Davies driving it even further
VIC OPEN at Thirteenth Beach
SHE’S known as one of the biggest hitters in world golf.
And Laura Davies is ready to unleash a more powerful game when she returns for tomorrow’s Oates Vic Open at Thirteenth Beach.
Davies, who has won 85 titles worldwide, has declared she is striking the ball further after signing new contracts with Lynx Golf and Titleist.
“I’ve used them in a couple of events and I’ve also changed balls,” Davies revealed yesterday.
“I’ve gone to Titleist from Srixon, which is a massive difference, and it’s all a bit of a change, but I think the combination is really good.
“I’m hitting the ball a bit further with this combination and I’m hoping it’s a winning combination.
“Everything’s a little bit new, so I’m not predicting a win by any means, but I’m hoping for a good week.”
Davies, who hails from England, made the change to Lynx Golf in the middle of last year after a long association with Srixon.
“It just seemed like a good idea. Srixon were not so sure what they were going to do and it was lucky that Titleist were interested in me using their stuff.
“I’ve been a pro for 30 years and I’ve been using Dunlop golf balls for 30 years, so it is a bit of a change. But I’m excited to try all this out.”
And while the 51-year-old is continually adjusting to her new manufacturer, the early signs are positive.
“It wasn’t the driver that was necessarily going further but the irons were going further, that’s our initial view,” she said.
“The golf courses we played were uphill and downhill, so you were constantly trying to judge distance. But I think I’ll find out more today.
“A six-iron was going 170-ish and I was hitting my six-iron 180m last week. It was a little bit hard to judge but it appears it was going 10 yards further, which is a massive difference.”
Davies arrived in Australia a week ago and contested the Ladies Pro-Am at Pennant Hills, her first official tournament in almost two months.
“I haven’t played for seven weeks, so those pro-ams last week were to get the game going.
“I’m heading out on to the Beach Course to get the game going and you don’t know how you’ll go early in the season. You hope to click into gear, but we’ll have to wait and see.
“After Dubai I went home and before that I had four weeks off, so I’ve literally had three rounds of golf in 10 weeks. It’s not ideal preparation, but it’s a good place to come and start your year off.”
Despite a limited preparation, a refreshed Davies remains confident she can challenge for the Vic Open title.
“I want to try and win it. I want to be within a chance come Sunday, put it that way,” she said.
“If I can put three good rounds together and be within four or five of the lead — or hopefully closer — you’ve got a sniff.
“That will be a great start to the year.”