Perseverance Pays Off For Pettersen

Southern Pines, N.C. – Suzann Pettersen has proven to be tougher than people might have thought.

Sure, she should have won the Kraft Nabisco, the first major of the year on the LPGA Tour, but a ruinous three-hole stretch late in the final round paved the way for Morgan Pressel’s victory. The golf cognoscenti wondered if she could rebound, but they just hadn’t been paying attention.

"I’ve had the chance to play with her for many years, especially in the Solheim Cup. I’ve been able to see the potential there," says Annika Sorenstam. "She’s quite the competitor. She’s been struggling with some injuries and she’s come back so strongly."

Indeed, as the 62nd U.S. Women’s Open commences Thursday morning at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club, Pettersen will be watched closely as one of the favorites. She may have lost the Kraft Nabisco, but she came back a little more than a month later to claim her first career victory at the Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill. Four weeks after that, she won the McDonald’s LPGA Championship, the year’s second major.

Having never finished higher than third until this year, the 26-year-old Norwegian has swiftly gone from a seemingly tragic figure to a legitimate force. No surprise considering she has overcome a myriad of injuries over the last few years.

So what if she lost a three-stroke lead with four holes to play at Nabisco. "You’re going to make mistakes. You just have to accept it and let them bounce off and go for the next shot," she says.

With that kind of attitude, it’s no wonder that Pettersen has done well in the U.S. Women’s Open. She debuted in 2003 and finished tied for 10th, and while she hasn’t contended, Pettersen has made the cut each time. "I’ve kind of managed myself nicely, and that’s what it’s all about this week again. Being patient, patient, and patient again."

Pettersen has made some great strides in her game since she began working with Gary Gilchrist. She missed the first two cuts of the season, but since then she has finished outside the top 24 just once. She ranks among the leaders in driving distance (third), greens in regulation (second) and scoring (fifth, with a 70.97 average).

"That’s coming along pretty nice," said Pettersen, who has increased her driving distance by 13 yards since last year. "We’ve had a good five-month stretch. Things clicked quicker than we thought. I adapted to the changes and I’ve been feeling quite good about it. It’s been kind of easy to maintain."

She might not feel that way if she hadn’t come through on her very next opportunity and slayed some mean demons. "I guess I’m a bit more relaxed about everything," she says. "I know I’ve done it and I know I can pull it off if it comes down the stretch, which was probably the nicest thing for me to experience in McDonald’s to kind of get over Nabisco again."

She does not dwell on the fact that she could have two legs of the grand slam. She is not in the habit of holding onto negative thoughts. If her talent has made her a consistent U.S. Women’s Open performer, her attitude just might make her a serious contender.

"It’s about experience and how you handle yourself," she says. "Everything you do on the golf course … you don’t stress yourself. You don’t let anything annoy you. You don’t think bad about anything. You just try to get a positive attitude about the entire place, about the course, and about the game."

Pettersen is positive her game can hold up for a third straight major, because she seems to have discovered a formula for preparation that she tried to institute at Pine Needles.

"You are going to hit bad shots, but you’re going to hit great shots. And let the great shots … store them in your head and get those memories stronger than the bad ones, and then you’ll do fine," she says. "Don’t let anything get to you."

Dave Shedloski is a freelance writer whose work has previously appeared on uswomensopen.com.