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SHELLEY HOPES TO COPY RYDER CUP STARS’ SECRETS FOR SUCCESSFORMER Curtis Cup player Shelley McKevitt is hoping to relaunch her professional golf career by using the same scoring analysis system used by four members of Europe’s winning Ryder Cup team at the K Club last year. The 27-year-old from Ashford, in Kent, has signed up with strokeaverage.com – also used by Ross Fisher who finished fifth in Dubai on the men’s tour earlier this month, having played the final round with world number one Tiger Woods.
McKevitt has spent the past year kicking her heels with just a handful of starts after failing to make the cut at the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School two years running. But now having gained a conditional card at the third attempt, the 2003 British Amateur Strokeplay Champion has quit her full-time job working American security firm Inkerman to play four events in South Africa in March. And the former Berkshire Amateur Champion is determined to show that she can make the numbers add up by having her rounds analysed by strokeaverage’s online system, which crunches the numbers and can highlight strengths as well as weaknesses in her game. Shelley explained: “I have been interested in my stats since working with my former coach Will Alsop back in Reading. The company behind strokeaverage have offered to help me for free in the early part of the season, which is great. While in South Africa, Shelley and her caddie former Kent Amateur Champion Helen Batt, will record details of every competitive shot she hits before entering them on the strokeaverage website. Strokeaverage also provide face-to-face consultancy sessions or perform them via a conference call over the internet to help players travelling on tour. Among their client list is former European number one Lee Westwood and European Tour winner Nick Dougherty, tipped for the top by six-time Major winner Nick Faldo. Shelley, who won the New Zealand Amateur crown in 2003, has braved the damp and cold snaps that have hit the south east recently to work on her game at Chart Hills, where she is attached after making her tour debut there in the 2004 English Ladies Open, finishing 15th as an amateur ¬- still her best finish to date. The former England Amateur beat LPGA winner Paula Creamer in one of the foursomes matches against an American team containing US teenage sensation Michelle Wie in the Curtis Cup at Formby nearly three years ago. Now Shelley wants to emulate Great Britain and Ireland team-mate and fellow Chart Hills member Dani Masters, who is now making her mark in the pro game, and who began using strokeaverage last season, when the rookie finished ranked 48th in the LET Order of Merit. The 1997 English Girls Champion said: “I am feeling much fitter and stronger and have been working hard in preparation for South Africa. After a year working behind a desk I am really determined to make up for lost time and do everything I can to avoid having to go back to Tour School in November. “I have four tournaments in South Africa to get my game ready so that when I play on the LET I can give myself every opportunity to earn the prize money I need to get a full card. “I have only played six tournaments since turning pro, but have made the cut four times, which is a positive I can take,” said the North Carolina University graduate, who played just once on the LET in 2006 but finished fourth on the Pro-Source Order of Merit, a new development tour in England. “Now I am going to make sure I put everything into every shot while in South Africa and trust the stats analysis to pinpoint exactly what I need to work on with my new coach Andrew James, from Littlestone.” “They both believe it makes a big difference to their tournament preparations. The company have a very impressive client list. I hope they can help me achieve my ambitions on the Ladies European Tour.” Her father Brendan used to play for Reading FC in the early 1980s and is dreaming of the double of seeing the Royals and his daughter on a European Tour in the same year. “Dad’s a great support and is really glad I am going to give it my best shot this year. He watches Reading still but plays so much golf himself he has only been to the Madejski Stadium a few times this season. He’s thrilled they are doing so well in the Premiership and could qualify for Europe.” Shelley is also looking for sponsors for this season. Anyone interested can contact her by email at shells_mac@hotmail.com Copyright free first use only please credit Ady Kerry ISSUED by Sumit Golf Services on behalf of strokeaverage.com |
David Howell, Paul McGinley and Darren Clarke were the first clients of the golf statistics and performance analyst specialists, who now work with many of the up-and-coming young players like Fisher on the men’s tour.|
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by Gillian Kirkwood |