Karis Davidson moved from Scotland to Australia as an 8-year-old and these days she is plying her trade in the relative anonymity of the Japan LPGA Tour. The 20-year-old is yet another successful pupil of Ian Triggs but one who is prepared to do things her way.
My dad got me into golf back in Scotland when I was about 4 years old. He was a good player himself and happy to get me into the game. He used to take me to play after school and on weekends.
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I had been playing good and consistent amateur golf for a couple of years and I just knew within myself that I was ready to turn professional. It wasn’t necessarily the fact of being good enough; it was more when I felt I was ready to take the next step in my career. My parents thought I should give the Japan Q-School a go, as I was interested in Japan, and see what happens even if it was just for the experience. I was very happy to have passed each stage.
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Motivating me to turn professional was a need I felt for a bigger challenge and the fact I was getting itchy feet! I had been training for years to become a professional and felt I was more than ready.
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One of the biggest challenges in becoming a professional was the difference in the tournament schedule for the season. Usually I played about 10 amateur tournaments a year and last year I played more than 30 pro events. Another is being alone on the road, which has a big impact on your mental state, as it gets very lonely not being able to go home every night to your family as I did when I was an amateur. It’s also hard being in a different country.
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I have relied on my coach Ian Triggs for guidance as he has other women professionals on the LPGA. I have also been extremely lucky to have guidance and advice from Karrie Webb. I won her scholarship as an amateur two years in a row and have gotten to know Karrie. I also have the support of Golf Australia and I have a fantastic manager in Japan, too, who keeps me right.
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There are many sacrifices made on the way to becoming a professional athlete. At school I was unavailable to attend a lot of social events due to training early in the morning or going to the gym. I basically wasn’t available to socialise as much as a person who is not an athlete.
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I am very independent and a self motivated person. I am also mentally strong. But I overcome any doubt or apprehension about my future in golf by talking to my parents, coach and friends. They encourage me all the time.
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In 10 years’ time hopefully I’ll still be playing on a tour, whether it is Japan or the USA.
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Last year, I built up a lot of contacts and some friendships on the Japan LPGA Tour. This year, I will be going back to familiar places and faces and courses I have played on before compared to last year, when I hadn’t seen any of the courses – and some of them are tricky! I feel more confident knowing what’s ahead.
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I have been learning the Japanese language for a while now. It’s taken a while to learn the basics as it has a completely different structure to English and also three alphabets. But I picked up a bit last year and am still learning. And my favourite Japanese food is ramen!
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Some people ask why I chose to play in Japan over Europe or the USA. Well, I love the culture and food! Plus, I was a member of AnK Golf (Australia and Korea Golf) Academy on the Gold Coast from the age of 11. They scouted me at a schools competition and I still practise with them as they are like family. I was mixing with Korean and Japanese kids, so I got used to the culture. I felt that I fitted in. I have always had a thing for Japan. The tournaments are all in the same country, there is only one-hour time difference and I can fly home in any time off. The Japan tour is friendly and a very lucrative tour.
Karis Davidson spoke with Annabel Rolley
