Chiara Noja Exclusive: Living in Dubai | LET rise | Golf Saudi | Jumeirah Golf Estates
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00:00So Chiara, I read as a golf news obviously read a lot about you, but we never sat down
00:15and had a little chat.
00:16Why don't you briefly just talk to us about how you came to live in Dubai?
00:21Yeah, I've lived, well, I don't want to say a lot of places, but I've lived pretty internationally
00:26at this point.
00:27I started playing golf when I was three.
00:28I was born in Germany and then moved to England when I was seven.
00:31And I started really getting into golf and playing amateur championships and traveling
00:35and really getting into things.
00:36But one of the main things I always really struggled with was weather and just time to
00:40practice and getting that balance right.
00:43And we were thinking of relocating just because, you know, my school finished at 4.30 and it
00:47was dark at like four.
00:49So it was range practice basically for half of the year, which was really difficult to
00:53handle.
00:54So we were looking at relocating and, you know, we stumbled across Dubai and yeah, we
00:59haven't really looked back since.
01:00It's been perfect here and the weather is always nice unless you get, it rains that
01:04one time a year where you're all super shocked, but it's been perfect here and we've not really
01:10looked back since.
01:11You moved out here and then, I guess COVID hit, you started playing the L.E.T.
01:15Access Series in 2021 and then you turned pro.
01:18How was that transition, I guess, all that little part of your golfing life?
01:23It was definitely a weird stage in my career, for sure, because it felt like, I don't want
01:27to say like standing still, but it was weird because you weren't really sure what was going
01:30to happen.
01:31It felt like you're taking every event as it came because with COVID, you never really
01:34knew what was going to happen next.
01:35So I couldn't play amateur events just because of travel restrictions.
01:39A lot of tournaments became domestic.
01:41So the L.E.T.
01:42Access was a really good opportunity for me to compete.
01:44And then having that ability to compete on a professional level and, you know, barely
01:48just missing out on my first pro win at 14, that was like a big, I guess, realization
01:53of like, OK, well, I could be playing on tour, you know, like I could be doing this professionally.
01:58And then I got three invites on the L.E.T. and it was really difficult imagining myself
02:04taking a step back towards amateur golf because it did feel like a step back down.
02:08So I think a lot of it, I mean, obviously, I really enjoyed tour life.
02:12I thought it was amazing and just the professionalism required to play on tour is really great.
02:17And I thought that was super exciting.
02:19And I really enjoyed it.
02:20I enjoyed it more than amateur golf.
02:21It just sort of happened.
02:22Things clicked and I guess it was a good decision.
02:25Fast forwarding to now and then looking back, the last six months have been such a whirlwind.
02:31It was a super long season for me, obviously.
02:34I wasn't allowed to go to Q school because of age restrictions.
02:36So I played on the L.E.T.
02:37Access as a pro this season.
02:39And it was a weird sort of, I don't know, atmosphere for me because I was really enjoying
02:47tour life.
02:48But then the problem was because I live here in Dubai, which is quite far away, I was struggling
02:52coming back and forth.
02:53So I was gone for five months, which was a long, long time.
02:57And it really, that was difficult for me.
02:59But I got to visit some amazing places.
03:01I got some real season highlights playing at some amazing courses.
03:04They kept adding events.
03:06So I kept having to stay longer than I anticipated.
03:09And after I won Czech, it was sort of like, OK, well, I've got my card now.
03:12It's just how many events am I going to have to play to keep that?
03:16So it was like, almost felt like we were just going and playing everything as it came, rather
03:22than like a very, like, organized schedule, which was very frustrating for all of us.
03:26So that's something we're going to handle a little better next season.
03:28And then getting to play those Aramco Team Series events in the Saudi International at
03:32the start of the year was super, super fun.
03:34And I've learned so much playing those and competing against such strong fields for me
03:37was really, really cool.
03:38What are your overriding memories from those two wins?
03:41How different were they for you?
03:43I mean, Czech was more of a, I don't want to say like a easy stroll, but I guess things
03:49were really coming to me a lot easier.
03:50You know, I won by nine shots.
03:52So it was never really like a pressurized situation.
03:55It was sort of like smooth sailing the entire time.
03:57You know, after the first round, that was basically done deal.
04:01Whereas in Saudi, I was three back going into the final round.
04:04So it was never like I was expecting to win.
04:08It felt like more of a chase, which I really enjoyed, actually, that was a different dynamic.
04:11Pressure wise, obviously, it was very different.
04:13It was a lot more pressure, but I thought it was super fun.
04:16That's always going to be a key memory for me.
04:17You know, it just felt very different.
04:19And it felt bigger, which it was, but the first wins are also something very special.
04:23And Saudi, again, completely changed it.
04:27Yeah.
04:28I mean, I made a joke with my dad at the start of the season.
04:30I was like, because we obviously with Letas, we played so many events.
04:35We knew Saudi was going to be my last event in the season.
04:36So I was like, imagine if I play Saudi and I win it.
04:39That would be an absolute waste because that would mean I've been here on Letas all season
04:43for nothing.
04:44And we laughed about it.
04:45And then I did it.
04:46And I was like, OK, great.
04:48But I think like playing Letas was part of the reason that I was able to win, because
04:52I think it sort of taught me how to deal with being chased.
04:56Because I think a lot in the past, I've always sort of been the youngest in the category
04:59doing things.
05:01So I've always had to chase others or aspire to do it one day.
05:05So for me to actually be in that position of leading after, I think, nine or something,
05:09I was sort of playing with leading.
05:12So it was very pressurized.
05:14But I think Letas sort of taught me how to deal with that.
05:16And obviously the Gulf Saudi response, how great have they been for you?
05:20They're amazing.
05:21And I think the things they're doing for women's golf are so incredible.
05:24The Saudi International, which for next year has just been announced for a five million
05:28dollar purse, which is the first time in history it's been equal to the men's event, which
05:33is absolutely insane.
05:35It's just, it's so incredibly amazing to see that they're actually out here giving us female
05:40players a platform to perform on and then obviously giving us the financial aid to do
05:44that as well, because there's so many amazing talents on the tour.
05:47And just being able to showcase that a little bit more is something really special.
05:50Do you see yourself as a goal setter?
05:52I mean, a lot of that is just like little goals, I guess.
05:55We've said just because I've got my GCSEs next year, it's going to be super difficult
05:59to like, I don't know, highball it.
06:01Like I don't want to be like, okay, well, I want to be top like 25 in the world next
06:04year because it's not going to, realistically speaking, it's just not going to happen both
06:08like time wise and just exactly what events I'm going to be playing and where.
06:14So it's going to be super difficult trying to balance those two, but I'm just going to
06:18take every event as it comes.
06:20We've said just top 100 in the world is the golf for next season and then just take every
06:24tournament as it comes.
06:25You know, I've got a saying and I think that's run in my family for quite a bit now.
06:30It's just like what happened yesterday doesn't affect tomorrow and it's very like that on
06:34the golf course because, you know, I won my last event, but you know, I could have an
06:38awful week first week I come back, I could also win again.
06:41Like it's, there's no guarantees just because it happened today or yesterday.
06:46So I'm just taking everything as it comes and focusing on what I can control.
06:50How special is it to be associated with Jumeirah Golf Estates?
06:54I mean, one of my favourite courses is Earth Course.
06:56Like every time I come back, I'm like, oh, dad, like, let me get on the course again
06:59because I've missed it every time I travel.
07:01But I mean, facilities are great and the people here are so sweet and it's just, it's very
07:06comfortable and it's like a second home from, well, my bed, I guess.
07:10But no, it's really great here.
07:11I love it.
07:12And you know, at the end of the day, you mean, of course, my career is a big thing for me,
07:15but also just expanding the game of golf, getting more kids into it, seeing other people
07:20love it as much as you do is super special and to have Tommy and, you know, the DP World
07:25sort of create an academy for that to try and push that is really great.
07:29For more information, visit www.fema.gov