A refreshed and determined Katherine Hull admits she should have heeded her Irish caddie and quit the 2011 US LPGA Tour season shortly after it began.
“In hindsight, I should have taken Vern’s advice,” said the 29-year-old Australian golfer on Tuesday, revealing her last season fell apart because of personal issues and a worsening back injury.
“I’m glad it is over. It was pretty rough I was happy to see the end of the year.”
Her Irish caddie Vern Tess saw the warning signs early.
“In March Vern said to me: `Kath, why don’t you just take the rest of the year off and go home?’
“You know it’s going to be a rough ride when your caddie says that in March.”
He was proven right.
Hull’s season earnings crashed from $US793,413 the previous year to just $US137,884 with only one top 10 finish from 18 tournaments.
She is confident she has successfully addressed the problems from 2011 during an extended break from golf in the off-season and can fight her way back into the world’s top 20 this year, if not the top 10.
While 2011 was a write off for Hull, her closing 67 in the NSW Open last weekend has boosted her confidence this week as she chases a repeat of her runaway 2009 Ladies Masters victory at Royal Pines.
Hull was disappointed – but only to a degree — that seven-time champion Karrie Webb is missing the Ladies Masters after dominating it over the past 20 years.
“It’s a shame she (Webb) is not here,” said Hull.
“She’s obviously got her reasons but it may be better for all of us she’s not.”
The rain which has dumped more than 300mm of rain of the Gold Coast course this week eased on Tuesday.