PALOS VERDES ESTATES, Calif. — You could see it in her eyes as they glistened in her pre-tournament press conference. Despite the challenges and hardships and questions and doubts, Lizette Salas isn’t ready to hang up the golf clubs and retire from the LPGA Tour.
Not even close.
Salas was forced to step away from the LPGA Tour last season following the U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links, needing to rehab a lingering back injury that had become increasingly difficult to play through. It was a tough mental journey and an arduous physical process to recover from the pain that nearly ended her career, but the 34-year-old, like she’s done for much of her life, dug her heels in and ground her way through it, coming out on the other side to tee it up at this week’s FIR HILLS SERI PAK Championship, her first LPGA Tour start since last July.
“It's been a little bit of a rollercoaster. Probably been through some of the toughest challenges physically and mentally of my entire career,” said Salas ahead of Thursday’s first round. “Learned a lot about myself and my body, and I learned a new level of fighting to get back out here. I'm so grateful, not for the physical experience, but what it has taught me about myself, about how there is life outside of golf.”
Palos Verdes Golf Club is a special place for the Azusa, California native, as she works with the club’s head golf professional, Jim Gormley, and often practices at the venue when she isn’t playing in a tournament. Salas is also a 2011 graduate of the University of Southern California and has lived in SoCal for the majority of her life, so when it was time for her to make a comeback, it only seemed natural to sign up for the FIR HILLS SERI PAK Championship, a fitting event for her long-awaited LPGA Tour homecoming.
“It's an extra special thing to make my comeback debut at (Palos Verdes),” Salas said on Wednesday. “It was one of the biggest goals that I had to make this the start of my 2024 season. I wanted to do it not only for myself but for the team that has been there for me, my inner circle that has pushed me to not give up. This club has been such a significant part of my career, collegiate golf and now in the professional world. I didn't want to let anyone down, but I knew it was going to be tough. I'm just glad I'm here.”
And she’s hardly let her fans, friends and family down with her performance so far this week. She opened with an even-par 71, a round that saw her make four bogeys and four birdies on Thursday and an effort she was pleased with, especially considering there was still quite a bit of competitive rust to knock off and that her back didn’t give her any fits.
“We came in with a really solid game plan,” said Salas of round one. “I haven't played a competitive round in a very long time, so probably some course management issues that shouldn’t have happened, but at the same time, I stayed in it. It's a good thing I know this golf course. (There are) things to work on, obviously, but I think getting to the first tee was a goal in itself. Finishing with no pain is another goal, which we accomplished. We hit some good shots and just a learning experience like always.”
She played similarly on Friday, making three bogeys and three birdies, the last of which came on the par-4 18th hole, a much-needed birdie that ultimately helped Salas make the cut.
“I have friends out here, my nephews, so I really wanted to make one birdie for them and not be stressed out the rest of the afternoon,” said the two-time LPGA Tour winner. “We grinded today. It was a grind the last two days. Hopefully, this weekend, (I’ll) not have so much stress. It's still in there. Just got to oil me up a little bit, and then I'm good to go.”
Saturday saw Salas card her first under-par round of the week, firing a nearly flawless 2-under 69 in which she made one bogey and three birdies on holes 5, 7 and 16 to sit at 2-under overall, well back of the 54-hole leaders but a still respectable three-day total at a challenging Palos Verdes Golf Club.
And while she would likely have to shoot a 59 on Sunday in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. to have even the slightest of chances at a third LPGA Tour victory, this week at the FIR HILLS SERI PAK Championship has still been a resounding success for Salas, one that’s highlighted just how hard she’s willing to fight to continue her career on the LPGA Tour.
“I’ve just gotten to realize life is bigger than golf,” said Salas in her pre-tournament press conference. “It's also the people around me that have opened my eyes to bigger things. In September, I took a visit to Mexico with my parents and visited the home my dad was raised in. It hit pretty hard just to see where we've come so far.
“It's like I can't give up yet. To see how much they've fought for me, I can't let this go right now. So, there are things that have happened that have put some extra gas in the tank. I'm so thankful for those beautiful experiences. I love golf, but I know there is more to life than just that.”
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