Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game-improvement column that will help you play smarter, better golf.
GAINESVILLE, Va. — Robert Trent Jones Golf Club is quiet today — but it won’t be for long. Come Friday morning, the place will be rockin’.
Once golfers from Team USA and their counterparts from Team Europe step to the first tee, the decibel level will read more like a football game than a golf tournament. When it comes to team events at this level, noise is not only expected but encouraged.
Andrea Lee, who’s gearing up for her second Solheim Cup appearance, learned that lesson in her rookie appearance last summer in Spain.
“It was the most adrenaline I felt on the first tee in my entire life,” she said. “I’m so excited to feel those emotions again.”
Most of us recreational players have never felt the emotions of taking the tee for your country with thousands of fans watching. However, all of us have felt the first-tee nerves at one point or another. Whether it be teeing off in front of a group of strangers or taking the tee during our club championship, first-tee jitters are something we can all relate to.
Ahead of this year’s Solheim Cup, players on both teams are preparing themselves to conquer their first-tee jitters come Friday morning. Here are some of their strategies.
1. Embrace the nerves
Linn Grant has always been a big-time player — and she proved as much in her rookie debut last summer as she posted a 3-2-0 record. One of the keys to being so successful under pressure? Embracing the nerves.
“I always try to tell myself that I love those moments and that’s why I play professional golf, to find those feelings and learn how to behave in those situations or handle myself,” she said.
It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to get rid of your jitters, so it’s best if you just embrace them.
2. Focus on your process
Process is a word you’ll hear a lot from pro golfers — and for good reason. When your emotions are high, it can be easy to act in ways you normally wouldn’t. That’s why pro golfers are always harping on their processes. Competitive golf is inherently stressful, so it’s important to stick to a strict process.
Lauren Coughlin is making her first-ever start in the Solheim Cup this week, and she’s doing so in her home state among friends and family. She knows there’s going to be pressure when she steps to that first tee, but she plans to lean on what she knows to get her through it.
“It’s something that I’ve been thinking about and preparing for,” she said. “All I can do is control myself and my process, and that’s all I’m going to focus on.”