Dubai: Amy Boulden, last season’s Ladies European Tour (LET) Rookie of the Year, feels her first win on Tour is just around the corner.
The 21-year-old from Wales recorded three top five finishes in 15 appearances last season to claim the rookies’ prize, but just missed out on victory.
Now just five events into her second season on tour, Boulden has just recorded her highest finish of the year – 13th in Morocco – ahead of this week’s event in China from May 7-10.
“I just want to keep putting myself in contention,” Boulden told Gulf News on the sidelines of her preparatory stay at Jebel Ali Golf Resort this week. “I had a few chances to win last season and learnt a lot from being in that position, but now I just want to close out a tournament and win.
“It’s difficult to say when that first win will come, but I feel confident and go into this week with a good mindset. I just need everything to come together at the same time.
“As Rookie of the Year there was a bit of pressure and expectation at the beginning of the season, but now I just want to play as well as I can. My putting and driving is my strength, I’m just working on my pitching and chipping. It’s just a matter of a few putts dropping at the right time to get momentum.”
The world No. 161 is currently 21st in the LET money list and 21st in the Solheim Cup rankings, a position that unless dramatically improved with victory won’t see her qualify for European Solheim Cup selection, the ladies equivalent of the Ryder Cup. Only the top eight in the rankings get automatic entry with four captain’s picks rounding off a team of 12.
“There’s not that many tournaments left before that event so it’s a long shot to get into that team,” she added. “I’d have to win a couple of times. It’s one of my dreams, but I don’t yet have the experience and may have to wait a couple of years to work towards it.”
Her current LET Order of Merit ranking does qualify her to the British Open in July, however, a major tournament that she’s played in four times without making the cut.
“The top 25 in the Order of Merit get in automatically, so I just have to keep my rankings up over the next few events. My record in Majors hasn’t been great but I’m getting better, looking more confident and expect to try and perform.”
She’s also looking forward to LPGA qualifying school at the end of this season and a possible call-up to next year’s Great Britain Olympics squad.
“I’d love to make the Olympics and the good thing is it’s purely off rankings, not a captain’s pick, so everyone knows they have to perform well every tournament to get in a position to make the team,” she added.
