Sally Watson is approaching a crossroads in her life.  The prodigious young golfer from Fife has spent the last three years (since she was 14) at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Florida, but she now has only one year left before she heads west to begin life as a scholarship student at Stanford University in California.

Since her move across the pond, Watson has made her name as one of the world’s best young amateurs, proving her worth by making the cut (aged just 16) in last summer’s Women’s Open at St Andrews and winning the Junior Solheim Cup for Europe.  She was also the star player for Great Britain and Ireland, once again at the Old Course, in the 2008 Curtis Cup.

Back in Scotland for the summer, and recovering from a ‘Tiger-esque’ knee operation, Sally, along with fellow golfing hotshot and best friend Daniela Lendl (daughter of tennis legend Ivan) took some time out to meet In The Winning Zone for a coffee in Edinburgh.

As we watch the Olympics on the TV in the background, the conversation started off with the obvious question: “Would you like to play golf for your country at London 2012 if it were to be made an Olympic sport?”

“It would interest me and I think it would be great,” answers Sally.  “I enjoy the experience of representing my country whenever I get the chance.  I think it would be a great opportunity. I don’t know if it would work so well if it was professional because a lot of players do play for money nowadays, when you don’t have the same motivation.  But I think as an amateur sport it would definitely raise the popularity of golf around the world.”

Daniela is of a slightly different opinion.  “Probably not for me,” she counters.  “I know the Olympics are important but to me it’s not that important.  It is a big deal to represent your country but there are a lot of ways that you can do that.”

The contrast between Watson and Lendl, two potential superstars of the future, is significant.  For one, Watson appears to be the more outwardly confident, outgoing of the two; which is surprising, considering she is young lady from rural Scotland while her pal grew up in the limelight cast by her ultra-successful father.

But therein lies the charm of both.  Lendl is pleasantly modest and steely, while Watson displays the kind of self-assuredness that is required of a top athlete, but is often missing in the toolbox of British sporting traits. 

Both girls also have very different ideas about where their careers will go in the next few years.  Watson could probably turn professional tomorrow, based on her performances of late.  But she wants her Stanford degree, and the opportunity to compete for a university that produced more Olympic medallists than Great Britain at the 2004 Games in Athens, she proudly proclaimed of her future seat of learning.

“I plan on still being amateur for four more years,” she confirms.  “I think if you’re ready then you turn professional.  Golf is an individual sport, you always have to look at yourself and consider whether it is best for you to turn professional, for you, at that time.

“I think the good thing about golf is the fact that there isn’t really an age limit.  It isn’t like some other more intense sports that are really hard on your body where you have to turn pro when you are really young – maybe 19 or 20.  So you get your education and then go play golf for as long as you want. And if you have a college education you can then go down other routes later in life.”

While Watson enjoys her last year in Florida before moving to Stanford, Lendl has already decided to up-sticks (or is that clubs?) and move with her coach Tim Sheredy to a private Academy in Southern Florida, along with her sister Isabelle. 

It is an adventurous move for Lendl, still only in her mid-teens.  But then again, in the USA it isn’t unusual for someone who is technically still a child to be making such adult decisions.  Just think of Michelle Wie as a high profile example.  Sally is also distinctly aware of the contrast in culture between her birthplace and her adopted home. 

“If you play well in a tournament in the US then the person you beat is the first to congratulate you and tell you how much of a great job you have done.  Here in the UK it is more like ‘well, you beat me.’”

The grudging acceptance of defeat in Britain, Watson theorises, is because at home we view golf as a competition with our opponent.  The Leadbetter way, she says, is to get the best from yourself, and therefore that is the only person you should worry about on the course.

“The kids in America understand the fact that they are playing the course and it is out of their control as to whether they beat you or not. So if you play better than the rest, then congratulations to you. It is more about competing against the course whereas here it is more like everyone is trying to compete against you.

“Golf is an individual sport and the field is too big.  You can’t follow someone else’s game. It’s not like you are playing one person at tennis.  You can play to your best and lose and not play to your best and win.  It is the matter of going out there and playing your best then seeing where you end up at the end of the match.”

That singular focus has helped Sally in more ways than one recently.  As she undergoes many weeks of rehabilitation from her knee surgery, she hasn’t let the involuntary exile from golf get her down.  Instead, just as she would in a match, she put her head down and plugged away, rather than letting negativity seep in.

“It was difficult to begin with, but then I got used to the new routine.  I would go to physio in the morning then I would practice in the afternoon. I was able to putt from the beginning, so it has been a good experience because now I can practice putting for three hours whereas before I wouldn’t have been able to do that.

“I have become a lot more creative with my practice for my short game, otherwise I would be just getting bored.  I had to think of new drills and things to do to keep me motivated and focused. When you have been putting for two months it can get a little tedious.  So the injury has actually improved the way I practice.”

Watson is obviously an athlete dedicated to getting the best from herself.  And that is the reason, she tells us, why she will soon be settling into life in California. 

“I think among the college there is this great commitment to excellence in all areas of your life.  The kids that go there are academics, the best that you will find in the world, yet they are always pushing themselves to get better.  I think that in all areas of my life I am going to be pushed to the limit.  I will need to stay focused but I wanted to give myself that challenge, I wanted to push myself in all areas of my life. 

“They have a fantastic range which is right on campus.  It gives me a fantastic opportunity to practice whenever I have the time. The practice facilities that they have are unlike any other in the world. They have put so much thought into it and being able to practice on that is great.  For me this practice range is going to offer me every opportunity that I need to get better. 

“I want to be around people who are trying to make the most of their lives and strive to be the best that they can be. I want to surround myself with those types of people, that’s why I believe that Stanford is the best place for me and I can push myself and handle both the academics and the golf, and achieve a high standard.  I want to make the most of my opportunities.”

RO
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