It has been quite the past couple of months for Sweden’s Sara Kjellker on the Ladies European Tour (LET).
The LET rookie had had a consistent first year on Tour making plenty of cuts and having had one top-10 and one top-20 finish to her name.
But it was at the La Sella Open in Spain in July where things really changed as Kjellker found herself in contention for the first time.
An opening round of 64 (-8) was followed by a 70 (-2) and despite a final round of 76 (+3), the Swede ended the week with her second top-10 finish of the 2023 season.
“I took a lot of confidence from La Sella,” she said. “I proved to myself that I can be up there and stay up there.
“It was a great help having my dad on the bag as we have talked a lot after that week on how much confidence and belief can help your game. Positive self-talk is key.”
Spain proved to be a catalyst for Kjellker, who has been in a rich vein of form ever since that tournament.
Back-to-back top-10s at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open and Big Green Egg Open were followed by a T13 finish in Switzerland and another T4 finish at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France.
The former San Diego State University player finished in T28 at the shortened Aramco Team Series – Hong Kong event, was runner-up at the Hero Women’s Indian Open, and then finished T19 in Riyadh.
With such a great run of form, Kjellker has improved her position in both the 2023 Race to Costa del Sol – where she now sits 13th – and Rookie of the Year standings where she is second.
The mental side of the game is something the 25-year-old has been working really hard on throughout the year, as well as ball striking.
“The mind side of things, positive self-talk and to play free,” she explained. “Believing in myself and my abilities. I have also worked really hard on my ball striking as well, which has become really good.
“I could have never done this without my coaches Markus and Jamie. They help me so much and are very skilled and I trust them a lot. They always want the best for me, and I feel very lucky to have them with me on this journey!
“I definitely have the belief, but I also think everything has just kind of come together, better ball striking, and a better mindset have been the key for me. I give myself a lot of birdie chances with my wedges and approach shots and try to take advantage of that.
“I have worked really hard and on the right things. I also hired my caddie Jo, who has been amazing. He is an incredible caddy for me, and I feel lucky to have him! He keeps me calm and happy and knows my numbers very well.”
Coming out on Tour in your rookie season can be a daunting task and it is a learning curve for many players.
Trusting yourself and what you are doing is one of the biggest things that the Swedish star has learned during 2023.
But she has also made sure she’s had the correct perspective, and taken the time to enjoy what she’s doing and the places you get to visit while playing on the LET.
She commented: “The biggest thing I have learned is to trust the process and trust yourself. You can do it. If you work hard, on the right things, and you add patience on the course and off the course, you give yourself a good opportunity to deliver some good scores.
“My support system has always been very good about keeping me on track and reminding me of what you think- you become/what you perceive is what you receive. Always try and have a positive outlook and the right perspective, and that golf is only a game, enjoy every place you visit, and have fun. It’s just a game and take every opportunity you get.
“The best thing is meeting all my new friends on Tour, meeting my new caddie Jo, exploring different cities, having six top-10s, and sharing amazing memories with my parents when they caddied for me as well. It’s been an amazing year and I feel like I have the best job in the world.”
With just two events of the 2023 LET season remaining, Kjellker is looking forward to the end of the year and going back home.
She added: “I’m excited to see my friends more and make new memories with them. It will be nice to have some time to reflect and analyse, but I love golf so much so I’m sure I’ll miss competitive golf in a week or two, but I’m looking forward to spending some time with my friends and family!”
But before that happens, she knows exactly what she wants to achieve at the Mallorca Ladies Open and Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España.
“To get my first win!”
