Stanford credits her ability to compete with younger tour stars to a rebuilt short game . RIGHT : Stanford chats with the media via video conference at last year ’ s U . S . Women ’ s Open . |
||||||
USGA |
I fell in love with that tournament from Day 1 because they roll out the red carpet and make us feel like they ’ re excited to have us there , the course is always in immaculate shape and the volunteers are off the charts . I don ’ t know if we ’ ll have fans this year , but the whole place just feels like home .”
— Angela Stanford
“ Her game is much more well-rounded than it used to be , and that ’ s a credit to her for taking on this challenge ,” he added . “ For great players , their game evolves and as things change and life goes on , they have to adapt to be competitive and still win .”
When asked about the chip shots that Stanford still painfully remembers him witnessing , Kolb was pragmatic in his response .
“ I do remember thinking to myself that this was a wonderful opportunity to take someone who ’ s already a world-class player and make some real progress by helping her achieve what she ’ s capable of achieving ,” he said .
|
LATE BLOOMER , LONG CAREER Stanford took the once-traditional path to the LPGA , starting with junior , amateur and collegiate golf , where she was a four-time All-American and nine-time tournament winner at Texas Christian University . While many of today ’ s young LPGA stars leap directly from high school to professional golf , Stanford calls herself “ a late bloomer ” and said she needed time to mature .
“ I wouldn ’ t trade that time for anything because it gave me a chance to grow up , learn to travel , learn to take criticism and compliments , and learn how to make mistakes ,” she added . “ We play a game that you can just about play forever , so I don ’ t understand why players skip playing college golf .”
But turning professional early is also a “ very personal decision ,” said Stanford , adding that today ’ s young pros have access to more knowledge , information and tools than she had at their age .
She also recalls peppering veteran players , such as Juli Inkster and Meg Mallon , with questions about their longevity in the game when she was a young player . When asked if today ’ s young stars ever ask her how she has continued to win in her 40s , Stanford laughed .
“ I ’ m in that middle category of players , not in the great range ,” she said . “ So , I can see why players wouldn ’ t reach out to me . They might think that I still have a way to go .”
In fact , Stanford believes that she has room for improvement and needs to win again . She also wants to win another major championship to validate her first victory , calling her win at the 2018 Evian Championship “ a big deal .”
|
“ It doesn ’ t make you a different person , but you need certain things to achieve your goals , and having a major on your resume just helps ,” she said .
But if 2020 taught her anything , it was also that she was reminded to enjoy the process of her efforts .
She experienced that in early March 2020 , when she ran the Los Angeles Marathon to raise money for the Angela Stanford Foundation right before the nation locked down for a pandemic .
And she experienced that in December 2020 when she drained a 25-foot putt to save par from off the green . That momentum putt came on the third hole in the first round in a tournament she would go on to win three days later on a course where she has always struggled .
In past years , that stroke was a sure bogey . This time , it was the result of strengthening her weaknesses deep into her career and believing she was still very much in the game .
LPGA PURE SILK CHAMPIONSHIP
Where : Kingsmill Resort River Course , Williamsburg When : May 20-23 TV : 3-6 p . m . live each day on Golf Channel Defending champion : Bronte Law
Visit Kingsmill . com / lpga-championship for the latest information on potential ticket sales for the Pure Silk Championship .
|