Story No. 2 – Olivia Makes Triumphant Return to Winner’s Circle
Olivia Jordan-Higgins missed getting her 2014 LPGA Tour card by less than $125. She finished 11th and was obviously distraught that she didn’t get her card.
With that in mind, she didn’t start the 2014 season well. She missed the cut at the first event of the year and didn’t have a top 10 finish until the end of May.
Fast forward to later in the year when the Tour moved to Mayetta, Kansas. Jordan-Higgins carded a 6-under 66 on day one. I remember interviewing Olivia and recall that she was so happy.
She shot a modest 1-under 71 on Saturday and then closed with a 5-under 67 to win the event by three strokes.
She beat out Mallory Blackwelder, Sara-Maude Juneau and Min Lee – three that had very strong years.
Anybody that understood the shear heartbreak of 2013 was beyond excited that she was able to get back into the winner’s circle.
In Olivia’s Words…
Winning the 2014 Prairie Band Resort and Casino Championship was definitely the highlight of my career so far. Although it was my second win, as a professional, it was much more special than my first.
The start to my 2014 season had been a real struggle mentally and emotionally, after finishing 11th on the money list and missing out on my LPGA card by just $114, in 2013. I was heartbroken for quite some time and had really started to doubt whether I would ever win again.
Then came the week in Mayetta, Kansas. This was my second tournament working with my caddy, Jeff, and something just felt different. I was really relaxed and was starting to enjoy playing golf again. I shot 66 in the first round, and from that I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. It was a real relief to have a great round and this gave me the boost of confidence I had needed all year. I was in the lead after day one and this was really exciting for me. It’s a position I love to be in, and from there I just wanted to see if I could maintain that to the finish.
The second round did not come quite as easy. Having not been in that position for quite some time, it was certainly a mental challenge not to get too far ahead of myself. Finishing the second round with two birdies definitely gave me some momentum for the final day, and also kept me within one shot of the lead.
Starting on Sunday, I had told myself that I just needed to stay patient and wait for the birdies to come. And that is exactly what happened. My first birdie came on the par 5, 4th hole and from there I was in complete control of what happened that day.
Coming down the stretch I started to get nervous, but it certainly made it a lot easier having a three shot lead. Once I got to the 18th tee, I let out a big sigh and could not stop smiling. This was a moment that I had doubted would ever happen again. To overcome the adversity of finishing 11th and questioning whether I would play well again, really made this win extra special.)
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