It was a good restart
The plan is to keep moving forward and maintain a decent level of consistency in tournaments
IT’S kind greetings to all, especially those who got in touch after last Sunday’s final round in the Drive On Championship at Inverness Golf Club in Ohio. It was heart-warming and really appreciated.
Turning to this month’s column, we (the Team and I) decided to have TeeUp ask a few questions and I do my best to answer them.
So, herewith are some of those questions and answers:
Q: How would you best describe the return to action on the restart and what you enjoyed most about being back in competition?
A: Really proud of the way I played at Inverness Golf Club in Ohio during the Drive On Championship as it is a course with major championship characteristics, and with the rainy and wet condition it was a real test of where my game is at. It’s been a few months since I last competed so it feels good to be back and definitely miss the rushed of adrenaline.
Q: A tie for 11th place was good in the circumstances. But how much would you put that down to the positive approach you spoke about the last time and all the work you’ve put in during the Covid-break?
A: I’m very happy to see the pay off right away! It’s a great restart for me and it is a great confidence boost as we have a few majors coming up the next few weeks! I’m feeling very comfortable and hopefully I keep the momentum going.
Q: Your fans, and a lot folks back home, will look to your T11 as a solid showing and will be expecting even better. Does that place extra pressure on you – how you handle it anyway?
A: I think a lot of that ‘expectation’ will be coming from myself. I always want to be the best version of myself and will continue to push forward. And I just got to keep playing well and keep putting myself in contention and doing my best will be the key for me instead of worrying about the other things I have no control over.
Q: Our readers will see this when you are in the middle of another tournament (Marathon LPGA Classic). Nonetheless, what do you think are the most important aspects of your preparations for any given tournament?
A: Definitely keeping myself healthy and staying fresh ready to go every week, as it can be tough to recover when you have fourfive weeks on a roll. And another thing is feeling good about my game is the key for me as it gives me confidence and my goal out there every day is to be a little better than yesterday whether it is my driver, ball striking or short game.
Q: A lot has been said about how difficult the course was last week and how the courses in general can be challenging. But just how tough was last week?
A: Inverness was definitely a beast. I believe it was the second longest course in LPGA history. Plus the weather we had to play in was overall very tough. The competition level has always been difficult, but on this course you just can’t miss. I know for myself and the other LPGA players, we really enjoyed the test.
Q: Did you have any new equipment in your bag last week, or this week?
A: Nope! I’ve had the same clubs for the past two years and they’re working really food for me at the moment.
Q: What would you say was the area of your game that you worked the most before the restart?
A: Hmm... I played a lot of golf and Gary Gilchrist, my coach, and I didn’t really work on anything specific, or technical. Mostly, I was trying to gain more confidence each day, which was huge. I worked really hard on physical fitness with Rich Hesketh, my trainer. We really made use of the time in the gym – which we do not get often and the length of this break was good.
Q: Will you play the Women’s British Open by any chance, and in general, what’s your schedule going to be like?
A: As of now I’m not in the AIG Women’s British Open. But this can change by Sunday (9th) as there is 5 spots available at Marathon Classic to qualify. I’ll be flying to Scotland for the Scottish Open Sunday night and there’s about 10-20 spot at the Aberdeen Scottish Open to try and get in for British Open as well. So there’s a few ways to play myself into the AIG British Women’s Open. I’ll be playing in as many tournaments as I can as long as nothing changes in our LPGA calendar. My goal is to play in both the Scottish and British Open.
Q: In conclusion, share with our readers what you will be focusing on moving forward?
A: So far as this year goes, which has been a weird year for everyone, my main goal is to play consistent golf when I’m out there on Tour. I want to play hard to put myself in good positions on Sunday and work on moving up on the Rolex World Ranking. I’m sure by playing consistent from tournament to tournament, that will take care of everything. I am just so grateful for the LPGA and everyone who has worked so hard to give me this opportunity. Take care everybody, thanks for the support and stay safe!