It can be easy to think that results on the golf course come from the grind and graft on the range each day, but for Meghan MacLaren, it’s just as much about heading into the day with a good state of mind.
The sport may be played on grass, but it’s just as much about what’s going on upstairs as it is on the teebox, and it’s only when these two find a synergy that the good golf will come.
And that’s what happened for MacLaren last time out in Northern Ireland, as she finished T18 in a strong field at the ISPS Handa World Invitational, to bounce back from a rocky period through the European Majors.
Missed cuts at the Amundi Evian Championship, Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open and AIG Women’s Open could have easily dented the confidence of the 28-year-old, but to be able to bounce back with another strong showing at Galgorm Castle was just the tonic she needed heading into the final stretch of the season.
“I really enjoyed the week in Northern Ireland. I was feeling a bit flat going into it because I’d had three big weeks where I’d missed the cut even though my game felt in touch the whole time,” MacLaren revealed.
“You’re trying to hold your nerve but you’re thinking where you go from there, so it was nice to have a solid week. I didn’t do anything spectacular but everything was good enough all week and it gave me confidence that I had been doing good things and just missing out.
“Golf is such a difficult sport because you feel like that a lot of the time, but it’s easy to get caught up in results and think missing three cuts in a row means you’re doing something wrong, but that’s not always true.
“Little things can go against you here and there, and you have to be honest with yourself. I picked up on a few things that I could be doing better, but it wasn’t a complete overhaul. That’s why Northern Ireland was satisfying, because it proved that I am where I thought I was, and to show that in a results form as well.”
Despite what the leaderboard may have showed, the 2022 Australian Women’s Classic winner had every confidence her game was trending in the right direction through the summer, with the decision to return to the European circuit at the start of the year vindicated by a strong campaign this year.
Despite performing well on the Symetra Tour in America, including claiming top spot at the 2021 Prasco Charity Championship, MacLaren yearned for the familiar surroundings of home, and just over four months since her return to the fold at the Trust Golf Mixed Asian Cup in April, she has no regrets.
She continued: “2022 has been a mixed bag, but looking back at the start of the year where I started out in the States, and I got a bit uncomfortable with what I was trying to do and my purpose for playing golf.
“I’ve always played golf because I enjoy it and I’m addicted to the process of getting better, and I feel I was getting away from that a little bit. So for me the biggest thing this year has been getting back into that process and remembering why I love all those little pieces.
“So even when I do miss the cut and feel disappointed, it’s being able to turn that into excitement and what I can do to get better. So if I can keep that mindset for the rest of the year, as well as getting some good results along the way, I’d be pretty satisfied all round.
“You always want to be at the top of the leaderboard at the end of the day, the competitive buzz is a huge reason why we’re out here, so the closer you are to that the better you’re going to feel at the end of it.”
You only have to take a glimpse at MacLaren’s social media posts to realise that friends and family mean the world to her, and she is someone who thrives when surrounded by the people she cares for.
For Meghan, time spent at home can be just as, if not more beneficial than time spent on the course, with the chance to recharge the batteries and garner the support of her nearest and dearest.
A third LET victory in Australia and a playoff defeat at the Ladies Italian Open this year have seen MacLaren back amongst it at the top of the standings, as everything clicks into place from head to toe.
“People say you have to sacrifice a lot to get to the top, but you also have to recognise how you get to the top too. The people around you are so important, and for me there’s no good being miserable because you’re not going to play good golf if you’re miserable,” she said.
“Having that support system this year and getting those chances to spend time with my sister and family and friends, is also a reason I’ve been playing better, so it’s about getting the best of both worlds.
“Golf is such an intense sport because there are so many different aspects to it, and you can get wrapped up in thinking you have to be at the driving range 24 hours a day, and you don’t realise that actually if you spend time with loved ones that can be more beneficial than six hours at the range, so you have to work out what works for you.”
Competing in Majors is something that every golfer cherishes throughout their career, whether the rub of the green goes your way or not come tournament days, and MacLaren is no different.
Rubbing shoulders with the sport’s best at Muirfield earlier this month for the AIG Women’s Open was a memory that she will hold for the rest of her life, with the stature of the occasion not lost on her one bit as she made her way round the course, something which her female ancestors would have been forbidden until 2016.
“Being at Muirfield and being part of the next step for women’s golf was very special, so it’s hard to beat that,” MacLaren reminisced.
“It’s great now to be able to move past that conversation about females not being allowed there. Now the top players in the world are playing there, and people can enjoy it for what it is without the historical sense of what was wrong with golf in the past, and hopefully that continues to happen.”
After a strong showing in Northern Ireland and a few days back at home with friends and family, as well as time spent with her coach, MacLaren is raring to go at the Skaftö Open this week, with the par-69 course on the Swedish West Coast proving a unique challenge for players this week.
“This course is very different to our standard tour setup, but I think it will be really interesting. It’s a lot more strategic than a lot of courses and you have to be quite disciplined getting from A to B, so I’m looking forward to playing it in a tournament setup.
“That’s one of the things that I love about golf, that it’s different week to week, you want to be tested in all areas and this week tests something different to the last four weeks, so it should be fun.
“My practice the last couple of week has been a bit more visual than technical. I’m looking at targets and thinking how I need to get the ball from A to B, rather than what I’m trying to do with my golf swing.
“So there’s some things like that I’m working on, but golf is very fluid and things change week to week.”
Follow all the action on @LETGolf on Instagram and Twitter and Ladies European Tour on Facebook and YouTube – #RaiseOurGame #skaftopen.
