What an exciting weekend at the AIG Women’s Open! It was a shame Charley Hull or Lottie Woad couldn’t quite put their foot down when it mattered to clinch the title, though a tied-6th finish for both is still impressive.
By the time the final group came down the stretch, you could really feel the tension. I know we always say you have to expect the unexpected in golf, but I bet Kuwaki never imagined Henseleit would drain that monstrous 30-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to force extra holes.
As the drama unfolded, I couldn't help but feel Kuwaki should’ve been out on the range warming up while the final group finished, just in case. Instead, she was chilling in an armchair, watching the action unfold on TV.
Seeing her return to the 18th tee for a sudden-death playoff holding a handwarmer made me wonder if that wait played a part in her wayward tee shot on the first playoff hole. Mind you, she certainly redeemed herself in style with an unbelievable third shot into the green, sticking it to about three feet. Talk about pure class under pressure!
I chat a lot about how much we can learn from watching the world’s top players, but when you're taking on a layout as brutal as Royal Lytham & St Annes, the single biggest takeaway has to be learning to take your medicine.
We didn't just see it in the playoff - first with Kuwaki’s miraculous escape, and then Henseleit having to chop the ball out of a gorse bush - we saw it across all four days. Time and time again, the field had to swallow their pride and take their punishment sideways or backwards out of those terrifying pot bunkers.
Single-figure golfer Jess Ratcliffe watched hours of this final women’s Major of the year, and in this article for Golf Monthly, she highlights three key strategic lessons she learned from the pros that she’s adopting in her own game, and we definitely should too!
Ultimately, us amateur golfers need to stop trying to blindly copy the pros' physical swings. (Not that I try to anyway - I definitely don't have the technique or the flexibility!). Instead, we should be copying their mental discipline, course management, and strategy.
How often do we stand over a tricky lie, in the rough, or at the lip of a bunker, and still pull out the wrong club for the situation? How often do we try to take on a 1-in-10 hero shot instead of playing the percentage play? I know I'm guilty of doing it, and I almost always regret it two shots later!
So, next time you find yourself in trouble out on the course, take a breath, take your medicine, and play the smart shot. Your scorecard will definitely thank you for it.
Until next time, keep swinging smoothly!
Alison Root
Women's Editor Golf Monthly and Chip and Chat Editor
