Caroline Westrup knew her opportunity to play in an LPGA event was coming. She just didn’t think it would happen this early in the season.
“I was the first alternate, but I told myself that I’m not going to book this flight yet, because I still don’t know yet and then Tuesday, April 8 I was out to lunch and Anya (Alvarez) texted me and said you’re in the field,” said Westrup. “Obviously, I am very, very excited because this is what I have dreamt of since I was a little kid; to play on the LPGA Tour against the best players in the world.”
Westrup is one of 19 Epson Tour players that made the final field for the LPGA LOTTE Championship. A total of 21 players in the field have played in at least one Epson Tour event this year.
Westrup has played in all four Epson Tour events this year and 41 for her career.
The 28-year-old has been playing golf since she got her first set of clubs at the age of six. However, golf was not immediately her favorite sport.
“I didn’t really used to like it in the beginning, I did a bunch of other sports and gymnastics was my favorite one; I did gymnastics until I was 16 and thought it was way more fun than golf,” said Westrup.
During her teenager years, Westrup adjusted her focus and realized that she wanted to be a golfer.
“When I was 15 or 16, I told myself that I wanted to be the best golfer in the world. Now that I’m older and the game is so competitive, I’ve adjusted that goal to I want to be the best that I can be.”
The journey began almost the moment Westrup was held in her arms by mom, Helene, and dad, Carl. Westrup jokes that she was “born on a golf course”.
Her father was the Swedish National Golf Team coach for the first ten years of her life. When she was 11-years-old, the family moved to Oslo, Norway and Carl took over as the head coach of the Norwegian Federation golf team.
It should come as no surprise that her golf idol growing up was Norwegian LPGA star Suzann Pettersen.
“Suzann Pettersen has been an idol since I was a little kid. My sister and I used to pick flowers and put it on her bag for good luck. It’s kind of funny now that I’m grown up when she mentions it from time-to-time when we play against each other. I’ve always looked up to her.”
On the PGA TOUR side, her favorite player was Henrik Stenson, who her dad also coached in Sweden. Stenson is a 4-time winner on the PGA TOUR.
The LPGA LOTTE Championship will be Westrup’s second career LPGA event. Last year, she qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open and finished T59. Through that experience, she has learned that although the competition stiffens, preparation must remain the same.
“For the U.S. Open, everyone was like you have to come way before and play the course so, so many times because it’s so hard and blah, blah, blah. I don’t think I have to over do it because it’s an LPGA tournament. I’m going to prepare as I usually do.”
Although overjoyed about getting to play in the field in Hawaii, there is one hang up.
Westrup’s mom and dad booked a week-long trip to Tallahassee, Fla. next week assuming she would be in town.
“It’s a little bittersweet for me because my parents booked a trip to come see me and I will only see them for two days because I won’t be there. Obviously, my parents told me to go, but I haven’t seen them since Christmas and I made all these plans with them in Tallahassee. My dad jokingly asked me to buy him a GPS because they don’t know how to get around Tallahassee.”
The proud parents will have to settle for watching their daughter from afar fulfill a life-long dream.
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