Where would Ruud Gullit place our golfers in a football team?
‘Joost is an attacking midfielder’
What if Ruud Gullit had to select the three Dutch golfers competing on the DP World Tour for the Netherlands national football team? Which positions would he assign them? This year’s KLM Open has a clear connection to the FIFA World Cup, so we asked director of atmosphere Ruud Gullit to step into the role of national team coach for a moment.
Gullit himself played at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy and is looking forward to this year’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. One of the reasons he welcomes the start of the Dutch sporting summer at the KLM Open. “At the KLM Open we can all support our national team ahead of the World Cup, so I’d say: come dressed in orange.”
Imagination
Football and golf are by far Gullit’s two favourite sports. This year, alongside Daan Slooter, he once again takes on a director’s role at the tournament. “As much as I enjoy golf now, I would never have traded football for it back then. First and foremost, I’m a team player and football suited me much better.”
To build another bridge between golf and football, we asked Gullit to imagine Joost Luiten, Darius van Driel and Mike Toorop as players in the Dutch national football team.
It does not take Gullit long to let his imagination run free. Starting with Joost Luiten, who, as a child, was actually a decent football player at Soccer Boys in Bleiswijk. “I see Joost as an attacking midfielder. Of course, he has won the KLM Open twice and four other tournaments, which is a fantastic achievement, but he could have won even more. I know he feels the same way himself. That’s why I see him as an attacking midfielder. He has the potential to score, but he’s not quite the pure finisher you’d want as a striker.”
The three Dutch golfers on the DP World Tour in orange
Robust midfielder
For Darius van Driel, Gullit also envisions a midfield role. “But as a defensive midfielder. A robust midfielder who patiently waits for his moments and can strike offensively when needed. No, I wouldn’t put Darius in goal. He doesn’t have the height for that, haha.”
“I don’t know Mike Toorop that well yet, but that certainly doesn’t mean he would start on the bench for me. It’s impressive how he worked his way onto the DP World Tour, so as an emerging talent I would definitely make room for him in my team. Maybe I could even use him in multiple positions,” Gullit concludes with a wink.
Clearing your mind
Among top-level footballers, golf is becoming increasingly popular. Harry Kane, the prolific striker for England and Bayern Munich and an avid golfer himself, once explained the connection in YouTube videos. “You can find lots of fun clips there from influencers as well as educational videos. Footballers spend a lot of time online in their free time and get inspired that way. For many players, golf is the perfect way to clear your head and step away from the pressure of football.”
Gullit himself already started playing golf during his football career. Nowadays he is regularly invited around the world for golf tournaments featuring legends and icons of football. Asked which former footballers stand out on the golf course, he immediately mentions Jimmy Bullard, who played in the Premier League for Wigan, Fulham and Hull City and now runs a golf YouTube channel as an influencer. “He’s a footballer who probably could have made it onto the DP World Tour if he had started golfing at a very young age. We regularly play tournaments with the Icons and I’m impressed by the golf skills of many former footballers.”
For this year’s KLM Open, Gullit had invited many former football colleagues. “But many of them have commitments elsewhere because of the World Cup. Either way, we’re going to create a great atmosphere in Amsterdam. I’ll make sure of that.”
