By Irishexaminer.com Pj Browne
鈥淚 just allowed myself to make mistakes and just kind of move on straight away, stay really patient throughout the week. My main goal is to try and hang around, just kind of be there or thereabouts. The Sunday was tough, so I was really happy with how I managed to kind of stick in and climb a good bit up the leaderboard.鈥
The Dublin golfer took the step up from amateur level before last year鈥檚 Women鈥檚 Irish Open and is now 10 months into her professional career. She earned a tour card at Q School in December at the same time as fellow Irish golfers Sara Byrne and Annabel Wilson.
鈥淲e’ve got to travel to some really cool places and it’s a great way to see the world,鈥 she said about her rookie season on tour.
鈥淚 was lucky enough to get through Q School and get my full card, which has given me the freedom to plan my year up to a certain point and affords me to take weeks off here and there, which is definitely needed.鈥
The transition from college golf – she played at the Alabama-based Auburn University – has been relatively easy for Foster. It鈥檚 the off-course factors, like getting the right team around her, which have required adjustment.
鈥淭his is now my business and career compared to it being a hobby, even though amateur golf is now basically semi-professional at this point anyway,鈥 she said. 鈥淕olf-wise, there wasn’t a huge step up or transition.
鈥淭he first half of the year was quite travel heavy, being outside of Europe, in Australia and South Africa and Korea. Now that we’re back in Europe, it feels so much easier.鈥
The presence of plenty of familiar faces like Byrne and Wilson, along with Olivia Mehaffey, Lauren Walsh, and Canice Screene has also made the transition easier.
鈥淭here’s a nice group of Irish girls out on tour as well, so that makes a huge difference in the small things throughout the week, like sharing accommodation and just always having a smiling face in the players’ lounge,鈥 said Foster.
鈥淲e’ve known each other almost 10 years. To be able to come up through the amateur and college system and come out the other end, we all get each other. There’s also a healthy level of competition as well between us. We want each other to do well. We also want to beat each other as well.鈥
At this week鈥檚 Women鈥檚 Irish Open, which like last year is being played at Carton House, there will be a record 16 Irish competitors – seven professional and nine amateur. Earlier this year, Foster’s home club Elm Park held a fundraiser to ease her into the professional ranks. It took off some pressure to perform in those early months. Now she’s also easing that pressure.
“I have a bit more freedom finishing fourth last week, Order of Merit wise,” she said.
“I’m comfortable now for the next while so I can go out and just try and do my best for the next few weeks. It’s exciting.
鈥淚t’s a good place to be in. If someone had said it to me at the start of the year that I’d be in this position now, I would have definitely taken it.鈥