Dubai: With her game heading in the right direction, Suzann Pettersen returns to the Omega Dubai Ladies Classic early next month, hoping to crack the winner’s circle and end the year on a high note.
Pettersen, a two-time major winner, racked up a creditable third at the ANA Inspiration among her four top-10s on the LPGA Tour this season and a second at the Ladies European Tour’s Lalla Meryem Cup, signalling her return to form.
Currently ranked 30th in the world, the 36-year-old Oslo native will be looking to summon her top game and end a winless spell since the 2015 Manulife LPGA Classic when she joins the starting line-up at the Dubai Ladies Classic to be held at Emirates Golf Club from December 6 to 9
Pettersen finished in a tie for 35th in her maiden appearance last year.
“I show up to win tournaments, get better and break my own records,” she said. “I hate losing. I still feel the desire every morning when I wake up to go out and try and become better than I was yesterday. The Norwegian boasts 22 professional wins, including seven on the Ladies European Tour (LET).
“Fortunately, we’re in a sport where you have age on your side,” said Pettersen, who has fully recovered from a slipped disc that forced her to withdraw from this year’s Solheim Cup. “There’s always bits and pieces you feel like you can do better, improve. So, losing is probably my biggest motivation,” said Pettersen, who reached a career-high No. 2 in the world rankings after her victory in the Evian Championship in 2013 and has held that position several times.
“It was my first time in Dubai last year, but the experience was just amazing. They have a great field, a great course and the players feel welcomed. The whole place has a really buzzing and pulsating atmosphere. I look forward to visiting the vibrant city and hope I will be in mix coming down the final stretch.
“However, for that to happen, it would take something special to beat the challenge, but I will try my best and see what happens.
“If you can’t even be 90 per cent there’s no point. So you have to kind of be honest with yourself, look yourself in the mirror and say are you fit enough to go or not.”{
Peter Dawson, the chairman of Golf in Dubai, the promoters and organisers of the Dubai Ladies Classic, said: “We are delighted to welcome Suzann back to Dubai. She has been at the top of the women’s golf for a long time now and I know her desire to win tournaments is undiminished. I wish her the very best.”
