I can win a major says Lindsey

BY LIZ WHITE | ALPG TOUR | 2010 ROYAL CANBERRA CLASSIC | PREVIEW | 25 JAN 2010

Just about to start her sixth year on the US LPGA, Albury’s Lindsey Wright believes her game is on track to win a major. Australia’s number two went very close last year, finishing four shots behind winner Anna Nordqvist at the McDonalds Championship and fourth in the Kraft Nabisco.

“I am in good shape, having looked at last year and where my game is now and mentally, absolutely, I don’t think there is any reason why I can’t contend or be leading a major in the last round,” she said.

“I came so close at the McDonalds’s I am determined this year. I was very disappointed I was like “bugger” I really wanted to win that."

After five years on tour Lindsey says she knows where she is going and feels now it is all down to the mental side of things. “The difference between last year and say 2008 was that I knew I could win,” she said.

“Before I would say: ’yeah I can win,’ but not really deep down be overly confident that I could win, I was kind of just saying it, whereas last year I did feel that I could win and I didn’t feel that I was like the new kid on the block.”

Lindsey’s 2010 season kicks off this Friday when the first of four major Australian Ladies Professional Golf events, the Actew AGL Royal Canberra Classic, gets underway.After enjoying a five-week break from the sticks _ her longest since turning pro in 2003 _ Lindsey says she is excited about competing again. “I am really looking forward to playing,” she said.

“I have just spent some time with my coach Peter Murphy down in Melbourne and we have worked on a few things. I have changed my putting around quite a lot, I have changed my set up and my ball position, so I am looking forward to testing it in Canberra.”

The Actew AGL Royal Canberra Classic is a new addition to the ALPG tour and the $125,000 prize purse has attracted a quality field including Katherine Hull, Nikki Campbell, Sarah Kemp and perennial ALPG supporter and current Australian Open Champion, Britain’s Laura Davies. “The ALPG have done a great job getting tournaments because there is not a lot of tournaments with things falling apart financially all over the world, so it’s awesome that they have picked this up,” Wright said.

“From what I have heard this could be a regular thing and I think it is great that this is in the country as well because usually it is in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane.”

Wright finished 18th on the money list last year and is keen to improve on that in 2010. But having recently turned 30, it is wise not to call Wright a tour stalwart just yet. “Please don’t call me a veteran, the 30-year-old thing is getting a bit testy with me,” she joked.

“I had my 30th on New Years Eve and it stressed me out, but it hit me even harder a few days later.”

One benefit of entering her fourth decade, Lindsey admits, is that she has learnt so much along the way. “You are like a deer in the headlights for the first two years and it is quite tiring and overwhelming,” she said.

“There is so much going on but I suppose it’s like anything, you just get used to it and it becomes more natural.”

Experience has also taught Lindsey that perhaps she needs to change her season playing schedule as well. “I come out of the gates really good and then I get to July and like I have done every year, I have just fallen and I haven’t performed as well,” she says.

“Mentally I think I get, I don’t want to say I am bored with it, but the lifestyle it just wears on you a little bit, not seeing family and friends. I think I just got a little bit fed up with it and I probably could have done with a two week break from everybody, because it is like a circus out there.”

The 2003 Pepperdine University graduate has spent the past few years living in Texas to be close to her American based Aussie coach Peter Murphy but is hoping an upcoming move to Orlando, Florida will see her beat the post July blues. “I think that will be a big thing for me because I have more friends there, I will have more of a social life and that is important,” she said.

“Balance in sport is everything and I haven’t really balanced it well at all. I get to the middle of the season and I fall apart whereas at the start of the year I come out all gung ho because I have been at home and had some fun, so this move is going to make a massive difference I hope.”

It seems that just like a good wine, Lindsey aged all of 30, is maturing nicely.