Hoping to qualify for the Women's British Open

This is an awkward diary column to write for this issue. As this is Lady Golfer’s preview of the Ricoh Women’s British Open, clearly it wants to be all about that.

However, as I sit down to put pen to paper (well, fingertip to keyboard anyway!) I am still not guaranteed to be at Sunningdale for the final Major of the season.

I just need a decent week in Tenerife to be part of the championship and by the time you read this magazine I’ll know one way or the other whether I’m in.

For the purposes of this column I am going on the assumption that I will get in.

Please don’t take to mean I’m assuming I will definitely get into the field, because I’m well aware of what I need to do.

It’s just that it would be impossible to write this diary entry unless I did so. Rest assured though, I am desperate to make sure the predictions on this page come true – I don’t want to miss out on the fun at Sunningdale!

There’s no doubt the Ricoh Women’s British Open is the best week of the year in Europe. It has evolved into a fantastic championship.

I will come at it this year from a slightly different perspective having played in the Solheim Cup and Kraft Nabisco Championship during the last eight months.

Before I had experienced those events, the WBO was very much the biggest weeks I had been part of.

They help to prepare you for what unfolds and also give you more confidence in how to handle things – while definitely not reducing any of the excitement.

Approaching the week is a balancing act. On the one hand you almost automatically take a step up in terms of professionalism, preparation and concentration.

The presence of all the great players in the world has that effect on you, whether you like it or not.

But on the other hand I feel it’s still important to approach the week as you would as any other – as I say though, easier said that done.

It’s very difficult not to be over-excited and try too hard, but I’d like to think I would be better equipped now to handle being in contention than I was in 2005 going into the last day.

It was disappointing not to mount a challenge but I’ve progressed since then and played pretty well at St Andrews last year.

So, should I make it to Sunningdale, I would expect to do well, not least because I enjoy the course.

It is obviously heathland in character as opposed to the links we have been on in the last few years at St Andrews, Lytham and Birkdale.

However, after a spell of hot weather Sunningdale can play a bit like a links and it’s certainly somewhere I enjoy playing. It is a real pleasure to get away from the diet of parklands we have on tour.

They are all perfectly nice golf courses in their own right but it can get a bit monotonous to be on the same type of course week after week.

It will be an extra special week in Berkshire because it is the last time Annika Sorenstam will play in a Major. It’s really bizarre to write that.

Everyone is so used to her being in the field and being the player to beat that it will be strange when she’s not there.
Players are always concentrating on their own games during tournament week but I reckon the majority will have one eye on what she is doing.

Annika has been a legend of the game for many years and will be a big miss to the game next year.

I didn’t know her all that well until last September when we played together on the same European team in the Solheim Cup.

She was a real pleasure to share a team room with and was good enough to take me out for a practice round.

She said some nice things to me about my game and as you can imagine that meant the world to me as a Solheim rookie.

In the team room she is quiet and reserved and to those who don’t know her, it might come over as a cold-hearted manner.

It’s not, though, she’s a lovely lady who, it seemed to me, is still shy despite her incredible success.

I just hope I’m in the field for her last Major championship. Fingers crossed!