Mark Woodward: “I have never thought I could win”

Mark Woodward after winning in Spain

After a very tight competition, Mark Woodward won the Spanish Open in Marbella. The FIFG.org asked the winner of the first stage of European Footgolf Trophy Tour (EFTT) after his succesful weekend.

The rules allow every nation to compete in the EFTT. Last year Christian Otero (Argentina) had the chance to win the tournament, but he could not come to the final, he finished 5th. In this year’s opening event there were non-European footgolfers also, and Mark Woodward (USA) made a good debut in that continent.

He said: “I have been playing this sport since last August. I have tried it in last years’ U.S. Pro-Am FootGolf Tour organized by the AFGL in New Jersey. This European stage is my second international event.”

Mark Woodward is going to appear on the next U.S. Pro-Am FootGolf Tour in 2015 as well, so this European trip was a preparation for that event with more than $100,000 in total cash purse.

“I have never thought I could win. But I was on the second place after first the first day where I kicked a hole in one, and in the final flight we were under pressure, but pushed each other to play better. I took risk in the middle of the course, and it went well. Our result with Julian Kelkel was the same after the game, so we had to play again in the last hole. He missed the last kick just with centimetres, and I won the tournament.”

He added, the course was tricky, because the first nine hole was nice, comfortable, but the second half of that had a lot of dangers.

“I want to come back again. I grow up next to the course, where the UK stage will be held, so it means so much to me to go to that round of the Tour in August. This and other trips depend on sponsorship and the support of the AFGL, I hope I can meet these top players again in Europe.”