No more plain jane at home for Kenyon

BY Liz White | ALPG Tour | 2009 Women's NSW Open | Preview | 22 Jan 2009

By her own admission Sarah-Jane Kenyon’s performances on Australian soil haven’t been that flash but she hopes to change all that at this week’s NSW Open at Sydney’s Oatlands Golf Course.

“I haven’t played very well there, so this is the year to turn it around I reckon, it is better late than never,” she said.

“I like the golf course and it is a good event, it is a fun event but I just haven’t been able to play well around there so hopefully I can change it this year.”

Kenyon has spent the past four years playing on the second-string Duramed Futures Tour in the US and has found she returns home each year a little jaded.

While her body needs a break she believes her golf suffers from not swinging the sticks.

“If I have a break I come back like I haven’t played in 12 years,” she said.

“Last year, the NSW Open was our first opening one and I had a couple of weeks off and I never got it back so that’s why we didn’t have the break this year,” she said.

“The year before that it was right after Q-School and that was pretty tough.”

The US LPGA Q-School is a 90 hole battle of wits and determination. In 2006 Kenyon made the final stage but missed the top 50 cut and in 2007 missed out by two shots in earning her full card. Instead she earned conditional status, which meant she was able to play in only a handful of LPGA events.

Kenyon said the juggle between LPGA and the second string Futures Tour events became a nightmare. But after finishing third on the Duramed Futures Tour money winners list in 2008 she finally earned her US LPGA Tour card for 2009.

“It’s a big relief not to have to worry about that, like you know sometimes it was Sunday night before we knew where we were going,” she said.

“It is going to be great to actually know now.”

While finally achieving her dream of an LPGA card Kenyon has discovered there is one big drawback.

Due to a scheduling overlap, the season opener on the USLPGA is on at the same time as the Women’s Australian Open, which means Kenyon was forced to make a choice and regrettably for her, that meant foregoing her National championship.

“In the first quarter of the LPGA I only have six events and there is only three that I’ll actually be straight in so if you miss one of them and only play in two events in the first quarter, you are a long way behind everybody else,” she explained.

“Even though I have full status there are a few events at the start of the year that are all based off the money list last year.”

Kenyon did not play on the USLPGA last year so she has no position on the money list. Getting off to a good start in the first quarter of this year is critical for Kenyon. She is just disappointed it has come at such a cost.

“Not only is the Australian Open a special event but it is at Metropolitan which is my favourite golf course and it would have been an awesome event to play,” she said.

“Hopefully next year maybe I might be able to make that decision for myself and not have to be in the situation where I am now, where basically I don’t have a choice.”

Kenyon will be doing everything she can to put herself in that position.

“My main goal is to retain my card for next year,” she said.

“But we haven’t really sat down and set the little details out yet but obviously you want to have a certain amount of top tens and top twenties and then once you achieve them set some more.”

While it is hard for Kenyon not to talk about her exciting year ahead on the LPGA she is setting herself some pretty high ambitions during the Australian season.

“A good reasonable goal is always top ten,” she said.

“I want to play well in Australia and it is a good way to start the season off being back at home.”

Making top ten at this week’s NSW Open will be a tough task as there are some extremely talented players in the field. Laura Davies will be back attempting to defend her title and vowing to give her a run for her money is the in-form Aussie Katherine Hull.

Also returning is the Ladies European Tour Money List winner Gwladys Nocera as well as the number seven on the money list, Sweden’s Lotta Wahlin.

The Australian LPGA tour will then head to New Zealand for the inaugural New Zealand Open at the Clearwater Resort in Christchurch.