Lindsey Wright believes that winning the 2012 ISPS Handa NZ Women’s Open hosted by Christchurch changed her career.
Wright, who at her best in 2009 climbed to No.12 in the world, had not won a tournament for eight years and had recessed into a dark hole, a period that she called the lowest point of her life.
She suffered from anxiety and depression and considered giving away the game. Wright sort professional help in 2011 and things began to slowly improve.
“I really didn’t want to come back out and play,” said the 33-year-old from Albury, New South Wales of her depression.
“I just wanted to do something else. I felt like I was being smothered by it all. It all came to a head at the end of 2009. It happened quickly. I had doubts and they started to grow.”
She will return to Christchurch for the tournament from February 8 – 10, this time the Clearwater Golf Club, to defend her title in a much better headspace. But she hasn’t forgotten the hard times of 2010 and 2011.
“People think ‘depression is a mental thing just toughen up and get over it’ but it is not that simple. It was affecting me physically I wasn’t sleeping and it was really affecting my concentration and focus. I felt like I couldn’t play anymore and it was tough.”
Wright did not pick up a club for months. She had some time out to doing media work and arrived at the ISPS Handa NZ Women’s Open with no expectations.
“If someone had told me that I was going to win that week I would have laughed at them.”
The Aussie shot a final round four-under 68 – including a 4m birdie putt on the final hole - to finish on 10-under 206 and win by one shot.
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Ladies European Tour (LET) - ISPS Handa NZ Women´s Open - Wright back to defend
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