Maria Torres sits in third place at (-5) after three rounds at Lake Merced Golf Club. It’s a position that she couldn’t have imagined a year ago, when she was mired in the toughest stretch of her fledgling LPGA career.
Her (+16) to miss the cut at the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship last year was one of seven consecutive missed cuts for Torres last season.
The brutal stretch humbled her expectations last year. “I was trying to, I don't know, win on my rookie year, like, just calm down a little bit.”
Growing from the difficult stretch in 2018, Torres adjusted her approach in Daly City this week.
“Just to be patient out there. And of course, like putting the ball in play and just hitting it, so hopefully tomorrow I will be doing that. I'm just grateful to be here.”
Her patience has translated not only into her game, but into how she treats herself on the course. It has given Torres a new way to process the negative feelings that enter her head. The 2018 LPGA rookie is working towards staying mentally calm on the course.
“I feel like I write them (negative thoughts), and I try to be more like a rational thought in the golf course, and rational, and I'm trying to give myself every single shot, shot by shot.”
That shot by shot approach has led to her finding 39 greens in regulation, a must for the difficult conditions presented at the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship.
The Puerto Rican is on to the next building block for her game, finding confidence within herself. “I have been working on it. There's still room for improvement.”
All of the lessons by fire for Torres have led her to one goal for the season. “To not get ahead of myself. That's one of the biggest for me.”
Torres is in position to show her self-confidence, as she tees off next to last on the final day. The Puerto Rican is looking for her first career victory.
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