Last year Kristyna Napoleaova’s dream came true just seven years after taking up the game of golf.
The Czech player secured her maiden LET title at the 2023 Amundi German Masters defeating England’s Cara Gainer in a playoff.
Now Napoleaova returns to Golf & Country Club Seddiner See as defending champion and is making sure she enjoys this week.
“It’s incredible to be back here having the honour to defend the title,” she said. “With the field, it’s going to be very tricky and very hard but I’m really enjoying every minute.
“Whatever is going to happen will happen, but I know I did manage to win it last year and those memories are going to last forever and I’m very grateful for them.”
It was a tight contest in 2023 with Napoleaova and Gainer going toe-to-toe on the final day in Germany.
After both finishing on 14-under-par, the duo headed back to the 18th and it was the Czech star who came out on top despite having struggled with that hole all week.
She explained: “It was very tricky before the playoff; I felt the left-hand side of 18 was a magnet for me. I thought in the playoff I’d just go for it with the driver which was quite unusual.
“But it worked out and I had a very similar putt to what I had before the playoff. At the time, I trusted the line a bit more and made it happen.”
Coming into the 2024 Amundi German Masters as defending champion is a different feeling for the 28-year-old who will begin her title defence at 8.37 am (local time) on Thursday.
However, with the course playing slightly differently to last year, Napoleaova is taking this week as a new event.
She added: “I think I had a lot of pressure on myself ahead of this week but once I have arrived here, the golf course feels a little bit different.
“It’s way windier, the fairways are a lot greener and not so firm. The greens are holding a bit more, it’s a little bit of a different golf course this week so I’m playing it as a new event and I’m hoping that I can win another time here.
“I’m just enjoying the feeling that we can be here and that we have another LET tournament here – that’s all. It would have been nice to have Jan [caddie] here with me but, unfortunately with his injury he is unavailable right now, but hopefully, he will come back soon, and we will have a chance to play and compete together again.”
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