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Finally, some rest and relaxation
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. August 16, 2000 West Palm Beach, Fla. I bagged the British! (The British Open, that is, this week's tour stop.) I just decided at the last minute, I think it was Thursday night. It wasn't in my heart to go. I wasn't thrilled with how I was striking the ball this past week at the du Maurier and I knew the conditions would be tough over there. I didn't feel my game was up for it and mentally, I didn't feel up for it. I was so tired. I've had so little time off to rest and regroup before heading off again, that I felt I needed to take two weeks off. (I've also pulled out of next week's tournament in East Lansing, Mich.) It's hard as a player to take time off. You always feel as if you might be missing an opportunity. You always think this could be the week. But I'm really glad to be home in Florida. I need a fresh perspective. I need to clear my head. I need to go out excited to play. I want it to be fun, and I think by taking some time off and resting, I'll be able to gear up for the rest of the year. I am a little disappointed that I'm not playing, but I just need to rest. It was a good decision. It will be hard to watch the scores and watch how people are playing. I even threw away a $1,000 ticket and Tommy's ticket. I basically gave him two days to find other employment, which he did (he'll be caddying for Jill McGill). I needed to take care of him. He really wanted to go and have the opportunity to caddie at the British Open. The courses are so different over there and he wanted to experience it, so I'm glad for him. There's so much golf to be played. I feel if I can take some time off and come back fresh, then I can finish strong. At the beginning of the year, I had some great finishes. I think I had a lot of enthusiasm and now I feel like I'm dragging. I feel like my game is better now, but I'm not having the top finishes I was before. I think Lorie Kane said a few weeks ago after winning her first tournament that winning is an attitude. That's so true. If you're tired and frustrated and physically and mentally exhausted, you just don't play good golf. I think that has been my biggest mistake, not taking more time off. But I started to see it and hopefully I will reap the benefits later on. I hit the ball horrendously at the du Maurier. Given the way I hit it this past Monday, just making the cut was the most surprising thing for me this year. I think I hit only six greens Thursday and about nine Friday, so basically I chipped and putted my way to the cut. That had to have been the worst ball striking I've had this year. That obviously played a lot into my decision to pull out of the next two events. It was a very difficult course, and in some ways that helped me. I thought it was a fabulous championship course, they made it play long, the rough was up, and it was just a good course. I chipped and putted really well, thank goodness for that. The final day of the tournament, I took an 8 on a par-3. I shot five over on that one hole, and finished up four over for the day. The shot that got me into so much trouble was not even that bad. It was the second hole of the day. I pushed my shot. It was so firm where it landed, it bounded off down a cart path, down a hill. It ended up in the worst place possible. Yes, I missed my line and target, but not by that much. But it just ended up in this horrible place and I tried to play out of it, which turned out to be a mistake. I had to draw a diagram for Matt to show him where I was. I just could not believe this was happening to me. I needed an official to help me add up my score because there were all these penalties to add in. It was so hard to focus after that 8. I was so flustered and upset. I constantly had to tell myself to breathe and clear my head and to let it go. I got one shot back. I played well coming in, but it was horrible, horrible bad luck. I've never taken so many big numbers in my life. I hope it's all out of my system. What a nightmare. I don't know what's up with my swing. I worked on things just to try to get me through the week. I'm going to spend the week here in Florida and not play golf, not at all. Some time away is necessary. Then I'll go visit Lud in San Diego next week (Matt will be coming with me). I'm not trying to be a big complainer, but I haven't been to a movie in a long time. I haven't gone shopping. The days have seemed so long and I haven't made time for those other things. It's just been so much golf, golf, golf. A week ago I didn't get home until 8:30 p.m. four nights in a row. I was at the course all day long. That's not fun, to be so tired every night that all you can do is get back to your hotel room and order room service. This year has been different than others. I've always played a full schedule, but I don't remember flying to San Diego so much, unless the Tour was in that area. So when I took off a week, I was off. But this year, I'm already on my third or fourth trip back to San Diego. I've needed to do that, but I also need to give myself time off. A week in San Diego working with Lud is not a week off. So that's what I'm doing now. I'm still learning. I need to listen to my body, my mind, my heart, which is what I've finally done. It's a timeout for Leta. She has to go sit in Florida for awhile. -Leta
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