now.
“Lockdown gave me the opportunity to not play golf but think about golf, if that makes sense. Even prior to that, when I went to South Africa I was just thinking about trying to play golf and keep it simple.
“It’s been about trying to get a bit of enjoyment back and I managed to find that over the last few weeks at home, playing and practising.
“In a funny way, when I left for Austria I wasn’t 100 per cent looking forward to it as I felt as if I didn’t want to jinx how I was feeling.
“Over the past couple of years, I had not been enjoying going to my work, which is not a good place for anybody to be.
Mark Warren ends a near six-year winless drought to capture the 2020 Austrian Open
“I came out last week feeling refreshed and I think it showed. I was trying to be one-dimensional, hitting one shape all the time, in order to not find myself in positions where I am second guessing things.
“I made the right choices and decisions most of the week and that obviously paid off big style. Mentally, I was very good. I was able to commit to the shots I wanted to hit all week.
“So, the timing couldn’t be better. It’s been a tough time for everybody, so to change my year around so quickly by winning the first event back is a dream come true.
“Nothing else would have done that other than a win last week or this week and to now have this week at home, practising and preparing and also having a week with the family ahead of the British Masters is amazing.”
And when Warren heads south-east next week for the July 22nd starting British Masters at Close House, near Newcastle, he will also be reunited with long-time caddy, Ken Herring who was not allowed to travel to Austria as the results of his Covid-19 test was not at hand.
Warren said: “Ken had been caddying on the LPGA Tour in the States but given it’s been delayed in getting restarted he was going to come to Austria and work for me so it’s funny though how things work out.
“We had a great few year’s together. I’ve been very lucky over the years as I’ve had some great caddies, but for me Ken is the pick of the bunch.
“Hopefully when we get to the British Masters, I appreciate more what I have got with him on the bag.”
