Lieke van Lexmond and son Vik enjoy Beat The Pro: “It was magical”
Lieke van Lexmond had slept “pretty well” the night before her appearance at Beat the Pro during the KLM Open. The actress and TV presenter was more nervous for her 10-year-old son Vik, who would go after her, than for her own shot. “So special, magical,” she said once it was over. “And I’m also a bit relieved.”
Van Lexmond, who rose to fame through her long-time role in Goede Tijden, Slechte Tijden, had already played in the KLM Open Pro-Am earlier that week. She’s now hooked on golf. “My husband was already playing, so was my son, and if I hadn’t started, I would’ve been left out. My husband talked me into it. I’ve never regretted it. Now we regularly play as a family.”
Thinking too much
Today, Lieke and Vik were both taking part in Beat the Pro. With a Ziggo camera crew and reporter Tessa Veldhuis following them, mother and son had to wait a long time due to weather delays caused by looming thunderstorms. Lieke: “That gives you too much time to overthink how you’re going to hit the ball, and that’s not to my advantage,” she said with a smile.
She’s been golfing for two years now and currently has a handicap of 27. “My game is very unpredictable. One day it’s good, the next it’s terrible. That’s the phase I’m in.”
Focusing
While waiting at hole 11, she joked with Vik about who would win. Vik was pretty confident: “I’m going to beat the pros—and you!”
Koen Kouwenaar, one of the tour players Lieke was up against, tried to help her feel at ease. Before she knew it, she was in a lively conversation with the Dutch pro—until she suddenly realized: “You guys should focus. It’s more important for you than it is for me.”
Jokes
Moments later, Lieke stepped up to the ball, focused. She made good contact, but the ball veered too far to the left, earning her the dreaded red ‘sad face.’
Vik followed in the next flight, hitting with a driver, after former champion Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño (2005) jokingly whispered to him: “You’re not going to beat me, are you?”
And mom Lieke said sweetly: “Have fun, darling. Whatever happens, I’m already proud of you.”
Relieved
Vik also hit the ball well but didn’t land on the green. Still, both walked off the tee with big smiles. “I was more nervous for Vik than for myself,” Lieke admitted. “These golfers are such nice guys! It was magical, a truly special experience—especially for Vik. And I’m honestly a bit relieved I hit the ball pretty well.”
