Emily Pedersen, an amateur ranked 461 in the world, took to the course at St. Andrews Golf Club in Saudi Arabia.
Running down No. 7. Makes triple bogey. Lots of open grass. Was I just stinking it up? Were you just stinking it up? Did I let you down? It’s not too late, it’s not too late. [referring to her mother] You think that’s awful?
The BBC’s Eleanor Crooks managed to get Pedersen to reveal her game-day routine:
Would you rather be here doing this and being a wild card. Well, that’s just impossible. I’m super, super happy to be here. It’s been the best year of my life. I’m honestly happy I’m here. Just massive, massive happy. I get butterflies all over my body. It’s just incredible.
Pedersen’s 21st birthday also falls in the middle of the international women’s pro-am tournament.
About 30 to 40 women, there’s a couple hundred in the gallery. They start off at about nine, and then I’ll always stay with my mom throughout the whole day. I’m actually coming here, because I haven’t been able to play my normal type of game because of my injuries. Just to have this opportunity to tee it up at St. Andrews for an international event, I mean, I really can’t ask for anything more. So it’s literally like a dream come true. My practice’s going really well. I’m just super excited to go out.
See it. Do it. What else can I say? I mean, there’s no better place to play than St. Andrews.
I heard it was six hours outside of London in freezing weather, 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and I mean, I’m like, ‘Wow.’ I don’t remember anything, I’m just in such a zone. It’s just surreal. It just goes to show you that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible. I just couldn’t be happier.