Pauline Roussin-Bouchard - © Darren Reese

The 20-year-old Frenchwoman scored 75 (+3) on Wednesday, battling against the wind all day, struggling to knock putts down on par 5s.

“It was a difficult day for me. I handled par-5s very, very badly. I let a few leaves get away and it was really difficult with the wind, but I liked my game that was in place, it's a little frustrating to end up with a bogey on a par-5 ”, she said. “I hit a lot of good shots and didn't put in any putts. I only got one birdie despite two great chances, but none came in. I think these greens are very, very difficult and with the wind it was even more complicated. This is the reason why there is not a very low score. "

Pauline Roussin-Bouchard has more length in her game than most other players. adding that she hit the greens in two strokes on all holes except # 9, missing her face-off.

Like many, she struggles to find the right balance between the desire to do well and the desire to soak up all that this event has to offer.

"I have a hard time thinking about how I want to do this tournament, but at the same time I want to enjoy it", she said. “There's so much more than golf here. There's friendship, being in Augusta and it's all part of a long journey, I have to be patient. "

Fortunately for Pauline Roussin-Bouchard, she is not alone in this case.

The University of South Carolina has the second highest representation with four players (USC has six). Roussin-Bouchard is accompanied by her teammates Paula Kirner, Pimnipa Panthong and Ana Palaez Trivino. This news is not a surprise, since the Gamecocks occupy the first place of the classification of the women's teams.

She narrowly missed qualifying for ANWA 2019, improving her world rankings just days after the deadline. She was 4th in the world at the same time last year and continues to improve the smallest details of her game. She stressed that the mental aspect is the one that has improved the most.

“For the past two years, it was all about working on my behavior and managing my emotions. I still sometimes struggle with certain mental errors. At one point you grow a little bit bigger and that gives you a different perspective on the mental side of golf ”, she said. “Sometimes it can give you a little more pressure and sometimes I would get too angry. I kept missing shots instead of limiting myself to pars, or sometimes bogeys when needed. "

For this week, Pauline Roussin-Bouchard prepared for a year. When the world of sport stopped, she found herself in quarantine at her home in France.

“It was quite difficult because everything was canceled at the same time. We've gone from a full golf season and suddenly it's gone. I had to go back to France, so it was a bit sudden. "

What difference does a year make? Pauline Roussin-Bouchard helped South Carolina to the top spot and took part for the first time in the first women's amateur golf tournament. She is only a few nods to the dawn of the second round, and she has yet to put in her last putt.

The tournament continues on Thursday after the first round was suspended due to bad weather on Wednesday afternoon.

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To read our last article on the same subject :

Pauline Roussin Bouchard interview Augusta National Women's Amateur