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Ready or not the season is starting
Posted: Wednesday January 05, 2000 04:59 PM
Leta Lindley, 27, is entering her sixth season on the LPGA Tour. She had her best year in 1999 with a tie for second, as well as four other top 10 finishes. In 1997, she finished second at the LPGA Championship, losing to Chris Johnson on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff. She was a four-time All-American at the University of Arizona and set an NCAA record for lowest 54-hole score (nine under par). Check out Lindley's diary each Wednesday on CNNSI.com.
January 5, 2000 Welcome to my life! Just to catch you up, I had knee surgery three months ago and I've been spending my whole offseason getting my leg back into shape. The surgery was performed on October 5 for a lateral minuscule tear in my left knee (I got really good at spelling that since I wrote it in all my Christmas cards). I wish I had some great story to tell about how it happened. But basically, I just had put a lot of stress on my left leg, which over time led to the tear. One thing I learned from the surgery is I clearly do not have a high tolerance for pain! I was still throwing up three days after the surgery from the pain. My husband, Matt Plagmann, would just brush up against me and I would scream. Recovery has seemed like a very slow process. I'm still not 100 percent. I spent four weeks in rehab, then my insurance was up so everyone was saying, "You're better." I still need to build my strength back up. As a golfer, you don't realize how much stress your left leg takes when you fire through on your left side. When I started hitting balls again, all I could hit were half wedge shots. But within two weeks I was hitting my driver. The first week in December I played in the JC Penney Classic, where you partner with a PGA player (I played with Tommy Tolles). My whole goal that week was to make it to Sunday -- through practice on Monday, the pro-am on Tuesday and four rounds from Thursday to Sunday. My knee did all right. I was kind of surprised. I hit a lot of good shots, but obviously, I didn't play as well as I wanted to. But you can only do what your body will let you do.
Matt and I spent the holidays in Tampa, where we live. If somebody wanted to see us, they could come to us, we weren't going anywhere. Nobody came! What does that tell us?! We celebrated New Year's with another gal on tour, Leslie Spalding, who also lives in Tampa and some other friends. Right now I'm in West Palm Beach, Florida, getting ready for the first LPGA event of the season, which starts on the 13th. I'm working out and trying to get my knee in shape. I'm staying with my housing family, Steve and Marcia Funk. They have places in West Palm and in St. Louis, so I stay with them twice a year. (On the road players have the choice of staying in hotels or with housing families.) I've known them three or four years. I'm like their other daughter and they're like my second parents. We correspond throughout the year, send cards and e-mails. I'm excited for the season to start, but in another sense I wish I had more time to get ready. But I'm not sure if I'd ever be ready. I want to build on my last year since it was my best. My two goals were to win a tournament (I came close, I got second) and to finish in the top 30 on the money list -- I was 38th, but think I could have come closer had it not been for my knee, which forced me to pull out of three tournaments and play hurt in two. This year will be a little different for me since my husband, who has been my caddy since I came on the Tour, is leaving me (as a caddy). He was not fired! It was his decision. He's given me five years. I've been really lucky to have him, just from a comfort factor, to have my best friend with me. I've hired Tommy Jordan for the first part of this year, and hopefully we'll click. I'll keep you posted! -- Leta
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