As one of Austria's most successful golf professionals, Matthias Schwab is on the road a lot. He plays between 25 and 30 tournaments per season. The 26-year-old travels through Europe, Asia, Africa and America. He always has his life with him in his suitcase. Including travel time, training sessions and tournaments, Schwab spends almost 35 weeks a year on the road. 35 out of 52. That doesn't leave much time at home. All the more reason for him to look forward to it.
Schwab is close to home. So much so, in fact, that he will be representing SalzburgerLand as an ambassador in the future. What lies behind the partnership and what goals the top golfer has.
While the golfing world is currently looking towards Augusta and eagerly following the legendary Masters Tournament in the USA, Schwab is once again at home. He is preparing for one of his personal season highlights, the home tournament on the European Tour, which will beheld as the Austrian Open at GC Atzenbrugg from April 15 to 18 .In Lower Austria. Schwab's great love, however, is the Salzburger Land. A region that, according to Leo Bauernberger (managing director of Salzburger Land Tourism), is a "golf country." With 17 courses, from alpine challenges down to the lowlands. "Eighty percent of guests in Salzburger Land come here to play sports," Bauernberger says. Golf and tourism, they say, are symbiotic here. They are therefore proud that in Schwab they will in future have a brand ambassador who is one of the best golfers in the world.
Matthias Schwab: "It is a great honor for me".
At a press conference in Salzburg to make the partnership official, Schwab spoke about milestones and goals in his career. The 26-year-old said ...
... about the province of Salzburg: "I travel a lot around the world and always like to come back to Austria. My home country is an important source of energy for me after tournament trips that are exhausting and last three or four weeks. The wonderful nature, the air, the mountains, the lakes and, of course, first and foremost, the first-class golf courses - I like all that about my home country. All of this has had a strong influence on me in terms of my personality and as an athlete. I played my first tournament in Radstadt when I was four years old, and later I was in the army in Salzburg. It's very nice and a great honor for me to do my part to make the province of Salzburg even better known internationally as an attractive destination and to represent the beauty of my homeland to the world."
... on his move to the USA: "The four years in the USA were very good for my development. But of course it was also a risky step. In Nashville, it was difficult for me alone at first, especially as a foreigner. But it worked out well. I had a very good coaching team there. It's a big difference from Austria. Golf has a completely different status in the USA. Golf is almost one of the main sports there. But I think we have a lot of potential in Austria, too."
... on his sporting goals for 2021: "I've already played six tournaments this year. The form curve is going up. Last year I spent a lot of time in the USA, and this year I'm going back to the European Tour. The big highlights of the season are, of course, the British Open at the venerable Royal St. George's Golf Club in July and August and the Olympic Games in Japan. The fact that I qualified for these two tournaments is great for me. Now, of course, I also want to finish as far ahead as possible there."
Photo: Salzburger Land Tourism
