Marina Alex will be the first to admit that her season has had its share of highs and lows. But it has also been a time that she’s been willing to document on Instagram. How she’ll memorialize her opening round of 67 at The Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America has yet to be written, but it’s one she will no doubt consider a high during what has otherwise been a challenging season.
“A lot of progress off what's been probably a pretty up and down season for me,” Alex said about her return to form on Thursday. “I mean, it's been a bit of a struggle the last few months with the exception of last week, so it's good to see some progress.”
After missing her sixth consecutive cut in September at the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G, Alex took to Instagram to share her feelings. “Welp at least my outfits are cute,” Alex shared, making light of the frustration that no doubt came from the uncharacteristic run of bad form, having captured her second career victory at the Palos Verdes Championship just last season.
Following the Kroger Queen City Championship, the LPGA Tour took a two-week break, which allowed Alex a chance to reset.
“Great two weeks off! Arkansas and Dallas next, birdies birdies birdies,” Alex shared on social media.
The two-time LPGA Tour winner says she used the break to focus on her putting. She made changes to her stroke, improved her green reading, and rededicated herself to using AimPoint. The hard work quickly paid off in her return to competition at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, where Alex made the cut for the first time since July.
“Yahoooooo cuts been made!!! 1 for 1. On a heater,” Alex celebrated on social media to the tune of “Something Beautiful” by Nathaniel Rateliff.
And Alex might very well be on a heater as she’s well on her way to making a second consecutive cut in Texas where she climbed to the top of the leaderboard on day one and needed just 27 putts.
“I think overall it's kind of just helped things get better and more refined,” Alex said Thursday about the improvements to her green reading. “I can tell if I'm hitting a good putt or if I'm misreading a putt versus the guessing game, which I think it's been for a while on the greens.”
Not all of Alex’s hard work has been on her own. Since 2022 she’s sought the guidance of Claude Harmon who helped her make a return to the winner’s circle last year. The duo continues to work together, even remotely.
“Quick FaceTime tune up with Claude Harmon,” Alex shared on Instagram on Wednesday afternoon, tagging her coach along with a video of her swing.
“I just played well. I mean, I hit good drives, good approaches; I putted really nicely,” Alex said to the media about her opening round.
But what she’ll have to say about it on Instagram? She’ll keep you posted.
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