Carly Booth will finally get to her new base in Marbella this week after two months of globetrotting, confident she can recover her best form as the Ladies European Tour comes home.
The Comrie girl, not 21 until next month, made the breakthrough in her professional career in 2012 with three wins, including an emotional homecoming victory at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Ladies Open at Archerfield just over a year ago.
So far 2013 has been a slow starter, but the change of base from Perthshire to Spain has been a notable one for the girl who grew up playing the course her father, Wally, laid out on the family farm.
“I moved to Marbella in January but I’ve not actually been there that much,” she said.
“We’ve been everywhere from Australia, China, South Africa, and I just got back last week from Turkey, and it’s been seven events pretty much in a row.
“Now we’re getting into a main run of European events, it’s been a little on and off with the schedule, but from now it’s more week after week and that will help me get into a rhythm.”
This time last year was Carly’s purple patch that brought her debut pro victory on the LET Access Series in France, followed quickly by her home win and then victory in the Ladies’ Swiss Open a month later, but this year so far she’s missed the cut in all but two of seven events.
“It has been a slow start to the season for me but there’s a long way to go,” she continued.
“Last year I won a small access event before the Scottish which gave me a little confidence boost, and this year my goal is basically to keep winning.
“I just have stay patient. I really wanted to get off to a great start but that hasn’t happened, but I’m looking forward to getting settled in Marbella.
“The weather’s so much better and there are plenty of great courses to practice on, including the likes of San Roque.”
There’s little that could match the memory of her first win a year ago, even if the defence of her title will be delayed this year until late August because of a schedule switch.
“It was my first big win and for it to be in Scotland, at home with all my family there, it was just the perfect first victory, and it will always be a special memory,” she said.
Aberdeen Asset Management have agreed to back the event for another two years at Archerfield in East Lothian and Douglas Connon from AAM believes that the change in date will help the event.
“Last year we were in early May and it was unbelievably cold, people were wrapped up as if it was the middle of winter,” he said.
“In terms of where it is now, it has to fit in with the ladies’ programme and to get top Scots like Catriona Matthew on the world stage it has to fit with them as well.”
The prize fund will remain at just over £180,000 for the event, to be held from August 30 to September 2.