Rhodes Rides the Wind at Dundonald
Las Vegas - is embracing her return to links golf as she tees it up this week at the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open at Dundonald Links, aiming to extend a remarkable rookie season.
The 23-year-old Englishwoman already has three Ladies European Tour titles to her name—having triumphed at the Ford Women’s NSW Open, the Joburg Ladies Open and the Dutch Ladies Open—and leads both the Order of Merit and Rookie of the Year standings at the midway point of the year.
“I feel good about it,” said Rhodes ahead of Thursday’s opening round. “I haven’t actually played a lot of links golf since my amateur days, but I like it. A lot of different shots can be played out there and it’s a really good showcase of golf, especially when it’s windy.”
With gusts forecast and testing conditions expected, Rhodes is ready to embrace the demands of the Ayrshire coast. “I really like the golf course, to be honest,” she said. “There’s quite a lot of crosswinds on most holes and the greens are really slopey, so placing myself below the pins and missing on the correct sides will be key.”
The Englishwoman, who had last week off after playing the Amundi Evian Championship, will again have her Scottish caddie Douglas Pirie on the bag. “Dougie is Scottish, and him caddying at Kingsbarns means he knows what he’s doing,” she said. “He’s really comfortable reading the greens as well. We’re going to work as a team out there.”
Rhodes also spoke of renewed confidence and a lighter mental approach. “I’ve gone to see my coach, had a week off and worked on some mental stuff,” she said. “I’m just not going to put any pressure on myself. I’ll just try and commit to as many shots as I can.”
With 750 points on offer to the winner—rather than the usual 500 at a standard LET event—Rhodes could extend her lead in the season-long race. But the leader is not thinking too far ahead. “It’s just a nice experience to have in my rookie year. I’m not going to think too much about the points.”
Her father will be on hand to watch her in an LET event for the first time this season, a presence she welcomes. “It’s nice to have his support,” she said. “Next week, with it being so close to home, I’m going to have a lot of people there. I’m just going to have a smile on my face and make the most of it.”
Rhodes begins her campaign at 1.37pm local time alongside Anna Nordqvist of Sweden and Switzerland’s Chiara Tamburlini.