South African golfer Lee-Anne Pace is hoping to continue her fine run of form with another strong finish at this week’s Tenerife Ladies Open, from 1-4th July.
The 29-year-old from Mossel Bay secured her maiden Ladies European Tour title at the Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open a fortnight ago and followed up with a tie for fifth at last week’s Portugal Ladies Open.
She is now second LET’s official Henderson Money List behind Briton Laura Davies and the leading player in the field at Buenavista Golf this week.
“It’s all going well so I’ll ride the wave while it’s there,” she admitted. “I’m very confident. I’m playing well and I’m putting well and I think that’s made a big difference to my game. My putter is working for once. Of course all the other things are very nice but I try not to think about that too much. I just go out and play and try to win.
“I don’t have any expectations. I just go and play: hit the fairways, hit the greens and make the putts.”
With her feet still planted firmly on the ground, she hasn’t let the win go to her head yet. “I still haven’t thought about it that much. Life goes on and it’s a new tournament. It was a new tournament last week so it’s here and I’m having fun,” she said.
Unlike fellow South African golfer Ashleigh Simon, Pace has chosen to remain in Europe and work on her game over returning home to experience the soccer World Cup.
“I could have gone now but I’d rather see my coach in Denmark and get ready for the Evian (Masters) and the (Ricoh Women’s) British rather than watch one football game and then come back. Its winter there now so it’s a bit cold,” she said.
Her dedication looks set to pay off with this summer’s major events taking place in just a fortnight’s time, as the Evian Masters in France features a purse of US $3,250,000, while the Ricoh Women’s British Open at Royal Birkdale in England has a total prize fund of US $2,500,000. Pace is one of the few lucky players on the Ladies European Tour to have secured her place at both.
