MACLAREN IN THE MOOD FOR A SUCCESSFUL WEEK IN SWEDEN

It can be easy to think that results on the golf course come from the grind and graft on the range each day, but for Meghan MacLaren, it’s just as much about heading into the day with a good state of mind. 

The sport may be played on grass, but it’s just as much about what’s going on upstairs as it is on the teebox, and it’s only when these two find a synergy that the good golf will come. 

And that’s what happened for MacLaren last time out in Northern Ireland, as she finished T18 in a strong field at the ISPS Handa World Invitational, to bounce back from a rocky period through the European Majors. 

Missed cuts at the Amundi Evian Championship, Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open and AIG Women’s Open could have easily dented the confidence of the 28-year-old, but to be able to bounce back with another strong showing at Galgorm Castle was just the tonic she needed heading into the final stretch of the season.  

“I really enjoyed the week in Northern Ireland. I was feeling a bit flat going into it because I’d had three big weeks where I’d missed the cut even though my game felt in touch the whole time,” MacLaren revealed.  

“You’re trying to hold your nerve but you’re thinking where you go from there, so it was nice to have a solid week. I didn’t do anything spectacular but everything was good enough all week and it gave me confidence that I had been doing good things and just missing out. 

“Golf is such a difficult sport because you feel like that a lot of the time, but it’s easy to get caught up in results and think missing three cuts in a row means you’re doing something wrong, but that’s not always true. 

“Little things can go against you here and there, and you have to be honest with yourself. I picked up on a few things that I could be doing better, but it wasn’t a complete overhaul. That’s why Northern Ireland was satisfying, because it proved that I am where I thought I was, and to show that in a results form as well.”

Despite what the leaderboard may have showed, the 2022 Australian Women’s Classic winner had every confidence her game was trending in the right direction through the summer, with the decision to return to the European circuit at the start of the year vindicated by a strong campaign this year. 

Despite performing well on the Symetra Tour in America, including claiming top spot at the 2021 Prasco Charity…