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  • 3 months ago
Watch: The young golfer swinging for success in Qatar

Daniil Sokolov is gaining international recognition as an amateur golf player.


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READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/08/25/watch-the-young-golfer-swinging-for-success-in-qatar

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00:01He continues down this path.
00:03I think Daniel can make it big.
00:05Physically gifted and disciplined,
00:07he's doing a lot of good work right now.
00:09He's a top-ranked, not among juniors,
00:12but in one-man ranking.
00:14He's one of the hottest in 2025
00:17among the matches.
00:18He moved more than 3,000 positions
00:21in the World Matcher Golf Ranking.
00:23His golf handicap now is a plus-six,
00:27which is equal to Rory McEnroy or Tiger Woods
00:31when they turn professionals.
00:33One of his greatest strengths
00:35is his ability to draw a clean slate.
00:38He can just step up, look at the target, and execute.
00:44Each time he plays a shot.
00:46My name is Daniel.
00:47I'm 14 years old, and I play golf.
00:57I was born in Seoul, Korea.
01:01I lived there for about a year.
01:03I moved to Japan for two years,
01:06and I came to Qatar when I was four.
01:08I started golf when I was five.
01:10I always saw golf,
01:11so I just wanted to try it out.
01:12He was in the tournament,
01:14watching professionals playing here in Qatar,
01:17and Daniel was around five years old,
01:19and he said, oh, I can do it.
01:21Nothing difficult.
01:22And then he started to attend lessons here
01:25in the whole golf club.
01:27I remember I went for a lesson my first time,
01:30and it was just really fun,
01:31so I kept coming back,
01:33and it just became a habit over time.
01:35It almost came naturally.
01:37I feel like I just had an instinct how to play,
01:40and as soon as I got better,
01:42I only got more fun.
01:43I knew that was a sport for me.
01:45I started working with Daniel almost instantly
01:53when I got here,
01:54and it's been quite a journey.
01:56He stood out from the start,
01:59and he has some exceptional qualities
02:01that he brings to this golf game.
02:04Already at a very young age,
02:06he was very developed,
02:07so very tall, hitting the ball very far.
02:10Magnus helped my game in a lot of ways.
02:13I remember when I first started out with him,
02:15I was almost lost,
02:16because I didn't have a coach.
02:17I didn't really know what I was doing.
02:19He kind of helped me.
02:21I learned how to practice,
02:22what to practice,
02:24helped me with my swing,
02:26mentally also,
02:27when I'm in tournaments playing.
02:29I use this device that measure brainwaves
02:32and flow state.
02:33It takes a lot of coaching
02:35to get a high score on this device.
02:37Daniel, without any coaching,
02:38has an ability to go straight into the flow zone
02:41before each shot he hits.
02:44I've got to trust my own game
02:46instead of worrying on, like,
02:47others' results as much.
02:49So I don't feel as much pressure now,
02:52but I remember by a long time ago,
02:54I felt a lot of pressure.
02:56I've learned to control it.
02:58I kind of just stay in my own space.
03:00On golf, there's 14 different clubs.
03:06Each of them are supposed to go
03:08a different distance.
03:10Like, when you start out your first shot,
03:12you have to use the club that goes the furthest,
03:15the driver.
03:16And then when you're close to the pin
03:19and trying to make it,
03:20you have to use the putter.
03:21You have to calculate the distance,
03:23find out which club you're going to use.
03:26I played DP World Tour here in Qatar when I was 12.
03:31It was a pro tournament playing against pros.
03:33And I remember when I saw them on the tee,
03:35they were, like, shocked.
03:36Like, what is he doing here?
03:38Why is he on the tee box?
03:39They didn't even know I was playing.
03:41So that was probably the moment I was most proud in.
03:44Daniel, for a number of years, presents himself.
03:48He goes as junior to different parts of the world.
03:51He was quite successful with a number of wins.
03:56And, of course, it draws attention
03:58from Qatar Golf Federation.
04:00As I got older, I started playing a lot more tournaments.
04:03And I got noticed and invited to join the team.
04:06I'm very proud to play for Qatar,
04:08to represent the team in tournaments.
04:11It's a very great honor.
04:14My impression of Daniel is that his dedication to golf.
04:18There was no single weekend when he skipped,
04:21not going to play.
04:23So every weekend when there is no school,
04:26he is going to play.
04:28I try to practice every day pretty much.
04:31Usually after school, I go home, eat,
04:34and I just go to practice.
04:36My school itself allows me to prioritize golf and my practice.
04:42So it's definitely not a big struggle.
04:44I can still manage my time.
04:46I enjoy going to school.
04:48It's a lot of fun also to take my mind off golf,
04:51to socialize, to learn.
04:54I'm going into high school next year.
04:57And I feel like I can balance it too pretty good.
05:00We were on the field with the 2011 Masters Champion,
05:05Charles Swarcel.
05:07Masters is the main event in golf.
05:09And when he found out that Daniel was born in 2011,
05:13the year he won the Masters,
05:15and now he plays on the same field,
05:18he was quite impressed.
05:20My goal is playing professional in golf.
05:23Probably soon enough when I feel like I found that level.
05:27If you want to compete for financial prizes,
05:32you need to change your status from a matcher to professional.
05:36To turn professional means that
05:38you can only play professional tournaments
05:40against professionals,
05:41and to accomplish that would be a huge achievement,
05:45I feel like, for me.
05:57Like you.
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