Getting to know Lauren Taylor

Q&A with English Ladies European Tour rookie Lauren Taylor

Lauren Taylor

Q&A with English Ladies European Tour rookie Lauren Taylor

We met Lauren Taylor during the Ladies Italian Open in Perugia. Lauren turned professional in September last year and earned LET membership in category 9b after tying for 34th at the Lalla Aicha Tour School Final Qualifying. She has now played in nine LET events and is currently 6th on the Rookie of the Year Rankings.

Tell us about your golf experiences since you joined the Ladies European Tour.

In January I practiced in England with my coach. It is not hard, sometimes it is cold, but not a big problem. Then in February I went to Spain, to “La Hacienda del Alamo” with few other friends. Then I came back and had a few weeks to prepare for Morocco. I was happy to make the first cut and get my first cheque (Lauren finished tied for 29th). Then, we had a long break of six weeks so I just practiced and worked hard on my game.

Then I went to Turkey (finished T51) and Holland (finished T15) and I had a hole-in-one. It was actually my eighth hole-in-one. No prize, which was really annoying! No car (laughs). Then I went to Slovakia, where I had my first hole-in-one in an LET event two years ago, when I was an amateur. That was my last one.

I have been practicing and working on my whole game, on my swing with my coach. All my long game, to get more control and how to perform under pressure and also most recently, I have been working on my short game, wedges, pitching and chipping. That has really improved and I’m getting my short game to another level, which it is where it needed to go. We are also working on my putting, which was good before, but I need to be stronger in holing the important birdie putts, which I am now doing. It is the amount of birdies but also you cut out making bogeys, it is also a key.

Tell us how you and your game have changed since December.

I think basically my putting. At Tour School I did not hole enough putts. That part has really improved.

How have you found the travelling?

I have been travelling with my mother and father to the most recent tournaments. In Morocco and Holland, my father came with me and my mother in Turkey, and then my father to Slovakia and in Italy I had a friend with me. I am always travelling with someone, I think it would be hard to travel alone. Now I’m getting to know a lot more people and it is nice to mix with people.

What are your goals this year?

My main goal is trying to enjoy myself and I would love to win the Rookie of the Year. I think every rookie would love to win that.

Lauren Taylor swing sequence video

 

Nick Bonfield
Content Editor

Nick Bonfield joined Golf Monthly in 2012 after graduating from Exeter University and earning an NCTJ-accredited journalism diploma from News Associates in Wimbledon. He is responsible for managing production of the magazine, sub-editing, commissioning and feature writing. Most of his online work is opinion-based and typically centres around the Majors and significant events in the global golfing calendar. Nick has been an avid golf fan since the age of ten and became obsessed with the professional game after watching Mike Weir and Shaun Micheel win The Masters and PGA Championship respectively in 2003. In his time with Golf Monthly, he's interviewed the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Jose Maria Olazabal, Henrik Stenson, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Billy Horschel and has ghost-written columns for Westwood, Wayne Riley, Matthew Southgate, Chris Wood and Eddie Pepperell. Nick is a 12-handicap golfer and his favourite courses include Old Head, Sunningdale New, Penha Longha, Valderrama and Bearwood Lakes. If you have a feature pitch for Nick, please email nick.bonfield@futurenet.com with 'Pitch' in the subject line. Nick is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade M1 Fairway wood: TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 Hybrid: Ping Crossover Irons (4-9): Nike Vapor Speed Wedges: Cleveland CBX Full Face, 56˚, Titleist Vokey SM4, 60˚ Putter: testing in progress! Ball: TaylorMade TP5x