Lesson learned the hard way in Germany

TEE TO GREEN:A disappointing weekend after a good start in Munich reinforced what we all know: the short game is the key to success

SITTING IN an airport terminal in Munich on Sunday night, my travel plans yet again disrupted by the volcanic ash clouds, it was easy to mull over what might have been. Certainly, my final round finish in the German Open was not what I wanted or had planned: a 77, a score which dropped me down the field – to tied-31st – and left me in no doubt of just how important the short game is if you are to achieve your goals.

In fact, after getting into a position to contend heading into the weekend, the final two rounds were a real disappointment. I know myself I just didn’t putt well enough and, unlike Laura Davies, I am not the type of player who can overpower a course.

But I’d planned to be aggressive over the weekend, only for a lot of pins to be tucked into really tricky positions and I just couldn’t stick to that game plan. I just couldn’t get at the flags. You needed to play sneaky golf, to land the ball 10 or 15 feet short and let it feed in towards the flag.

I can take the positives away, though. The German Open completed a busy run which included the European Team Championship in Spain – which involved travelling there and back by ferry and car – before a more straightforward journey to the Turkish Open by plane and, then, an appearance in Munich where I really learnt the lesson of how important it is to stay patient on the course. Even when things weren’t going my way, or I got a bad break, I tried not to let things get to me and I achieved that.

One of the keys to playing golf, at any level, but especially on tour, is to STAY PATIENT and to keep plugging away, to be positive and to realise that nobody is perfect. The mental game is very important to anyone who wants to play well and it is something I have worked on.

I’ve a week at home now before hitting the road again, for the Slovakia Open and then the Dutch Open. So, despite the best attempts of the volcano, life has managed to go on and I believe my game is in good shape for those tournaments.

I’m hitting the ball well and my short game has definitely improved – it’s just that the weekend in Munich didn’t work out.

The first two days I putted well, but then struggled in the final two rounds. The weather conditions were tough, cold and windy, and I didn’t putt well enough. Everything didn’t gel.

On Saturday, I was moving in the right direction, two under par after nine holes, but then hit a poor tee-shot on the 10th, couldn’t get to the green, then hit a good bunker shot to six feet and missed the putt for par. That sparked a poor back nine that was only halted when I birdied the 18th. Too little, too late.

I’ve come to realise that it doesn’t matter how well you hit the ball, it all comes down to the short game. That’s where you pick up that extra shot here and there. But I’m pretty happy with the past few weeks and believe I am headed in the right direction going into the tournaments in Slovakia and The Netherlands. Right now, though, I’m looking forward to a long week at home.

Although the recent segment of the tour started with that long, long trip by ferry and road to Spain, I didn’t actually feel drained or tired when we got there. What hurt us more was that we were unable to have a practice round and we were straight into the tournament. It was just different, unlike your usual preparation for a tournament when you practise and familiarise yourself with the course.

After Spain, it was a case of getting back home by road and ferry again – we eventually got home to Ireland on the Tuesday, and then it was out to Turkey on the Sunday. The past two tournaments have been won by the young and the old, with Melissa Reid making her breakthrough win in Turkey and Laura Davies winning in Germany. I’ve got to believe that my time will come, and that I’ve just got to STAY PATIENT!