US Open Q & A with Lee-Anne Pace

US Open Q & A with Lee-Anne Pace

South Africa’s Lee-Anne Pace made the cut in her first US Open, eventually finishing in a tie for 55th with Michelle Wie, on scores of 75, 72, 77 and 75. She won $8 680 for her efforts. The tournament was played at East Broadmoor in Colorado and was won by South Korea’s So Yeon Ryu.

How was your US Open experience? It was great. I really enjoyed myself. The rain delays were not so great but it was the same for everyone. The atmosphere was incredible.

How would you describe your performance? I played really well, especially the first day. The greens were very tough and I am not used to playing on such fast, undulating greens. I think I hit 14 greens the first day but shot four over unfortunately. The rough was unforgiving but I hit my driver great all week. I think if I play more over here it would become a lot easier. My best moment of the week was shooting four under on my back nine to make the cut by two. So exciting.

Does the tournament live up to the hype? Yes, it’s a great tournament. The weather made it a longer week than normal but the crowds were fantastic and the Americans are all die-hard fans so there was a ton of roaring going on.

Was there anything that surprised you? It was quite a long course and when it rained it made it even longer. The green speed also changed day to day so that was a bit tricky.

What did you do during the rain breaks to keep yourself occupied? I played Tetris and listened to music. Not much else to do but wait. We did have some good jokes and laughs in between. Have to keep it light right?

Are you a good wet-weather player? Yes, coming from the LET I have become a good rain player. I won’t say that I prefer the rain. In South Africa we don’t even look at golf clubs on rainy days.

What did you learn from the tournament that you can apply going forward? It was a great experience. I realised that my short game needs work if I want to compete against the best. My putting let me down which is normally the best part of my game, but as I said I am sure if I can get my card and play out here full time I would be used to the speed and different greens.

Has is affected your preparation for the British Open much? It has made it better. I have hit some amazing golf shots this week and taking the positives out of the week. I love the British Open, it’s my favourite tournament of the year, and hitting the ball well makes me feel confident and ready.

On a lighter note, was there anything funny or unusual that happened? I got asked that if I hit a hole in one, whether I would lift up my shirt for the crowd... funny.