Playing in the third group out Friday morning, Suzann Pettersen entered the scorer’s tent tied for the lead at 7-under for the tournament with Hyo Joo Kim, who was set to tee off almost six hours after her, but when Friday’s complete it’d be a surprise if Pettersen isn’t atop the leaderboard. While Pettersen got the more difficult of the weather Thursday playing in the afternoon, she certainly hit the luck side of the draw Friday with the wind whipping through the golf course throughout the morning but only strengthening as the day went on and rain moved in.
So as Pettersen worked her way through the media scrum post-round, it wasn’t lost on her just how good that 3-under-par 69 Friday was. Among the players in the clubhouse, she’s the only one thus far to shoot under-par on Friday.
“Today was a very solid round of golf. I felt I was in 100 percent control of the ball, the flight, the spin; everything you need to do in conditions like this,” Pettersen said. “So this ranks pretty high as a good round of golf.
“The ball is not flying anywhere. It’s cold. Today is a day where you try to make it easier on yourself and I had a very pain-free round. Kept myself out of trouble. Had a lot of looks. It’s tough to putt, as well, in conditions like this. So easy pars is a nice thing.”
As is being in a share of the clubhouse lead heading into the weekend with a shot at redemption. Pettersen finished just a shot out of a playoff at the RICOH Women’s British Open a year ago and finished in a tie for fourth the year prior. It’s a stark contrast from her 11 prior tries in which her best finish was a tie for 14th.
“I’m getting older. I’m getting wiser. I’m learning. And I guess that’s why this game is so great,” Pettersen said. “Every year you learn something different, how you can kind of maneuver yourself around a golf course. I’m probably playing a bit smarter. I feel links courses, it’s a lot about tee balls.”
Before she’d test those fairway bunkers, trying to squeeze her tee shot through. Now she’s laying back and just trying to make the game simple on links courses. It’s much like the swing coach change that she believed has caused a career renaissance at 34 and has enabled her to practice more than ever before.
“It’s just a much easier move. Mentally it’s probably never been this easy for me,” Pettersen said. “Very easy for me to maintain the quality on my practice. I don’t feel like the thoughts and the swing thoughts kind of change from day to day. It’s very consistent. Literally the first thing we work on is still what we just kind of are nibbling on to be honest. Just nice to have somebody that can really push you and kind of take nothing but great success as like the ultimate goal.”
It’s particularly key on a golf course like this where there’s so much to think about lines and strategy wise. It’s impossible to add a million technical thoughts in as well so she only has one in her mind at all times on the course these days under Harmon.
“Well, I’m a lot wider. I’m much shallower, which is why I hit it a lot further. Essentially, handshake, handshake. It’s super simple,” Pettersen said. “He’s brought back – trying to back the simpleness. I’m trying to mess it up as much as I can but he’s pretty good at kind of getting me back on track.”
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