Wednesday 11 February 2015 14:52, UK
Dame Laura Davies is determined to end a momentous week with another personal high as the Ladies European Tour season begins in Australia.
The record-breaking 51-year-old has already hit the headlines this week after it was announced that she is one of seven women, including Annika Sorenstam and the Princess Royal, to be awarded honorary membership of the R&A.
Davies is now focused on making a winning start to the season as she tees up alongside the likes of Charley Hull and defending champion Cheyenne Woods in the RACV Ladies Masters at the Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast.
Davies has played the event every year since 1992 and has claimed the title three times, and she is bullish about her chances of adding a fourth victory despite being unable to add to her record tally of 45 Ladies European Tour wins since November 2010.
“If I could get down here and have the chance the play the Masters at Royal Pines, it’s always guaranteed that I'm going to do it,” said Davies.
“Obviously there's been tournaments in America I've missed so I can come down here to play in Australia because that’s how much I enjoy it. I love the set up, I love the lifestyle down here.
“This is just the perfect way to start your season and get your game hopefully into top form," added Davies, who tied for eighth place in her first start for 10 weeks at last week's Australian Ladies’ Professional Golf Tour’s Oates Victorian Open.
I love the set up and I love the lifestyle down here. This is just the perfect way to start your season and get your game hopefully into top form
"It was literally the first time I’ve played a tournament in 10 weeks, so that was a pretty nice start to the year and I'm playing really well.
New equipment
"Last year wasn't a great year by top player standards but it was a good enough year to get my confidence back. I've also got new clubs this year, I've been with the same company for 19 years and now it's all changed, so its a bit of an adjustment.
“Because of the new clubs I was getting, I went on the range a few times over the winter, but not too much. I don’t spend a huge amount of time on the range and practising in between tournaments, so that’s why I play more events than most of the girls, I think.”
Woods is relishing a return to the scene of her first professional victory last year, and she insisted she was enjoying being in the spotlight for reasons other than being the niece of Tiger Woods.
“It’s just different seeing my face on the player badges and the billboards and stuff,” she said. “I feel pretty comfortable out here and I’m just going to play how I always do. I’m not really concerned about people aiming to beat me or anything like that.”
Woods turned down the chance to play in last week's LPGA Tour event in the Bahamas, adding: “I knew this was an important week for me and the Ladies European Tour, to come back and defend. So I wanted to be in a good mind-set and a good physical condition to come play.
"I could have played in the Bahamas but I wouldn’t get here early enough so I wanted to make sure I was prepared to come back and defend my title.
“It’s the first time that I will be defending a title so it is a new experience for me but it’s nice - it’s a good position to be in. I feel comfortable at the course, and it’s nice to have my mum with me and my caddie from home. If I was nervous at all I think that would calm me, just having somebody familiar around me all week.”
Watch highlights of the opening event of the Ladies European Tour season. Coverage starts Saturday at 10am on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf.
