Rising Briton Rhodes 'itching' to start major career at Women's PGA

BBC News

5 hours ago

After a blistering start to her professional career, English golfer Mimi Rhodes cannot wait to begin her major career at this week's KPMG Women's PGA Championship in Frisco, Texas.The 23-year-old from Bath received a special invitation to play the year's third major, which is worth a record equalling $12m (£9m), after three victories already in her debut season on the Ladies European Tour (LET).Rhodes will tee it up with the world's best players in a field that includes American world number one Nelly Korda on the Fields Ranch East course, which becomes the first in Texas to stage this event."I got here last Saturday and I'm just itching to to get started," Rhodes told BBC Sport.
'It's hard to wrap my head around everything'
She turned professional after appearing in the Great Britain and Ireland team that won last year's Curtis Cup at Sunningdale. She has subsequently posted LET victories at the New South Wales Open, Joburg Ladies Open and the recent Dutch Open.Rhodes would not have believed anyone suggesting she would make such an impact so soon after joining the pro ranks. "I would have told them that they're crazy and they're lying," she said."It's unbelievable, how much I've achieved in such a short period of time. I'm just grateful for the process and grateful to be here and just want to make the most of it."Organisers issued two sponsor invitations, the other going to former US Solheim Cup skipper Stacy Lewis. Rhodes found out a fortnight ago and says it was "one of the best messages of my life".She joins fellow Englishwomen Charley Hull, Georgia Hall and Jodi Ewart Shadoff, and Scotland's Gemma Dryburgh, in the 156-player line-up. "I knew it'd be quite hard to get into the field, you know, being a major," Rhodes said."I guess it was a shock, definitely. But also showed me that I can be at the same level as other LPGA players and just gave me the reassurance that my game is where it can be to beat the best in the world."It has been a meteoric rise for a player who has already cracked the world's top 100. "Everything's kind of happened so fast," said the world number 89."I haven't really had time to wrap my head around everything. You go back home and members at your club come up to you, and you have all of these people coming up to you and asking you for pictures."That's when you sort of realise that, you know, you've done a big thing and, you've been playing pretty good golf."Rhodes will tee off at 13:55 BST alongside European Solheim Cup player Esther Henseleit and India's Aditi Ashok on a par-72 course that measures 6,604 yards."I really like it," Rhodes said. "It's in really, really good condition. The greens are quite slopey, but quite big, and it's a long course."I like my long irons, so I've enjoyed the days I've been practising it. I just have to have fun out there and hopefully the putts drop."
'I cried after JJ Spaun won'
Hull is among the late starters at 20:17 BST alongside Korea's Jin Young Ko and Ayake Furue, of Japan. The English number one is 17th in the world rankings and seeking her first victory in this her 58th major start.Korda comes into the championship following her tie for second place behind Maja Stark at the recent US Women's Open. It was her second runner-up finish in a so far winless season.The 26-year-old suffered a neck spasm hitting out of rough in a practice round on Monday, but insists she will be ready to challenge for her third major title."With the injury that I had last year, every single time something kind of flares up in my neck now, I think I feel it a little bit more than what I used to," Korda admitted.Stark became the first European in eight majors to win one of the big five titles with her success at Erin Hills three weeks ago.The 25-year-old Swede says the victory is still to sink in and her emotions were more affected by JJ Spaun's dramatic win in the men's equivalent last Sunday."I haven't really had time to think about it," Stark admitted. "I didn't cry after I won but I cried after JJ Spaun won because I was so excited for him."