‘I battled through.’ Hamilton’s Alena Sharp opens up about mental health after sizzling start at Women’s PGA Championship

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This article was published 24/06/2021 (1924 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Over the last few weeks, several professional golfers have spoken candidly about their mental health. Add Canadian Alena Sharp to that group.

After a solid start at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, where a 3-under 69 left her just two shots back of the lead after the first round, the Hamilton golfer spoke about her recent anxiety and how she’s managed to work through it on one of the biggest stages in women’s golf.

“My anxiety was so high,” Sharp said Thursday about her time at the ANA Inspiration, the other major tournament she competed in this year. “It’s coming down. Today, I could tell it was going up again. I was in that position. My mental coach said (anxiety) rears its ugly head when you’re in the heat of the battle, and it’s important.

“That was tough today dealing with that, but I battled through.”

Sharp was 4-under through five holes and tied for the lead at one point, but made bogeys on the sixth and ninth holes, and recorded a double bogey on the par-4 13th.

However, she made long birdie putts on both of her final two closing holes and finished the day in a large group tied for third.

The leader heading into Friday at the Atlanta Athletic Club is Lizette Salas, who also talked about mental health struggles she went through last year.

“I really didn’t like myself in 2020,” said Salas. “And I think with the whole COVID and not being able to work and have golf as my outlet, that hit really hard.”

As Sharp struggled through the middle part of her opening round, she tried to tap into some of the tools her two sports psychologists suggested.

“I just used my senses,” said Sharp. “I listened to the birds and the wind, and really could feel the ground under my feet.”

She also leaned on caddy Sarah Bowman, who is also her wife, as she climbed the leaderboard.

“I said, ‘I’m getting nervous.’ I haven’t been in that position in a long time,” said Sharp. “So that was really helpful, just to kind of stay present. And that’s one of the big keys the rest of the year, is to be committed to every shot and be present.”

Sharp has missed five cuts in 11 events, and in the six times she’s played the weekend her best result was a tie for 31st.

Her coach, Brett Saunders, is based in B.C. and they have barely seen each other over the last 18 months. However, since Sharp didn’t get into the U.S. Women’s Open or the LPGA Match Play championship the week prior, Saunders visited her home in Phoenix for 12 days and they put in what she called a “hardcore” putting session.

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Sharp had the yips on the greens and was totally misaligned, she found. But nearly two weeks of effort led to practising with a purpose.

“I’m gaining a little more confidence too,” said Sharp. “I think putting is all about feel and confidence and I didn’t have either, but now they’re slowly coming back.”

Fellow Canadian Brooke Henderson did not fare as well in the opening round, shooting a 2-over 74. Henderson, who won this event in 2016, was 2-under through four holes but made four bogeys coming in to finish over par for the day.

Henderson had sister Brittany back as her caddy. The elder Henderson had to navigate work-permit issues, after marrying an American last summer, and her paperwork was approved Tuesday night.

Adam Stanley is an Ottawa-based contributor to the Star’s Sports section and the host of golf podcast Next Round’s On Me. Follow him on Twitter: @adam_stanley