She knows she’s on the LPGA Tour bubble, sitting right below the qualifying number at 11th in the Race for the Card with three events remaining. But former U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Sophia Schubert tries not to pay attention to the standings.
“You would think that I would but I’m trying my best to just play my game,” the 25-year-old from Oak Ridge, Tennessee, said after opening with a 1-under 71 in the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout. “Whatever happens is meant to happen.”
Schubert is pleased with the 71 at Mystic Creek Golf Club. “Oh my gosh, it’s a beast,” she said of the Ken Dye design. “I knew from playing here two years ago that it was going to be hard. It’s always going to be one of the toughest (courses) we play all year. But it’s a great golf course, always in a great shape.
“The greens are what make it so difficult. (The course) kind of reminds me of a combination of Pinehurst No. 2 and Augusta National, just the way the greens are so undulating, and they have so many run-offs. You have miss on the correct side to have any shot.”
Despite her precarious position in the Race for the Card, Schubert seems relaxed and at peace with her life, her game and her position. “I feel really confident,” she said. “I really left some (birdies) out there today. So, I feel pretty good about it. I had three bogeys in the row on my first nine holes, which was kind of discouraging. But I was able to hold it together on the back nine and get some back.
“I think I’m doing pretty well right now. I started off (the season) pretty strong and then I wasn’t playing too well in the middle of the season and now I’ve finally found my game again. I’ve worked really hard during my off weeks. I’ve been doing a lot of up-and-down drills and working a lot on my lag putting. Out here that’s crucial. I think it’s helped a lot. And hopefully it pays off in the end.”
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