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Just wanted to blow that hole up
Posted: Wednesday June 21, 2000 02:22 PM
Leta Lindley, 28, is in 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.
June 21, 2000 I'm back from France and I had a great time. Before we talk about the golf tournament, I just want to say how much I enjoyed the town of Evian. There were lots of shops and cafes and tons of pizzerias, which was a bit of a surprise. It was right on the water. I had Sunday off (the tournament went from Wednesday to Saturday, and the pro-am was on Sunday, but I didn't get in), so my caddie Tommy and I went across Lake Geneva into Switzerland. A lot of shops were closed, but we went to the Olympic Museum, which was very inspirational. They had all the torches, and the stories behind them; there were all the different medals and lots of artifacts -- some of them dated back to BC! We had a wonderful time. I wouldn't hesitate to go back. The hotel we stayed in was so quaint and cute, and the weather was perfect the whole time. It was a really great week. Now about golf. It was a great golf course. It kind of reminded me of Portland, Ore. because there were a lot of big pine trees. I thought the course was tricky, especially the greens. The putts I missed were on the low side. They broke so much more than they looked like they would. I definitely would have benefited from playing another practice round. Maybe next year, if it's at the same course and I qualify again, I'll be a bit more prepared.
I played okay. I started off with a 73. Then I had a good, solid second round, when I shot a 69 with only one bogey. I was really disappointed with how I played the final two days (I shot a 72 and a 73). I thought I was ready to play. I was rested. On the third round, I had a terrible start. I was four over after six holes. I was so frustrated. I don't think I was hitting it poorly, they were all mental mistakes, which I think are the worst kind. But I was patient and I got all those strokes back and finished even for the day. I guess that's an accomplishment because when you're so angry like that, it's tough to stay patient. Tommy was a help. He just kept trying to remind me there was a lot of golf ahead. He really tried to keep me focused. We did a good job. On Saturday, I just couldn't get my little golf ball to go in the hole. I think the worst part of the tournament was the fact that I bogeyed No. 1 every day. I just wanted to blow that hole up! It's just no fun to start every round of golf that way, thinking to yourself that you've already dug yourself a hole. I did make some okay money though, which was nice -- I finished tied for 24th and earned over $17,000. But I was disappointed because I was so excited to be there and I didn't play as well as I wanted. Now on to the LPGA Championship. I have some wonderful memories here and some not so wonderful ones. My best career finish was here three years ago, when I lost in a playoff. I remember all the great shots I hit. I like coming back and having positive memories. Last year I finished tied for 26th, then the year before, this tournament was my meltdown point. I basically left the tour for awhile after missing the cut here. It was my 10th missed cut in a row. I was thinking it was surely a record -- it's not -- and it isn't one I would have been very proud of. But that break did lead me to where I am now, so I guess things have a way of working out. The course is playing really hard and fast right now -- the rough is up and the greens are fast. I got here on Monday and went to bed at 7:30! I probably could have slept until noon -- I was so sound asleep when my alarm went off. I played a practice round on Tuesday, which was good. It's only Tuesday, that's what we say on the tour. Everyone comes out and practices and then we all say, "Well, it's only Tuesday." I am looking forward to the tournament, but this is my fifth week playing in a row, and I'm ready for a break. I'll just be trying to work on the things I'm always working on, trying to refine the swing and hit it where I want it to go. I think I'm searching a bit right now. I need to narrow down my focus. I think I'm really close. After this tournament, I'll be going home to San Diego and I'll be seeing Lud, my teaching pro. It will be good to get home. -- Leta When you are at home, where do you go to practice and play? -- Kristie Seeley, Royal Palm Beach, Fla. I usually practice at Ballen Isles, which is where the Funks live in West Palm Beach, which is where I've been living. It's a gated golf course community. I may start to look into finding something a little more permanent. First, I would like to say that I was able to attend the Women's Open at Pumpkin Ridge a couple of years ago, and that you were one of the nicest of the tour players whom I talked to during the practice rounds. My question is: How hard is it to deal with the fans during a practice round, when you want to be working on little things like course knowledge? -- Ed Hill, Lone Pine, Calif. Most pros seem to avoid all contact with fans during a tournament. How does interacting with fans affect your game? You gained two big fans at the Philips in Austin when you took just a few seconds to smile and interact with my daughter and me during Friday's round. Sorry you missed the cut. See you next year. -- Tom Gilbert, Austin, Texas Practice rounds are definitely the time when pros are more accessible. Everyone is really loose, and we're all still in a good mood! We're just trying to familiarize ourselves with the course. It's a little harder once the tournament starts. Everyone deals with the fans a little differently. There are some players, like Nancy Lopez, who smiles at everyone while she's playing. She chitchats. For other players, it's hard for them to maintain their intensity for five or six hours, so they may only occasionally acknowledge the fans. I stay focused when I'm hitting the shot, and then I can let go for a bit, until the next shot. But it's hard. I think that most of the time I'm pretty accessible, and people think they can say anything to me. I know people mean well -- nobody is trying to hurt me or distract me. I appreciate the support and it's nice to know the fans are there. But there is a line, which I guess is when the contact becomes more like conversation, instead of merely a voice of support or a quick comment. For me, 99.9 percent of the time it's fine and it's not hard to deal with. At tournaments, do pros always start playing from the first tee? -- Marcy Shapiro, Short Hills, N.J. On Thursday and Friday, you start either on 1 or 10. But generally, on Saturday and Sunday, you start on 1, once the field has been narrowed down after the cut. There are a few times we may have to do a split tee on the weekend, which is almost always for TV.
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