We have our tournament champion, Karen Lunn, who has secured her ninth Ladies European Tour title here at Campo Real. Karen, how does it feel to win on the LET again?
It’s all a little bit overwhelming at the moment. You work so hard out there and it hasn’t really sunk in to be honest. It was funny because when Lee-Anne Pace won last week we had a drink with her afterwards and she was exactly the same. She was saying, ‘I can’t believe it,’ and that’s exactly how I feel. I’m hoping I’m not going to wake up and it’s been a dream. It’s obviously fantastic and I’m thrilled.
A great time to win with the big tournaments coming up as well: the Evian Masters and Ricoh Women’s British Open.
Absolutely. I was looking forward to three weeks off but I guess it’s only two weeks now. I mean, it’s fantastic. To get to play in Evian, obviously every player on this Tour wants to play on that so it’s a big bonus and I’m really looking forward to that. This is my fifth event in a row and I’m playing Tenerife and then a couple of weeks off in a row to take stock and relax and enjoy it.
Do you feel you can keep this form going now?
Well, why not. Even the first two days I really didn’t make any putts and I played really, really well the first two days and was quite disappointed that I hadn’t put myself in a better position. I knew I was there and I knew the players that were in front of me, while they’re great players, they haven’t won in a while either. I knew that it would take a low score and I said to Di, my caddie, this morning that we needed probably seven or eight under at least to have any chance. The wins came up today so it was a little bit tricky but no, I got off to a great start and just hung on the back nine really.
What were you concentrating on with your putting practise?
Yesterday after we finished, the first two days I really didn’t make any putts at all. Di, my caddie, who is also my coach, we went and hit some putts yesterday afternoon and she said that I was taking the putter back a little bit inside so I’ve got a putter board, one of the Yes! Putter boards to encourage you to swing the putter on the right line. I just came out early this morning and did 20 minutes on that before I did any other practise. As soon as I got out of bed I came out and did that. I got off to a good start. I had a couple of three putts today but I putted really well and holed the putts that I had to so it made the difference.
That was a pressure putt on the last. How were you feeling at that point?
I was nervous but you just have to tell yourself to stay as still as you can. I didn’t hit a great putt to be honest. I pulled it a little bit but it went in and that’s all that matters I suppose. When it’s your week, it’s your week and if it wasn’t my week that would have lipped out. It was meant to be, I think.
This course must have a special place for you now.
It’s a really good golf course. There are a lot of birdie chances but you look at the score board and there are a lot of big numbers out there. There are a lot of double bogeys and triple bogeys and I said at the beginning of the week that you just have to keep the big numbers off the score card. I had a double yesterday which as it turned out wasn’t costly at all. It set me back a little bit. You really do have to think around here and leave it in the right position. It’s a great golf course and the greens are fantastic. I’ll look forward to coming back here next year if we’re here.
It could have been even better because you had a very nice birdie chance on eight as well.
I did. I hit a great five iron to about five feet on eight and hit a really good putt which lipped out. Then I three putted 11 and three putted 15 from just off the green so I left a couple out there but I holed some nice putts when I had to.
Were you nervous?
I walked up to the green and I didn’t hit a great shot to 11. I looked at the score board and I saw I had a three shot lead and I had I guess about 25 feet for birdie and I was stood over the putt and there were a couple of the girls that I guess probably missed the cut that were practising on the putting green and I guess they were a bit oblivious to what else was going on.
You said that Karrie Webb’s words at the Comunitat Valenciana European Nations Cup gave you confidence. Do you still feel that?
Definitely. She said to me after the Nations Cup, ‘You’re playing really well,’ and I don’t think she could understand why I wasn’t winning more. She helped me a lot actually with my confidence and watching how she goes about her job. She doesn’t leave anything to chance. I took a lot away from that week and I’m not sure I’d be standing here if I didn’t have that experience.
When you saw the score board did you feel any nerves at all?
I felt very nervous actually! When I got to the 11th green and saw that I had a three shot lead at that point and then I three-putted, I hit a bad tee shot on 12 and chipped out and made a pretty good save. Then I made a pretty good up and down on 13. Those three holes were critical because I could easily have gone bogey, bogey, bogey. I managed to get two pars and knocked a shot stiff on 14 and three putted 15 and birdied 16. I had a good chance on 17 so it was a real roller coaster ride. I was nervous but I knew that I was playing well. I have been there and done it before and you just have to draw on the experience that you’ve got.
Did you feel like you were fighting a little on the back nine?
I felt like I was treading water for a while on the back nine and I said to Di, ‘I’m struggling here.’ To have somebody that’s played on Tour and won tournaments and knows the pressure; Di was a great help to me today.
