Ingrid Lindblad returned to El Caballero Country Club this week, the site of her breakthrough first LPGA victory at the JM Eagle LA Championship last year. But this time, the Swedish golfer carried far more than just fond memories.
In an emotionally raw press conference on Tuesday, Lindblad opened up about the driving struggles that have plagued her game since that maiden win. The 25-year-old became visibly emotional as she recounted the depths of her recent difficulties.
"I was like, 'I'm not sure I want to come to the golf course tomorrow,'" Lindblad said, her eyes welling with tears as she recalled a conversation with Stephanie Kyriacou after shooting 82 in February's HSBC Women's World Championship. "I did, which I'm very happy about. But it was hard. There have been times I just don't want to play because it isn't great."
The struggles have been particularly acute with her driver, creating a mental maze that has affected her entire approach to the tee box.
"I've had some big misses off the tee box so I've started to see things that are kind of far out from the fairway that I'm supposed to hit it to," Lindblad explained. "It's been kind of a lot of steering off the tee box. If I see something right, I definitely can't hit it right. I just hit it left instead. There is no way of playing golf like that."
Lindblad traced the beginning of her problems to a specific tournament. "I think I know exactly what tournament it started at," she said. "I think when we played the KPMG Women's PGA Championship in Frisco, Texas last year and it was really windy. I think it started with that I didn't trust the wind."
"I kind of blocked it to not blow too far left. Same thing going the opposite way. I kind of just tried to snap hook it into the wind when it's blowing left to right," she continued. "I don't know if it scarred me a little bit and I just didn't trust the wind."
The impact on her performance has been significant. After her breakthrough victory as a rookie in her fourth LPGA start, Lindblad has struggled to recapture that form. She hasn't recorded any top-10 finishes since the LA Championship win and managed just one top-20 result.
"I was talking to my coaches and they were like, 'I mean we wouldn't blame you if you don't play,'" Lindblad revealed. "I'm happy I did and it was hard because I was like, 'I really don't want to hit drivers.' There were a couple holes where I'm hitting a 4-wood out. I just want to get out of here. That's not where I want to be on a golf course, obviously."
After finishing last at the HSBC Women's World Championship with a final-round 77, Lindblad took time away from the tour to work on her game back home in Sweden. She also made a candid Instagram post about her struggles, which generated overwhelming response from fans and fellow professionals.
Lindblad had to disable comments on the post due to the volume of responses, including many suggestions to change swing coaches - advice she wasn't seeking.
Her major championship results reflected the ongoing struggles, with missed cuts at the Evian Championship and AIG Women's British Open. She finished tied for 52nd at the Chevron Championship and 35th at the U.S. Women's Open.
"You're going to miss a couple. You're not going to hit everything perfect. Just need to hit a couple better than the big miss," she said, reflecting on her approach to working through the mental barriers.
As Lindblad prepares to compete again at the site of her greatest triumph, she carries both the weight of recent struggles and the hope that extensive work on her game will help her rediscover the form that brought her that emotional first victory.
