The 27-year-old Scot, who climbed 75 places to 110th on the Rolex World Rankings after defeating Charley Hull in a play-off on Sunday, is the only player to have won multiple titles on the tour this season, first at the Deloitte Ladies Open in the Netherlands and then at the Ladies German Open presented by Marriott.
Now in her fifth season as a professional, she will go into this week’s Sberbank Golf Masters at Golf Park Plzeň – Dýšina in the Czech Republic looking to complete a treble of wins. After the excitement of Germany, where she shot three 64s and a closing 71 before winning at the first extra hole, she said: “I’m already in tournament mode and I’ve not forgotten about last week, but last week is done and I’m now focusing on this week. I’d love to win again and every tournament I play in, I’m trying to win. I like it here and it’s a nice course.”
She missed the cut at the hilly, par-71 course last year, but added: “It’s certainly a little bit different from last week but this course is good and there are some good holes on it. I think 18 is a good hole, and there are not the opportunities to hit as many drivers, but I still think it suits my game.”
Although Walker tied for fourth place in the Prague Golf Masters at Albatross Golf Resort in 2011, she now appears to be a master of performing under intense pressure, as shown by winning two play-offs. She added: “It’s nice that I come across that way. I don’t ever feel crazy nerves to the point where it’s detrimental to my game but I certainly do feel nervous in those moments, I think it’s more an excitement of nerves rather than a nervous dread. It’s good that it’s like that. I like the analogy of a little duck that looks so calm on the surface, but underneath is working like crazy.”
One of the form players in the tournament, she is joined by South African Lee-Anne Pace, who climbed seven places to 48th in the world following her tie for fourth in the Marathon Classic in Ohio on Sunday. Pace won three titles on the LET last year, in Turkey, Spain and China and her most recent victory was the Sanya Ladies Open in October.
A field of 131 competitors from 32 different countries will tee up from Friday in the Ladies European Tour’s fourth visit to the Czech Republic. The past three tournament champions are all competing and Ann-Kathrin Lindner of Germany will attempt to retain the title she won by a stroke from Diana Luna and Alexandra Villatte at the same venue last August, while England’s Melissa Reid and Jade Schaeffer of France are also looking for repeat success.
Joining Walker are this year’s tournament champions Florentyna Parker from England, who won the Italian Open, Sweden’s Camilla Lennarth, who won in Slovakia and Frenchwoman Valentine Derrey, winner of the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open. They are joined by 27 past Ladies European Tour champions, including Gwladys Nocera of France, England’s Trish Johnson and Holly Clyburn and Luna. Klára Spilková heads the 12-strong contingent from the Czech Republic, which includes two professionals and 10 amateurs.
With live television coverage over the weekend to a global audience in more than 50 different countries, the €250,000 tournament will be a showcase of women’s golf in central Europe.
The weather forecast for the tournament is favourable, with mainly dry, warm and sunny conditions, albeit with the chance of isolated showers or thunderstorms over the weekend
