We spoke to Hayley Davis who has just won the LET Access Series Order of Merit for 2019
Congratulations on winning the LET Access Order of Merit. How do you feel now you have had a few weeks to let it sink in? and how did you celebrate?
I feel great, it’s the best feeling when you set a goal and then you achieve it.
At the start of the year my main goal was to get my full tour card for next year and winning the order of merit to do it is a great feeling.
I went out for a meal with my family to celebrate so that was nice.
You must have been happy with how consistent you have been this year, with a win and 8 top 10 finishes?
With a lot of events the goal is always to play consistently to have the best chance of finishing high on the order of merit so having 8 top finishes and being towards the top of the leaderboard in a lot of events was great especially helped me play week in week out with a lot of confidence.
Your win came at the Bossey Ladies Championship with 2 opening rounds of 65. How good was it to win and was that the best golf you played all year?
It was great to finally get that win I kept coming close in previous events but still not getting a win so to finally get it and in the way I did it was the best feeling. I had been playing well all year but it just all seemed to click into place it was a tough course so to get 2 rounds of 65’s to start I even surprised myself but stayed in the moment and it paid off.
As well as success on the Access Series you qualified for the US Open, how was that experience and what did you learn?
I was so happy when I qualified for the US Open I was already having a good year and that just made it even better. To play out there with the best players in the world in my first major was just amazing. I didn’t play as bad as my scores were I was actually pretty happy with how i hit the ball but my short game wasn’t good enough that week the course was amazing and it is really important on tough courses like that to be putting yourself in the right positions and minimizing the mistakes and that is what I really learned from that week that is something that I worked on after that event.
Heading into 2020, what will be your goals? Meghan MacLaren who won the Access series in 2017 and has had a couple of wins on the LET, that must be one of your aims.
I would love to get a win next year on the let so I can improve my status and would be able to get into every event. Meghan is a great player so yes I would love to do like she has done come through the access tour and win on the LET. You finished runner up at the Czech Ladies Open a mixed LET/Access Series event that must give you confidence heading into next year as well?
I was very pleased with my golf in Czech, to have the chance to compete with the girls that play on the LET and see that I was able to be in contention gives me confidence going into next year.
You have moved up 311 places in the world rankings since the 1st January that must also be a positive, or do you not worry too much about that?
It’s not something I was focusing on but it is great to see that I am heading in the right direction and it is definitely something I will be hoping to keep moving up on. You have had an amazing year, is there one event or one round that was a highlight?
The highlight has to be my win in Bossey, but I am just really pleased with the whole year at the start of the year I started with a new coach and I have been working a lot harder all season and to see it pay off has just giving me motivation to keep working harder.
You were a great amateur player and had a successful career at Uni in the States. Your coach at the time said “I’ve literally watched her go from a kid to an adult”, when describing you. So it must have been good for you. What was that experience like, and would you recommend other young players to head to the states for Uni?
It is a great experience and for me getting a degree so I have a back up and a different career option if I want it is important to me. It gave me opportunities that I wouldn’t have had if I stayed in England I got to meet great people and visit great places. And being at a great university like Baylor helped my golf too improve the weather was great out there and you have the facilities you need so I would definitely recommend it to young players. There is some great footage and highlights package of your finals match vs Mariah Stackhouse, you unfortunately lost on the 19th hole, how much did experiences like that set you up for the pro game?
I had a great college career and to finish it the way we did getting a runner up finish in the first NCAA match play format was amazing. It will always be one of my greatest memories I will always be gutted that we didn’t get the win but i know that me and my team did all we could. All experiences that I had in college helped me to further my career in golf
Click here for the video or copy the link below.
https://www.golfchannel.com/video/2015-ncaa-womens-golf-championship-highlights
You represented England at some of the biggest amateur events in golf and won some of the biggest English amateur tournaments, they must be great memories to have?
Getting to represent your country is always a great thing I loved my time playing for England I met some great friends and you are surrounded by great people.
You also beat some big-name players in the states who are now playing on the LPGA, is it an ambition of yours to play on the LPGA? You got to the final of q school in 2015, would you try again?
Right now I’m focusing on next year on the Ladies European Tour but who knows what will happen we will see. Following you on social media you seem to love being at home with family, how much does that help inspire you and help you when you are away travelling?
I am so lucky that I have a great support from my family and they have supported me through everything I spend a lot of time with them when I’m home and they are always following me when I am away.
What is your favorite thing about being a golf pro?
All the people you get to meet. I have met some of my best friends because of golf.
I have watched you live a few times this year at the Jabra Classic, the WPGA & at US Open qualifying, you never seem to get to flustered is that one of your strengths on the course?
I am a pretty chilled person in general and when I play golf I try not to let things affect me, it’s the way I have always been when I play golf.
Do you have any favorite practice drills?
I love pretty much any short game drills to keep practice interesting.
Which part of your game needs the most work?
Short game can always get better Who were your golfing heroes growing up, and how and when did you get into golf?
Growing up I always looked up to my grandad because he is the only one in my family that played golf and he is the one that got me into golf.
What do you like to do away from the golf course? do you play or follow other sports?
Spending time with family, shopping, watching Netflix. I love playing pretty much any sports from being at college in America I got really into watching basketball. What will you do now until next season, have you got more events to play in?
Practice hard working with my coach and I just got a new fitness coach, just trying to prepare the best I can for next season.
Follow Hayley on