Walker keen to manage Major expectations and kick on to next level

THE problem with expectations is that you often harbour great ones. Blame Dickens for that. Kylie Walker knows how tricky it can be to live up to the standards she has set herself.

Two years ago, the Glasgow golfer was in the midst of a glory-laden run as she won a brace of Ladies European Tour titles in the space of a couple of months. It was her big breakthrough on the women’s scene but since then, the 29-year-old has struggled to replicate that form. It’s been dogged rather than dazzling and Walker is looking for that one big result to kick-start a campaign which features a hefty run of events in the second half of the season after a stop-start schedule.

This week’s Ricoh Women’s British Open at Woburn wouldn’t be a bad place to get things going again.

“My game has been solid but I’m looking to make that push and have a strong finish to the season,” said the former Scottish women’s amateur Order of Merit winner. “It has been a bit frustrating since I won on the tour. I wanted to push on from my 2014 success and make a real impact. After winning twice the season before I wanted to consolidate and be one of the best in Europe but it didn’t happen.”

What did we say about those expectations again? It’s been difficult trying to manage them but Walker believes she has now found a happy medium.

“When you win, the expectations go up and that’s the same across the board for anybody in golf,” she said. “You know what you are capable of and when you are not performing to the level you know you can, it becomes difficult.

“I have high expectations but I have to manage them and make sure it doesn’t get in the way of my level of performance. I feel now I’m just a bit more relaxed and I’m not constantly putting myself under any extra pressure.”

Walker has played in five women’s Majors but her record in them is something she wants to improve. “My best is something like 59th in the British Open a few years ago,” she said. “It’s not great and that is the next step, to kick on at this level.”

Walker, along with compatriots like Pamela Pretswell and the 2009 Women’s British Open champion Catriona Matthew, will join a stellar field headlined by the world No 1, Lydia Ko. Inbee Park, who won the title at Turnberry last year, has withdrawn with a thumb injury.

Nick Rodger