There are four rounds left in the LPGA Tour's regular season, and rookie Savannah Grewal is determined to be mentally present for all 72 holes.
Grewal, from Mississauga, Ont., and Hamilton's Alena Sharp are the only Canadians at this week's The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge. The 23-year-old Grewal is right on the cusp of earning a card for the 2025 LPGA Tour season, but she needs to at least make the cut at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla., to clinch it.
"Honestly just one shot at a time," said Grewal on her approach. "I think you come in at every tournament and your goal is to go out there and compete and to be in contention, so that's obviously still the goal of this event.
"But I think that as long as I'm not looking at the leaderboard too much and I'm just really focusing on where I am in that moment, I think that's probably what's going to help me the most."
Grewal is 96th in the Race to CME Globe Standings, the LPGA Tour's points list. The top 100 players on the elite women's professional golf tour will receive a card for next year.
"If I don't play well there's a chance I might not keep my card for next year, but I feel pretty confident with where I'm at and I think as long as I stay present and I don't get too far ahead of myself, things will be just fine," said Grewal.
Sharp is 126th in the rankings and will likely need to finish in the top six at the ANNIKA, depending on how the golfers ahead of her in the standings do, to make it back on tour in 2025 without qualifying through another means.
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is not playing this week. At No. 13 on the standings, she is already guaranteed a spot on next year's tour and will also play in the CME Group Tour Championship next week.
No. 146 Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and No. 192 Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., are not in this week's field. As a result, they will both need to requalify to return to the LPGA Tour next season.
Grewal earned some critical points at least week's LOTTE Championship, ultimately tying for 54th at even par. She started strong with a first-round 68 and maintained her solid position with a second-round 70. However, a third-round 74 and fourth-round 76 put her in this week's high-stakes position.
"I think as long as I focus on my breathing and just go out there and I enjoy being out there, just have fun with it, I think that's probably going to be the best thing for me," said Grewal.
"I think that last week I did a really good job of that the first two rounds and I think the, after the cut, I kind of started to get ahead of myself and look at that leaderboard."
PGA TOUR — The fall ball season continues with the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, Bermuda. Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., isn't just the highest ranked Canadian in the event, at No. 51 he's the highest ranked golfer in the field, period. No. 57 Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and No. 176 Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., will also tee it up.
CHAMPIONS TOUR — Danny King of Aurora, Ont., was tied for fourth at 4-under overall on Wednesday after two rounds at the 2025 PGA Tour Champions Qualifying first stage at Buckhorn Springs Golf and Country Club in Valrico, Fla. Martin Plante (74) of St-Sauveur, Que., and Dennis Hendershott (73) of Brantford, Ont., was tied for 36th at 5 over. Craig Watkins of Georgetown, Ont. was disqualified. Mike Woodcock (79) of Chatham, Ont., was tied for 43rd at 16 over in the qualifying stage at Grand Bear Golf Club in Saucier, Miss. Calgary's Stuart Patterson withdrew after one round.
DP WORLD TOUR — Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., will be in the second pairing to tee off at the DP World Tour Championship on Thursday. It was his goal all season to reach the European tour's finale at Jumeirah Golf Estates, Earth course, Dubai, UAE. He was 49th in the Race to Dubai rankings after last week's Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, with the top 50 golfers on the DP World Tour reaching its championship tournament.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
