Faldo

18-year-old Hannah Barwood was the leading girl at the 2008 Faldo Series Grand Final in Brazil. This year, the Faldo Series arranged for her to receive an amateur invite to the AIB Ladies Irish Open. Here she talks about the experience of playing in her first professional tournament:

How did it feel to be playing in a professional event?

Playing in a Ladies European tour event was an amazing experience and made me a 110% sure that what I want to do in life is to be a playing pro. The whole week exceeded my expectations in every way, there were a few amateurs playing and I felt I was treated no differently to the pros. My goal since I started golf was to be competing with the best in the world, so for it to be happening already was something I’m very grateful for.

Was this your first professional event and how were your nerves?

This was my first European tour event I had played in, I was a little nervous going over there and for the first practice day but, when people there were so friendly, I found I relaxed a lot and the nerves soon turned into excitement. I couldn’t wait to get to the first tee and hear my name being announced. It was nice that it was such a high-profile event and, having the top 40 European pros playing, it was great to test my game against the best in Europe.

How was it different to playing in amateur events?

I found that it wasn’t too different to playing some of the amateur events, except you have to look after yourself a bit more. The top amateur tournaments nowadays are so well organised and take place all around the world. But I don’t recall being driven to the range in a Mercedes courtesy car in any amateur tournaments! It felt a little odd at first when someone asked for an autograph.

How do you feel the tournament went?

Overall I felt I learnt a lot from the week, I was disappointed with my first round which cost me making the cut, but posted a solid second round in windy conditions which a lot of the pros struggled with. It was very frustrating to miss the cut by two and not have the chance to play the final round, however the opportunity just to be there and see how I compared was great.

Who did you play with?

In the practice round I played with Veronica Zorzi and Federica Piovano, two Italian players… which made it a little quieter for me but it was great to see how they played the course. They were very different players: one hit the ball quite long, whereas the other was quite similar to me, so it was a great opportunity to see where they attacked and which holes they played with a bit more caution. In my tournament rounds I played with Lynnette Brooky from New Zealand and Melodie Bourdy from France. I was intrigued also to see how I compared to them, as I’d heard both their names before. I’d first seen Melodie the year before doing a clinic at the French U21s amateur event; it was in French so I didn’t understand much. I thought she had a very solid swing though so was looking forward to seeing her play the links course. I’d heard of Lynnette as she finished well in the Irish last year, so she obviously knew the course and is a very experienced player.

What do you think you have you drawn from the experience?

More than anything it was great to see how my game fitted in, I know I have plenty to improve on and a lot more to learn, but I found my game is quite similar to that of your average pro. It was nice to come away from the week knowing what I need to progress in my game to be with the top players. My aim is not to be an average tour pro just making cuts…I want to be winning, week in and week out. So it was fantastic to be a part of a tour event and to learn what the top pros are best at.

How has playing in tournaments like the Faldo Series helped to prepare you for professional events?

Playing in tournaments like the Faldo Series definitely helped me to prepare for life on tour in every way. Although my tour start was in Ireland, the Ladies European tour travels as far as Australia and India. Before the Faldo Series Grand Final in Brazil last year I hadn’t been outside Europe. To know that I can travel to South America or China and deal with the jetlag and the different time zones – and still win – was an invaluable experience, which I have the Faldo Series to thank for. When we were at the Grand Final in both South America and Asia we had seminars on Fitness and Nutrition for instance and it was great to get different perspectives on these areas. I learnt so much from both weeks.

You’ve met Nick; could you tell us a little about that?

I’ve met Nick a couple of times now and each time I’ve met him he’s been great with everyone. A few years back at Celtic Manor he took the time to talk with me about my performance over the 3 days. I learnt so much from him in just 30 minutes and have been able to use that knowledge to help progress my golf. I found he was very easy to approach and helpful to any golfer who wants to learn more. The clinics he’s done at each of the finals are great, demonstrating different aspects of the game and sharing his experiences from winning all round the world.

Was there any advice that he’s given that’s helped prepare you for the professional game?

At the clinics I have watched he has stressed the importance of being in control of the ball, knowing you can hit different shapes and trajectories, play shots that most people can’t. So I went away and learnt how to fade and draw the ball, how to hit it high or low… even hitting 3-iron flop shots out of a bunker. I feel now that when I go out on the course I’m not fazed by much. I’m obviously still disappointed by a poor shot, but now I know I have the ability to recover from it.

Could you give us a little information about your hopes for the season ahead?

I have final qualifying for the British Open coming up so I’m hoping to get through and have my first Major experience. After that it’s a busy few weeks with the English Open, British Open and European Open, if I could take one or even all 3 of those titles that would be fantastic. After that I have the Faldo Series Grand Final to look forward to in Rio. I enjoyed Bahia so much last year and can’t wait to be back in South America…hopefully I can take home the title again.

The Faldo Series would like to thank the Ladies European Tour for their continued support.