This week’s Women’s Australian Open will have just two South Australians in the field, and the lone professional, Kristalle Blum, has received the dream draw of a spot in the first group off the first tee at Kooyonga Golf Club on Thursday.
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On the tee at 7:30am alongside West Australian Maddison Hinson-Tolchard and Germany’s Laura Fuenfstueck, the home hope, who is joined by amateur Raegan Denton as the sole South Aussies looking to lift the Patricia Bridges Bowl, expects to have some supporters along for the ride
“First group out on the first, which will be pretty special,” Blum said on Wednesday.
“I’m sure there’ll be a few nerves tomorrow morning. We’ll just hope to get one down the fairway. It’ll be nice to have hopefully a few people out.
“I think Dad was hoping for a sleep in, but no, it’ll be very exciting and hopefully the conditions tomorrow morning first thing are pretty good.”
Blum’s family are a regular talking point when it comes to her golf, particularly her mother, Christine Burton, a golf professional and the 28-year-old’s coach who works out of the family-operated North Haven Golf Club.
Mum and dad are expected to be joined by brother Nick, as the proud Adelaidian experiences her national Open in her hometown inside the ropes for the first time, while enjoying some rare added benefits for a constantly travelling tour professional.
“It was one thing I wanted to do when I was younger and it was in Adelaide,” she said of the Women’s Australian Open. “To get the chance now is something very exciting.
“I’ve tried to sort of just stick with my normal home routines. I’ve been in the gym each morning and dinner and stuff at home is really nice. And then I guess just being around family sort of makes it feel normal.
“Obviously there’s a lot of things this week that are very big and a lot of focus on myself. But no, it’s exciting to have that sort of home life that’s fairly normal in a non-normal week. I’m just happy to sleep in my own bed.”
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Beyond being at home, the advantage of experience at Kooyonga should hold Blum in good stead after a difficult start to the four-week swing of Ladies European Tour and WPGA Tour of Australasia co-sanctioned events.
Playing firm and fast, with windy conditions expected, scoring will be difficult and Blum believes some extra reconnaissance and local knowledge will be an important factor in her cause.
“I think because of how firm and fast it is, that’s probably something that I grew up playing all of these courses in those sorts of conditions,” she said.
“I think that’s definitely going to be like an advantage. And I’ve been out here practising quite a bit over the past few months.”
