Felicity Johnson is currently lying in seventh place on the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit after a consistent start to season, with her best finish so far being a tie for fourth place in the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco.
The Birmingham 30-year-old is hoping to keep the momentum building by qualifying for the US Women’s Open, when she tees up in Sectional Qualifying – Europe, conducted by the USGA, on June 5, at Buckinghamshire Golf Club, the LET’s headquarters in Denham, near London.
The two-time LET winner will be one of 78 players bidding to take on Trump National in Bedminster, New Jersey, when the venue hosts the third women’s Major of 2017 for the first time on July 13-16.
Johnson played in three ISPS HANDA Ladies European Masters tournaments at the Buckinghamshire from 2013-2015, but she was keen to get the inside track on the new course renovations during the Smile Train Golf Day sponsored by Elleven Dental on Thursday.
After playing in the charity tournament, she said: “The Buckinghamshire was in superb condition, as it always is. The greens staff do a great job and the course is challenging, but fun to play at the same time. It is different to the last time I played it. I hit a few more drivers than before, as there has been some rain and the course was a bit softer, but the course is going to play really well in a couple of weeks’ time.”
Encouraging people to attend, she added: “It’s free entry and there are going to be some great players, that aren’t already in the US Open field, but would love to be in it, teeing up. There will be a lot of birdies out there and it will be really fun to watch.
“In 36-hole shoot-outs, you never know how low the scores are going to be, but if you make a shed-load of birdies, then you’re going to be in a good position. It will be a test and you know you’ve got to play well to shoot a good score; you can’t fluke it round here. We will see some strong players make it through, I’m sure.”
US Women’s Open Sectional Qualifying provides a unique opportunity to watch some of Europe’s best women’s golfers compete in England this summer, on one of the country’s top 100 golf courses, which is easily accessible by car or train.
Entry is open to all and women or girls looking to try golf for the first time can attend a special afternoon of activities during the practice day, on Sunday, June 4, with free coaching for all ages and abilities on offer from 2-5pm.
