How a simple mindset shift propelled Kate Smith into ANWA contention

Golf is hard, there’s no doubt about that. Golf is even harder when you’re playing on one of the biggest stages in the game at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

For Kate Smith, a fifth-year senior at the University of Nebraska, finding out she was going to be invited to this event in November 2020 was a catalyst for her career. Knowing she had to prepare herself to go up against the best amateurs in the world, Smith recommitted herself to the game and worked on her mental game in the process.

Given how she’s played so far on a course that’s long and firm, going out in -4 through 12 holes before the first round was suspended due to inclement weather, her hard work is paying off. She now sits tied for fifth, but is still in good position to make it to the final round at Augusta National.

So what’s the key to Smith’s new outlook on the game?

Positive self talk, which inspires confidence.

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“I think a lot of us want to go into this event and say, ‘Okay, I really need to make that top 30 cut,'” Smith said. “I worked really hard the last couple months just being like, ‘You can win this event. You can be up there. You’re just as good as everyone else.'”

It might seem simple, but the difference between telling yourself you can make the cut and telling yourself you can win the event is huge.

Another key to Smith’s confidence is the fact that she’s just out here enjoying the experience and having fun.

“Why ruin the week by putting a lot of pressure on yourself?” Smith mused.

The same goes for you, the average golfer. Whether you’re heading to a new course or playing in your club championship, don’t lose sight of why you really play the game. If you’re not having fun out on the course, you need to do what Kate does and leave the stress behind.

Doing so will help you realize that the less pressure you put on yourself, the better you will actually play.

As this positive, stress-free mindset translates into concrete results on the course, your confidence is sure to build.

While you might not have the opportunity to play in a prestigious event like the ANWA, you can take a page out of Smith’s book and start giving yourself more credit on the course.

You can follow the ANWA leaderboard here.