It's no secret that professional golf is difficult. Not only is there pressure to perform, but the risk of injury and the amount of travel can take its toll; so much so that, sometimes, players admit they don't want to play the game that provides them with a living.
Speaking at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, Mel Reid revealed that, following a serious wrist injury, she in fact quit the game and was going to work in media. However, after re-joining up with her old coach, Jorge Parada, she is slowly getting back to the form that saw her win on the LPGA Tour and earn appearances in the European Solheim Cup team.
"I've worked with him (Parada) since 2018, I think, or '17 even, and think I kind of split with him middle of '21. It was not a good decision for me, which I own, and luckily he took me back. I didn't think he would, but he did. Jorge is Jorge. He's the best dressed coach on Tour for one, which is what he'd want me to say is No. 1, but he's a very impressive guy. Like he's the hardest working guy I know.
"He knows a lot about the golf swing, and I hate to admit it, but he knows me probably better than I know me, especially in kind of the golf space. He knows my habits. He knows what works, what doesn't work, he knows my tendencies, he knows my panics. He's just very, very good.
"I think actually since I've gone back to him, I feel like he's a completely different bloke. Like he's a lot more kind of about understanding the player more instead of just technique. I think he's worked a little bit with my mental coach, as well, Duncan McCarthy, who I've worked with for about a year, so I can tell by the way he's talking to me that he is in close contact with him, as well, which just helps. They're all trying to get the best out of me, and as a team you try and kind of all be on the same wave."
The 35-year-old added: "I legit quit. When I got my injury, I tried to play through it, which I kind of felt I had to because I was losing my card, and then, yeah, we don't get money being on a medical. As compares, I feel like the girls do a lot more than the guys. I feel like the guys can just take time off, whereas the girls, we feel like we have to play because that's our income, right.
"So yeah, in September I literally told Carly, I'm going into media, like I'm going to be one of you guys, I'm not playing golf anymore. Then took a couple of months. I worked pretty much every day with Duncan, so massive credit to him. With things like that, if you just give me a bit of space I do kind of work it out myself. I was just playing golf at home when I was kind of feeling fit, just with the boys at Atlantic Beach, and I just was enjoying it again. I was just enjoying -- I missed the competitiveness of it, and I thought right, okay, let's give it one more go. I've just been really enjoying myself this year."
Currently sat one shot back of 36-hole leader Leona Maguire, Reid goes into the weekend with a chance of securing her first Major title. In contention is a number of stars in the women's game though, with Brooke Henderson, Minjee Lee and Jin Young Ko just a handful of shots behind.
