Life balance pays dividends for Sharp on LPGA Tour

Most golfers look for balance in their swing. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp found it in her life and she’s now reaping the benefits on the LPGA Tour.

Sharp tied for sixth at the Women’s Australian Open and 17th at the Victoria Open to open the LPGA Tour’s season. She credits a more measured approach to training and a better work-life balance with helping her stay focused after a frustrating 2018, a year when she battled with depression.

“It’s not all about golf,” said Sharp. “I was practising too much and really wore out. This is a humbling game. It can be tough mentally and bring you down.

“So working with my therapist and having a good work-life balance along with a strong finish last season, it helped me feel like I was coming out of the downward spiral from last season.”

The big change for Sharp in the off-season was to never really stop playing golf. In previous years, she would take a few weeks off, then ramp up an intense training regime featuring long days of up to six hours of practise and strength training.

This year, Sharp has aimed for quantity of practice, rather than intensity.

“I did light practice,” Sharp said. “Just a couple of hours . ... Get in, do your work, get out, and rest.”

Sharp has another week off as Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is the lone Canadian competing at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore starting on Thursday.

Instead, Sharp is using the downtime to focus on her next two events, the Bank of Hope Founders Cup in Phoenix (March 21) and the Kia Classic in Carlsbad, Calif., (March 28).

“I just feel like I have a really good recipe for success,” said Sharp.