Charley Hull on Mission Hills and Jordan Spieth's putting
I love going back to Mission Hills and it was great to play in another Major. The name of the tournament might have changed – it is now called the ANA Inspiration – but the course, atmosphere and setting was as incredible as ever.
The start of the week was fun as our Solheim Cup captain, Carin Koch, organised a meal out, a Chinese at PF Chang’s, very nice, for all the team and players who might make it.
Carin Koch on captaincy in the run up to the Solheim Cup
And I finished it with a top 30 to add to last year’s top 10 and, overall, I was really pleased with how I played. My new swing changes feel great and the work I’ve put in with Matt Belsham is already paying off. I’m hitting a lot more fairways and that’s where a lot of my confidence starts from and I’ve gained a few more yards.
On one hole I hit a drive 332 yards which is probably my longest drive ever. On the last day I also hit 17 of the 18 greens which, in a Major and on a course which is so tough, is a real step forward.
I prefer the set-up of Major courses; everything is that much harder. The rough is thicker, the greens are firmer, you have to putt better and you have to hit it straighter so you get a great winner at the end of the week.
And we got that with Brittany Lincicome who won her second title in six years. I’ve never played with Brittany but the course obviously suits her and she hits it such a long way.
I’d be here all day if I tried to explain what’s different in my swing but we’ve tweaked everything, my posture, backswing, downswing and followthrough, and it feels so much better.
I was more than happy to see Jordan Spieth win his first Major I now just need to work on my putting which I’ve probably ignored a bit in trying to make the changes.
Somebody asked me if I was still charging my putts like last year, which I hadn’t actually realised I had done, but maybe I have become a little bit more conservative on the greens.
Hopefully I’ve become a bit more patient in when to give it a go or not, what I will be doing in the next few weeks is hit a lot of putts.
Another plus from the week is that I’ve now secured my LPGA Tour card for 2016 after just two starts so I can plan my schedule a bit better in the States and play in a few more events.
I would say Mission Hills is my favourite American Major, it was my first event as a pro, but I’m looking forward to finding out about the others this year.
The week before Mission Hills I made my first defence in Morocco which is a nice thing to say.
In truth it felt like a normal tournament, I didn’t feel too much pressure as I had already won it and it is good to play the week before a Major.
The first two days I wasn’t feeling very well but I played and felt a lot better over the weekend and improved on my opening two rounds by 12 shots.
I also got to watch some of the Masters which is always a treat and brought back some happy memories of going last year.
I would probably have liked Rory or Tiger to come out on top but I was more than happy to see Jordan Spieth win his first Major.
Quick Tip: Why you shouldn’t grip it like Spieth
His putting is incredible and it is interesting to watch him hole out from short range as he looks at the hole and not the ball.
I’ve never tried it before but a good tip is to practise some putts with your eyes shut. It helps your feel and frees up the stroke and also makes things a lot easier when you do hit a normal putt with your eyes open!
