I am finding this kind of funny - I am writing this blog in exactly the same spot as where I wrote my first Rookie Blog, in the United terminal at Los Angeles International Airport. This probably sums up my life pretty well - a lot of traveling on the schedule.
At the moment, I am on my way back to Oklahoma after a week in Morelia, Mexico. I played my second LPGA event down there and unfortunately I did not play well enough to make the cut this time.
It was about 1.5 months ago that I wrote my first blog, so I am going to try to update you on what I have been up to since then. After three weeks on the road with stops in both New Zealand and Australia, I had a week off at home (in Stillwater, OK). During that week, I practiced and got ready for my first LPGA event, the KIA Classic Presented by J Golf, at La Costa in southern California. It was a great experience to play in my first LPGA event, even on such a good and tough golf course. When I looked at the golf course, I could tell that I was at the next level now - the fairways were more narrow, the rough thicker, and the course longer than what I have seen at collegiate level and on the Duramed FUTURES Tour. I really liked the course and thought it was set up to suit my game well. However, my game was not on top that week, and I did not play as well as I would have liked. The good thing I took with me from that week was that I did make the cut and I got to play for four days.
The next tournament on the LPGA schedule was the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the only chance I had as a rookie to get into this tournament was to finish in the top-10 at La Costa. So, unfortunately, I did not get the opportunity to play in this year's first major championship. Instead, I got four weeks off. Even though I enjoy being on the road and love to compete, it was actually kind of nice to be at home for four weeks. I cannot remember the last time I was at home for a four week stretch! Some of the best things about being at home like that is to get into good practice and workout routines and to be able to eat home-cooked food.
The four weeks went by faster than expected, and on the 25th of April, it was once again time to pack my bags and head out on the road. After a long trip, including a red-eye flight, I finally arrived in Morelia early Monday morning. As most of you know, almost every tournament starts on a Thursday. However, as most players, I usually arrive at the site of the tournament a few days before it starts. So I figured this could be a good opportunity for me to tell you what I like to do on the days leading up to the tournament. If I can, I like to play the course at least twice before the tournament starts. In Morelia, I was picked to play in the Pro-Am on Wednesday, so I decided to play nine holes on Monday, 18 on Tuesday, and then the 18 in the Pro-Am. During the practice rounds, my main focus is on finding the pace on the greens as well as finding a good strategy for each hole. Besides playing the course, I usually practice a lot of short game and try to get a couple of good workouts in early in the week. A couple of factors down in Morelia did make me hit the gym a little bit easier than usual though - the course was very hilly and the high altitude made me tired more quickly than what I am used to. These are factors that you have to adjust to, and by doing so, I felt energized and ready to go when Thursday morning came around. However, I had a horrible start to my first round and had to fight hard to try to make the cut. Due to the poor start and a cold putter, I did not make the cut this time. The good thing now, though, is that I have only one week off until my next tournament. I like that much better than the long four-week break I had leading up to the Morelia event.
Next stop will be Mobile, Alabama. I am once again really looking forward to another week on the road, and I bet I will have more stories to tell you when it is time for me to write the next blog.
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Topics: Rookie Blog, Lindberg, Pernilla
