‘It's peace of mind when your blood sugar levels are consistent' – Liam Nolan aims to join fellow diabetes sufferer JJ Spaun at The Open
The Galway golfer (25) lies ninth in the race for 20 DP World Tour cards after racking up three top-four finishes in his first ten starts on the second-tier HotelPlanner Tour.
There's a long way to go before the Barna, Co Galway native can dream of teeing it up on the main tour next year, but he resumes work in France next week with a spring in his step and some big goals.
Not only has he signed a new sponsorship deal with DexCom, a global leader in real-time continuous glucose monitoring for people with diabetes, but he's also excited about building on a great start to the season and trying to qualify for The Open for the second year running.
'I'm delighted,' said Nolan, who watched with interest as fellow Type 1 diabetes suffering Spaun upstaged the stars to win the US Open at Oakmont on Sunday.
'Dexcom make those continuous glucose monitors, and they've just opened up their main manufacturing site for Europe in Galway, which will provide 1,000 jobs.
'So I was very excited when that happened and then they got the naming rights for Connacht's rugby stadium, which is the Dexcom stadium now.
'It just seemed like a perfect fit, me being from Galway, being a type one diabetic, and having a degree in Biomedical Engineering, it just made good sense. And they saw it the same way. So we were able to do a deal. Which is amazing.'
Nolan was diagnosed as Type 1 diabetic when he was 14, but while Spaun was misdiagnosed initially as Type 2 in 2018, he got the correct diagnosis in 2021 and hasn't looked back.
'He started playing really well when he got the right treatment and it was great to see him win,' Nolan said. 'He definitely played the best.'
Nolan was never misdiagnosed, but he has been playing brilliantly since turning professional and knows that close control of his condition is key.
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'I have probably the best control over my blood sugar levels that I've ever had,' said Nolan, who, like Spaun, wears a blood sugar monitor on the course.
'And that frees you up to go and perform in every tournament.
'It's like a peace of mind thing when your blood sugar levels are consistent and within the right kind of parameters.'
Nolan has not been quite as consistent on the course but while he has missed six cuts, most were by small margins and he's looking to build on his start to the season over the summer months.
'It's hard to know how your first year as a pro is going to go like you,' said the former Walker Cup player, who takes as much confidence from grinding to make the cut as he does from contending.
'You want to be confident in your own ability, but there's a bit of uncertainty there, so it's nice to know that my game kind of stacks up well to the pro life.'
His next run of tournaments features the Irish Challenge at Killeen Castle in August, but he's also looking forward to competing in Final Qualifying for The Open at Dundonald Links on July 1.
'I qualified for The Open at Dundonald Links last year, so hopefully that'll conjure up some good memories,' Nolan said.
'It's just a really good test of ball striking and you're pretty much guaranteed the most wind and adverse conditions of any of the qualifying spots, which is why I went there last year. So I'm delighted to be going back there.'
Nolan missed the cut at Royal Troon and admitted he was on cloud nine all week. But he plans to treat it like any other event if he qualifies this time around.
'I learned so much last year and prepared not how I would prepare for any other tournament, just because of how excited I was to be there,' he said.
'I was a bit giddier than I usually would be at a golf tournament. So, hopefully, all is going well this year; I want to go back to The Open but prepare how I would prepare for any other tournament.
'It was good to play my first major as an amateur, and make your mistakes then and learn from them. But I also wouldn't change how I prepared last time because it was a dream come true.'
As for securing his DP World Tour card via the HotelPlanner Tour rankings, he admits he's not a fan of looking at where he stands in the Road to Mallorca list.
'I just try and go and play and try and win,' he explained. 'I don't think it benefits me knowing where I am.'
As one of the more health-conscious players on tour, he won't be playing non-stop but choosing his schedule carefully before re-assessing things before the last few crucial events when the cards are on the line.
'I'll keep my head down until after the Dutch Challenge,' he said. 'When I'm at a tournament, I like to be fully rested and ready to go. I have a great team around me and great support, and DexCom is a great addition.'
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