Mehaffey clinches career best tie for third in Finland; Top-10 for Byrne in Sweden
Olivia Mehaffey of Ireland. Credit: Tristan Jones/LET
Olivia Mehaffey clinched her best finish as a professional and put over a year of mental struggles behind her when she tied for third in the Ladies Open By Pickala Rock Resort in Finland.
The Banbridge star (25) was near the back of the field on four-over-par through 12 holes of her weather-delayed first round.
But she played 24 holes in nine-under on Friday to move up to tied 11th after rounds of 73 and 66, then closed with a four-under 68.
Her three-round total of nine-under left her tied third with France’s Anne-Charlotte Mora, six shots behind Spanish veteran Carmen Alonso, who carded a 69 to claim her maiden win by a shot from Sweden’s Johanna Gustavsson (70) on 15-under.
“I actually didn't feel like I hit it as good as I did yesterday, but I was getting it round and then putting very nicely,” said Mehaffey, who picked up a career-best cheque for €15,750 to move up to 41st in the Race to Costa del Sol rankings and earn a place in the $1 million Aramco Team Series Presented By PIF - London in two weeks
“I didn't hit any shots that got me in a lot of trouble but just felt like I was missing quite a few greens and I just didn't really feel on it, but I still was very relaxed, which was good. And then when I gave myself opportunities to make putts, I did.”
“I remember talking to my coach on the range and he’s like if you don’t sort it out mentally, I don’t know how much longer you’re going to keep playing for because you can’t keep putting yourself through this”
Mehaffey played the last 42 holes of the tournament in 13-under and she credited her coach Johnny Foster and also psychologist, David Jenkins, for turning her form around after she confessed recently how she’d struggled mentally to overcome the death of her father Philip.
“I just got off to a bad start. I looked and I think I was nearly in last place - two shots off last before I went out yesterday,” she said.
“I just had the mentality to make some birdies. And that worked well yesterday.
“I've been struggling the last two weeks in the final round, so I feel like I've just tried to be very patient. I haven't got anything going.
“So today, I talked to my sports psychologist. And we're like, ‘Okay, we're going to be aggressive from the start. And we're going to try and make birdies again today’. So that managed to work.”
She began to turn things around when she changed to a shorter driver after practising with Foster and Tom McKibbin and opened with an eight-under 64 to tie for 12th in the Amundi German Masters two weeks ago.
“Yeah, I actually feel really good,” she said. “I felt like it was coming even though I had still missed some cuts before Germany.
“But I was missing them by less. And I just feel really lucky. I have honestly such a great coach and such a great sports psychologist. And I think my sports psychologist has really turned everything around for me.
“I started working with him just before Evian and it still wasn't pretty there.
“We've done so much hard work and I'm just really proud of myself because honestly, I remember talking to my coach on the range and he's like, if you don't sort it out mentally, I don't know how much longer you're going to keep playing for because you can't keep putting yourself through this.
“So I'm just really proud of the work we've done and that my team have stuck by me. So it's been very nice, for sure.”
As for her finish, she can climb further up the Order of Merit at the Centurion Club in a fortnight.
“Well, it gets me into London, so that's great. I wasn't in London, so I'm really looking forward to that.
“It’s my best finish on tour. So it's really, really nice to have and I think it just gives me a little bit more confidence that we're on the right track.”
Meanwhile, Douglas amateur Sara Byrne finished a brilliant tied sixth on her first appearance in a professional event at the LET Access Tour’s Vasteras Open in Sweden.
The recently crowned AIG Irish Women’s Close champion shot rounds of 71, 71 and 72 to finish on one-under par, seven shots behind Denmark’s Puk Lyng Thomson.
Byrne now remains in Sweden to play next week’s Capio Ogon Trophy, where she will be joined by Irish teammate Anna Foster from Elm Park.
