Amateur Amelia Garvey will likely have a fair few more professional golf tournaments on the horizon following the US Open. Photo / Getty
Amateur Amelia Garvey will likely have a fair few more professional golf tournaments on the horizon following the US Open. Photo / Getty
It's hard to believe someone born in 2000 is able to successfully tackle the nerves that accompany arguably the world's biggest women's golf major.
But that's what Amelia Garvey did.
The 20-year-old New Zealander is bathing in her experiences at last weekend's US Open in Texas, where she made hermajor debut and opened with a strong first round, carding a one-under par 70.
At the time, she was just three shots off the lead.
It was a different event than the usual American college tournaments the Cantabrian is used to. But her top-25 ranking among amateurs in the world suggests soon enough she will be a regular on tours, with just one semester left before graduation.
Overcoming the tremors that typically accompany a foreign environment was a simple task for the young Kiwi.
"I was talking to a few people before my first round and was just telling them how weirdly relaxed I was, and talking to my mental skills coach John Quin, he said that's not a coincidence — 'the work you've put in before this, that's making you feel that way'," Garvey said.
"It's just a golf tournament, it's what you attach to it which makes it the major and everything else.
"The biggest thing I've learned out here this week is I can compete with the world's best and just taking my result from this week and carrying that on into the college scene."
Garvey's second round was a contrast as she dropped five shots, highlighted by a triple bogey on the 16th hole, and missed the cut.
Yet managing an under-par round on your major debut is impressive, and a lot of that comes down to the mental strengthening she has endured — a necessary part of progressing from amateur to professional.
Amelia Garvey competes for the University Of Southern California (USC). Photo / Photosport
"What my psychologist said is success leaves clues, so picking away at what I did well this week and then taking those into my other tournaments, and doing those consistently and also learning from the things that might not have gone too well," she told the Weekend Herald.
"Back in New Zealand [over the past eight months], I was able to see him [my psychologist] a lot more ... we were meeting up once every two weeks, getting back to regular talking and talking about what are the different things that could happen, accepting the fact I could've been dead last after the first round or I could have been leading."
Garvey said after her second round, she felt demoralised, but as the days passed, she embraced what she had achieved.
"I ticked off a lot more boxes than I was intending to really.
"I'm just glad it wasn't for a pay cheque at the end of the day. It's nice to get these out of the way and learn from them as an amateur, so when it does matter, you have these experiences and know how to deal with them."
Garvey navigated her way throughout the US Open without much guidance from former world No1 and fellow New Zealander Lydia Ko, who finished in a tie for 13th.
"I went out to watch her [final round]. I got to see and watch her finish," Garvey told the Weekend Herald.
"I didn't chat with her too much, she's obviously there to get a job done and get her work done.
"For me, just seeing her game, she's one of the best in the world and she's in form, too.
"Getting a first-hand look at how my game shapes up compared to hers when I played with her in the practice round was really valuable. Especially when Lydia compliments your game and says she thinks I'll be out there in a matter of time, that definitely gives me a lot of confidence."
Garvey is set for eight more amateur tournaments representing the University of Southern California starting in February, before the Augusta National Women's Amateur Championship in April.
She was lined up to play the prestigious event earlier this year before it was cancelled. As a result, her exemption was extended to 2021.
Garvey said that will likely become her career highlight, as "every single golfer in the word would love to play Augusta".
That will precede a searching spell in middle-to-late next year when Garvey hopes to lock in her first set of professional tournaments.
For now, attention turns to Christmas for Garvey, who will spend it alone in the United States, with her family remaining in New Zealand. She doesn't anticipate returning home until Christmas 2021, but understands that's all part of becoming a professional athlete.
