England’s Meghan MacLaren is teeing up in the Lalla Meryem Cup this week, looking to follow her maiden LET victory in the Women’s NSW Open with another title at Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat.
Meghan is still buzzing after her triumph at Coffs Harbour Golf Club and said: “After my win in Australia, I’m going to have confidence forever from that, I think!
“I didn’t have much time to celebrate, as I was so exhausted from all the adrenaline. It all hit at once and fell away at once. It was nice to go back and see my family a little bit and carry on with things as normal.
“Slow and steady is still the approach to improving things but getting my first win made everything more concrete. I still want to approach things the same way and the win gives me a few more tournaments to play in, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Meghan, who won the LET Access Series order of merit in 2017, starts the Lalla Meryem Cup ranked eighth on the LET order of merit and is enjoying the quality of the Blue Course at Royal Golf Dar-Es Salam in her second appearance at the venue.
“The course condition is incredible. I remember enjoying it last year and it has gone up a level since then,” said Meghan, who tied for 25th in 2017.
“At every tournament, you’re always trying to do the best you can with the game you have that week. I never turn up at a tournament not trying to win, but you never know what the course and conditions will throw at you so it’s just about managing your game.”
The 24th edition of the Lalla Meryem Cup, which is now in its eighth year on the LET schedule, is co-located with the 45th Trophée Hassan II on the men’s European Tour. Both tournaments share a history and have been played simultaneously for nearly a decade, making the tournament a unique and memorable week of golf.
In a further twist, Meghan’s father, David, who caddied for her during the weekend of the Women’s NSW Open in Australia, is the CEO of the Staysure Tour (formerly the Seniors Tour), which is part of the European Tour and he may be visiting the tournaments at the weekend.
On the prospect of him caddying on the LET for a second occasion, Meghan said: “Possibly. I’m not sure if he wants to stick to that one time caddying and ride off the back of it forever, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he showed up. We know it works so hopefully I could pull him in again.”
Firstly, there is the business of the first and second rounds to contend with, as the tournament tees off at 7.50am on Thursday. Meghan will start from the 10th hole at 8.34am, playing with the defending champion Klara Spilkova from the Czech Republic and the long-hitting Dutchwoman Anne Van Dam.
