Alena Sharp of Hamilton hits an iron in the Kraft Nabisco Championship at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, Calif., on March 29. (David Cannon/Getty Images)
We have had two weeks off, which I spent at home in Chandler, Ariz.
The Kraft Nabisco at Rancho Mirage, Calif., the LPGA Tour's first major of the season, was an amazing experience for me. I struck the ball extremely well and didn't score. It was a true test of patience and I handled myself really well. Hitting the ball that well in a major is a great boost to my confidence as I didn't hit the ball all that well the week before at the Kia Classic in Carlsbad, Calif.
After Kraft, I played in a pro-am to raise money for the Betty Ford Center in Palm Springs, Calif. It was a special day, not only because the money being raised went to a great cause, but I got to play golf with Dan Quayle, the 42nd vice-president of the United States. At first, everyone was wondering if he was the "real" Dan Quayle. And sure enough, he was the real deal (and resides in Scottsdale, Ariz., less than 50 kilometres from me).
We had a great day. Dan is an avid golfer and he was very interested in getting tips on his swing.
After the Betty Ford pro-am, I left and headed back to Phoenix for my championship hockey game that night. I made it there in plenty of time, had a friend bring my equipment and went out and skated my heart out. We won 4-0, which was quite a feat as the last three years we have finished second to the same team.
It was awesome. Our team came together and played with a lot of heart.
I was also fortunate enough to play two Grasshopper Tour events during my two-week break from the tour. The first event, on the Tuesday following the Kraft, was a best ball and playing partner Beth Bader and I did very well, shooting a 60 and tying for first place. The second and final day as a modified alternate shot, ie. pick the best drive and alternate shots from there. We didn't get into the greatest groove and shot even par, which left us in second place behind
Symetra Tour players Jessi Gebhardt and Cara Freeman.
It was a fun format and, of course, we were very competitive!
Last week, the Grasshopper Tour was at Vistal Golf Club in Phoenix with a strong field consisting of players from the LPGA and Symetra tours. It came down to the last couple of holes, but Paige Mackenzie shot 65 to beat me by a stroke on the last day. I birded the last two holes to shoot 66, one shy of Paige. It was very competitive on the second day, which is exactly what I needed to get ready for my next two events on the LPGA in Hawaii and Mobile.
I putted extremely well at Vistal, which is a boost to my confidence heading into Hawaii.
I also played golf this past week at Phoenix's Mesa Country Club with my mental coach. I had an albatross! We were on the par-5 fifth hole and I ripped my drive down the middle. I had 211 yards to the pin and hit my 21-degree hybrid. The ball sailed toward to the pin, hit the fringe and rolled up to the hole. It looked looked like it hit the pin. We got up to the green and the ball wasn't on the green nor over the green. I walked up to the pin and there it was in the cup.
It was my second-ever albatross -- such an amazing feeling, and bittersweet to make it with my mental coach.
We are in Hawaii this week, on the island of Oahu, for the LPGA Lotte Championship at Ko Olina Golf Club in Kapolei. Life is great. I'm feeling very positive about this week and looking forward to getting out there and letting my clubs do the talking.
Alena Sharp
Alena Sharp of Hamilton is competing in her 10th professional season and seventh on the LPGA Tour, having turned pro after graduating from New Mexico State University in 2003. Alena lives in Phoenix, where she and fellow pro Beth Bader oversee the annual Bader/Sharp Shootout in support of Alzheimers research.
