Stacy Lewis thinks a “Mickelson double” is doable at Royal Troon, but she admits she’s already thinking of home after her Ladies Scottish Open triumph.
In 2013, the same year Lewis won the Women’s Open, Mickelson won the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart and the Open at Muirfield, and he didn’t have nearly his fellow American’s affinity with links golf.
“To win at links golf, you’ve got to get good breaks and that’s the key,” she said on the eve of the championship she won seven years ago at St Andrews. “I got some last week, and you’re going to need some this week, too.
“I definitely think (the double) is doable. But I’m just excited to be playing and get home, get home next week.
“I actually heard I’m going to get my trophy from last week here this week, so I’m excited to take that home and get that picture with my daughter that I’ve been looking forward to for almost two years now that I’ve been working so hard.
“You know, I want to play well this week and focus on being here, but just definitely very excited to get home to see my husband and my daughter on Monday.”
Lewis knows what a big week this is for women’s golf, and the sense of history that;s being made even if the pandemic means it’ll be without on-course spectators.
“It’s a really big deal,” she said. “To be playing here on a golf course that’s been in the men’s rotation for a very long time, and didn’t even allow female members to come play this golf course for a very long time.
“A lot of girls don’t realise. I was talking to Minjee Lee yesterday, and she didn’t know. She didn’t realise the history here and what we were really doing.
“And it’s just really cool of the R&A to give Laura Davies that first tee shot tomorrow. There’s just a lot of history to be made this week.”
Lewis knows how to play links courses alright – crediting St Andrews caddiemaster Fraser Riddler for sparking her interest when he caddied for her at the Curtis Cup at the Old Course – but she’s wary of the challenge of this course, particularly famous Postage Stamp short 8th.
“It’s one you think, `I have a wedge in my hand, I can be aggressive’ and as soon as you do you’re making double or triple pretty quickly,” she said. “It definitely get your attention for only being a hundred yards.”
Lewis is just happy that this major is happening at all, even if there is a tinge of disappointment that many of the top Korean players have opted not to travel.
“I said when this whole thing began in March, any golf we play this year is a bonus, and it’s certainly been that so far.
“It has its challenges. But there’s charities that are involved in every week that we play, as well. So that’s the side that most people don’t think of, how the charities are affected.
“So it’s important that we are playing. It’s important for women’s golf that we are playing, and just so thankful that the Scottish Government allowed us to come over.
“The R&A for hosting our championship and not hosting the men’s, I think is a really big deal and it shows their commitment that they are making to women’s golf for the future.”
