Brittany Lang took a little extra time over her 15-foot par putt on hole 18 Sunday. It wasn't to win the tournament. In fact, the leaders hadn't even tee'd off yet. It wasn't to finish in the top 10 either. Or even the top 20.
But it was an important step in the right direction for the 2016 U.S. Women's Open champion, who has missed the cut in five straight starts before the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic and ten of her last 11 events.
She nailed it.
She raised her fist as if she had won the tournament. In a way, it was a big win for Lang.
"I played really well all day on the back nine, it was a birdie-barrage," said Lang, who finished with a 67 and a four-day score of 13-under, both bests of the season. "I've missed a lot of cuts and I've been building and working really hard and it's definitely paying off. To have a chance to shoot a really low round is definitely a confidence builder."
Lang, a 13-year LPGA veteran, is having the toughest year of her career. For a player with 54 career top 10 finishes and two wins, it's shocking to realize that this week was just her fourth made cut.
"It's been a crazy year," Lang told LPGA.com. "The good thing is that I'm playing good golf and I'm hitting a good ball flight. My short game is getting sharp so I have to keep believing in myself and keep having fun."
The short game has been the clear difference. The statistics bare that out as she ranks 142nd in greens in regulation. She ranked 43rd in the same category in 2016.
"My brother and I have worked really hard on the short game these past few weeks and it showed up," said Lang, who hit 15 of 18 greens in regulation on Sunday. "My short game has been really poor and now my ball striking and short game are matching up."
Lang is off to the Marathon Classic next week and will try to remember the positives from this week and keep it going in Sylvania, Ohio.
But she's human. As much as she'll take the positives from this week, she's had more low points this year than any year in her career.
"You sometimes start wondering if you'll ever make a cut again and then you realize it's kind of silly," explained Lang, who has competed in five Solheim Cup's. "I've won a major, I've won tournaments, but the golf ball doesn't know that. I just think I need to work a little harder. It's a hard freaking game."
The 32-year-old made it very clear that she still has a passion for the game and a burning desire to win regardless of her position on the money list or the Rolex rankings.
"I love to tee it up everyday and it is really cool to have an enjoyable week like this week because I haven't had one in a long time," said Lang. "You just have to stay positive and I have a positive team around me."
Two years ago at CordeValle wasn't that long ago. Maybe this was the week she needed to find her form.
"There is a very fine line between going to win the next week and missing all the cuts," said Lang. "As a player, you have to keep reminding yourself of that. I'm just really thankful that I had this week."
Remember the fist pump on 18. It wasn't to win, but it sure could be a turning point in Lang's season.
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