Competing with the pros will not faze Mehaffey

Olivia Mehaffey bunkered at the 9th green during the Flogas sponsored Irish Scratch Series at Seapoint Golf Club today (29/06/2020). Picture: Pat Cashman

Irish Olympic duo Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow get another chance to fly the flag when the first women’s major championship gets underway at Troon today but it will have been compatriot Olivia Mehaffey helping to get the AIG Women’s Open off and running.

Under normal circumstances, Mehaffey would be a professional alongside Maguire and Meadow by now but remains an amateur after putting plans to join the paid ranks on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Instead, she will return to Arizona State University’s women’s golf team as she undertakes a masters degree while competing for the Sun Devils. And at 6:30am today, Mehaffey has the chance to tee off alongside British legend Laura Davies, who has been given the honour of the opening tee shot in the first group of the day at a course where Mehaffey won the 2015 Scottish Women’s Amateur Stroke Play and was 2016 runner-up.

“I love Royal Troon, it’s such a great golf course and I have a lot of great memories there,” Mehaffey told the ILGU. “It’s definitely nice to go somewhere you feel familiar and comfortable with the surroundings... I think it’s going to be fun.”

The Royal County Down golfer has been in great form since the return of competitive golf, including a course-record eight-under 66 to win the Woodbrook Ladies Scratch Cup.

Competing with the pros will not faze Mehaffey either. This is her fourth major and third AIG Women’s Open and she said: “Every time I’ve been able to tee it up with the pros I think I’ve learned a great deal from their game and what it takes to be at the top.

“You learn a lot but I feel now I’m at the stage where I’ve played in a number and have that experience so I’m not just going to make up the numbers I really want to go and compete.”

It will not just be the challenge posed by the field chasing defending champion Hinako Shibuno of Japan and tournament favourite Danielle Kang, the world number two and highest-ranked player at Royal Troon following the withdrawal of top-ranked Jin Young Ko and some of her fellow South Koreans due to Covid-19 travel concerns. Strong and disruptive winds are forecast for the west of Scotland links today and tomorrow.