Woodsome's Rochelle Morris will go to new lengths in pursuit of British title

CURTIS CUP player Rochelle Morris should be considered as anything but a long shot to win the Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship this week '“ because of her longer shots.
Woodsome Hall's Rochelle Morris has added more than 20 yards off the tee (Picture: Chris Stratford).Woodsome Hall's Rochelle Morris has added more than 20 yards off the tee (Picture: Chris Stratford).
Woodsome Hall's Rochelle Morris has added more than 20 yards off the tee (Picture: Chris Stratford).

The Woodsome Hall player is one of three Yorkshire competitors at Pyle & Kenfig in South Wales, alongside Huddersfield’s Megan Lockett and Olivia Winning (Rotherham).

Morris goes into the 36-hole stroke play qualifying section today – the top 64 will progress to the match play stage – lieing third in England Golf’s Order of Merit.

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As well as winning the Leveret Trophy at Formby she has placed fourth in high-class fields in both the Welsh Open Amateur Stroke play and the St Rule Trophy.

Rochelle Morris smiles on county duty with Yorkshire (Picture: Leaderboard Photography).Rochelle Morris smiles on county duty with Yorkshire (Picture: Leaderboard Photography).
Rochelle Morris smiles on county duty with Yorkshire (Picture: Leaderboard Photography).

On the advice of her coach John Eyre, club professional at her home course, Morris worked hard over the winter to improve her general fitness and has seen a gain in around 20 to 30 yards off the tee.

“I definitely put a lot of length on and that is helping me massively,” said Morris.

“I can compete now and put myself in contention.

“I could compete before, of course, but only if my irons were really hot and my putter was hot.

Rochelle Morris smiles on county duty with Yorkshire (Picture: Leaderboard Photography).Rochelle Morris smiles on county duty with Yorkshire (Picture: Leaderboard Photography).
Rochelle Morris smiles on county duty with Yorkshire (Picture: Leaderboard Photography).
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“But now I can pretty much hit every green in two on the par-5s and on the longer par-4s now I’m hitting irons whereas I was hitting three-wood a couple of years ago. It definitely helps hitting a shorter club into greens, it takes the pressure off.”

She continued: “My fitness programme is not as intense now the season has got going, but I work a lot more on flexibility during the season.

“I still see my S&C (strength and conditioning) coach Adam (Batchelor) and I probably go down to the gym about three times a week.

“I have also changed my nutrition quite a bit and I’m eating a lot more healthily than I used to. But it’s a work in progress – I’m not an angel,” she laughed.

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“You have to have a balance and if I want some chocolate I have some chocolate or if I want something bad I’ll have it. If I haven’t got a tournament of a weekend I’ll chill out and eat what I want. It’s all about balance.”

Morris was second after two rounds of the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews, four shots back of Gemma Clews (Delamere Forest).

By the turn she had drawn level, going out in three under par on the Old Course at St Andrews to Clews’s one over.

However, three bogeys on the way home – including one after tangling with the notoriously famous greenside bunker at the Road Hole, the 17th – left her four back of eventual winner Clara Young, of North Berwick.

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“I just missed a couple of greens on the back nine, which caused a couple of bogeys, but I didn’t play particularly badly, it was all pretty good,” said Morris, who was justifiably pleased to finish fourth as she had in the Welsh Open Amateur Stroke Play at Ashbernham.

“When I got in the Road Hole bunker on 17 I had to chip out behind the bunker and then play a flop shot over it.

“I just didn’t go under par on the back nine, which let me down a little bit, but it was still overall a good round.

“I’ve played that tournament for the last few years. There’s no cut in it so you always get to play the Old Course, which is really nice, so I’m quite familiar with it. The wind got up a bit, but it wasn’t playing as tough as it can.

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“I’ve been in the Road Hole bunker in practice rounds, but it was the first time I’ve been in it in an actual round.”

With 17 birdies and one eagle in the 54-hole event, Morris was picking up a shot, on average, every three holes.

Half a dozen of those birdies came in a flawless six-under-par first round of 69.

“The first round was one of my best in terms of how many under par I went,” she said, “and I think I’m getting used to going lower and staying under (par) and not having that feeling I had when I was younger when I didn’t really go low a lot. Now I’m getting comfortable in that environment.

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“I did leave a few shots out there because I had a few three-putts, but that’s something I need to work on a bit more. Mind, I had a couple of 70ft putts and obviously you’re not going to two-putt those every time.”

Her father, Roger, will caddy for her this week, and both will hope that she can celebrate her 22nd birthday on Saturday by being crowned British amateur champion.

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