It's time for Tandi to believe

June 2011

TANDI Cuningham missed the cut by one shot at the Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open, shooting level par 71 and  73. But while she missed the weekend it did give her a chance to do some touring and a little reflection on her season so far.

"I hit the ball like a superstar but did not knock in enough putts, but hey that's golf," she said.

Ironically perhaps, she said the course in Switzerland was one of her favourites, particularly the fine-grain bent greens, similar to those at her home course Wanderers in Johannesburg.

"I found that I tended to hit quite a few wedges and scoring club approaches to the holes. So the short game needed to be sharp to shoot low. Also because the course was generally quite wet, it was very much what I call 'target golf'," she said.

Despite missing the cut, she enjoyed the town of Ascona. "It was great with lots of little cafes, shops and bistros along the beautiful lake that splits Switzerland from Italy. Just very expensive - I reckon that Switzerland is one the most expensive places in Europe! Yet it is a beautiful place rich with history and culture."

While the others were battling it out on the Sunday, she went for a walk up one of the mountains to St. Anna's Church which can be seen from the golf course. Aside from enjoying the breathtaking views, it was a time of contemplation for her.

"I am starting to feel really confident again about my game going forward, something I have not felt at all this season," she reflected.

She is under pressure though and needs a top three finish in Finland next week, to qualify for the Ricoh Women’s British Open next month.

"My attitude is to play to win. I think it is time to step up the belief structure and play the golf I know I am capable of," she said.

This week she is in Scotland, staying with family, and practising at Gleneagles.