Back-to-back: my first winning week as a professional

Eight years. That is how long my last individual win had been, the 2018 English Girls’ Open Amateur. In between lay five years of college golf, the step into the professional game and a rookie season full of lessons. And then came this one week in South Africa that changed everything.

Humewood: winning in a playoff

The SuperSport Ladies Challenge in Humewood was a test of patience. After three rounds I stood in a playoff and it went long. The press later called it a monster playoff and that is exactly what it felt like. Hole after hole, head to head, until my putt finally dropped.

It was only the second playoff in the tournament’s history since 2014. For me it was much more than a statistic. When you wait that long for a win, at some point you wonder whether it will ever come. That is why this moment on the green was one of the most emotional of my career.

One week later: the next title

At the NTT Data Ladies Pro-Am I really just wanted to carry the good feeling forward. It turned into a five-stroke win and a second title within eight days. Back-to-back, as they say in golf.

At the end of the season I stood second in the Sunshine Ladies Tour Order of Merit. More important than any ranking was the feeling I took home from South Africa: I can win tournaments. As a professional too.