Blog: Mel Reid is back on top form
At one point last year Mel Reid was, according to the rankings, the 333rd best player in the world. In 14 starts she made a little over £40,000 and, by her own admission, she didn’t know if she still wanted it.
This wasn’t the usual story of becoming tired by week-in week-out disappointments and missed cuts, this was a desperately tough few years that Reid had had to go through. In 2012 her mum, Joy, died in a car crash after watching her daughter play a practice round in Germany. Reid somehow won a few weeks after her mum’s death but then hit the self-destruct button, taking the easy and understandable path of going out and partying.
A few weeks ago Reid won in Turkey for her fifth victory on the LET to back up her recent upturn in form New friends came on the scene but it was an old one, the former Tour pro Breanne Loucks, who stepped in and introduced Reid to Catriona Matthew’s long-term coach Kevin Craggs. At breakfast in Dubai at the end of last year Reid spilled her heart out to the Scottish coach, the difficult chat marking the start of the way back for the 27-year-old.
A few weeks ago Reid won in Turkey for her fifth victory on the LET to back up her recent upturn in form. She was quick to heap praise on Craggs, not just for his help on the course and hours on the practice ground but also the huge influence and mentoring off it.
All of which is great news, not just for someone who has had to endure a hellish three years but also for the now possibility of a second Solheim Cup appearance. At Ireland in 2011 she topped the LET points list in qualifying before teaming up with Karen Stupples and Laura Davies.
Reid is exactly what you want in a team, like her mum she’s funny, encouraging and good company. And she’d love another crack at the Americans in September.
