Proud to be a part of history

THE countdown is on to the best week of the year – the Women’s British Open. It’s always the biggest tournament of the year but of course this year it’s that bit bigger.

Playing it over the Old Course at St Andrews guarantees it will be the biggest ever. I know within Lady Golfer’s preview of the WBO a few leading names have expressed how much they are looking forward to playing there. And you don’t get much bigger than Paula Creamer, Carin Koch, Cat Matthew and Sophie Gustafson!

Well, I can assure you it’s not PR talk. These are not platitudes dished out to the media for effect. These players mean it when they say they can’t wait to get to St Andrews. I know this, because not only do I feel the same, I know plenty of players on the Ladies’ European Tour who are equally excited.

Everyone who plays is going to be a part of history and it feels great to be one of the first ladies to play a professional event over the Old Course. It might just be one occasion when players are eager to be first off on Thursday morning! The graveyard shift and the start and end of the championship day on Thursday and Friday is always one to avoid but this year maybe we’ll all want the draw to have us out at the crack of dawn: just imagine hitting the first shot of the historic week?

Of course, it would be even better to be holing the very last putt on Sunday and for that to be the winning stroke of the championship. That is a long, long way away for all of us but there’s no denying that just imagining such a scenario is as close to a dream as it gets.

Whatever I shoot at St Andrews it will be a special week. It will be like the other Women’s British Opens I’ve played in but just 25 per cent better in every respect. I can’t imagine the crowds will be anything other than record and I’m sure they will be even more knowledgeable and enthusiastic than ever.

The field is going to be the best ever with players travelling from all four corners of the golfing world to be at the birthplace of the game. The television coverage and media attention as a whole will be even bigger and more widespread, which can only be good for the ladies’ game.

And of course, we shouldn’t forget about the course. In among all the hype (which it’s impossible not to be sucked into – see above!) there is the actual playing of the course. It’s worth remembering just what a fantastic course it is. Yes, it’s historic, but it’s also beautiful in places and challenging all the way round – especially if the wind blows.

Anyone who hasn’t played there before is going to be in for a real treat. I’m just glad I’m already qualified for the field. Having that knowledge leaves a warm glow inside and only serves to make the excitement begin even earlier!

From reading July’s Lady Golfer I know the organisers are predicting we could see 100,000 spectators through the gate if the weather is good. How amazing would that be?

It would be terrific for the ladies’ game and also fantastic for those of us who will be playing in front of such crowds. It’s a real inspiration to perform to packed galleries and it’s one of the things I’ll really look forward to in the first week of August.

It will also be great to sample some links action again. I was brought up on a links and my favourite courses – Royal St David’s and Porthcawl – are both by the coast, so I like to think I know how to play them. Just being able to affect your trajectory so the wind doesn’t touch your ball as much can be so important – in addition, of course, to being creative around the greens.

Flop shots can stay in the locker and chip and runs with a seven iron will once again be very much part of my armoury. Oh, and I’m likely to need my sand wedge that week too. The Old Course is famous for the depth of its bunkers so you need to play out of sand efficiently.

That said, my policy – just like last year – is more preventation than cure. I try to plan my way round so I’m not having to land the ball close to bunkers. How Tiger (left) managed to avoid them back in 2000 was amazing but is the inspiration I’ll take into the championship.

Whether or not I’m successful in carrying out my plan will probably mean the difference between really challenging and merely making the cut, which is of course my first objective. I’ve been playing consistently well this season but that first win keeps eluding me.

I want that first win badly and of course there would be absolutely nowhere better to achieve that than at St Andrews.

It would be a sensation but you never know...