Rochelle Morris is hoping that 2014 will be her best season yet.
She has a successful winter’s training with coach John Eyre under her belt and has already qualified for the Faldo Series Grand Final in Greenbriar, West Virginia, in October.
The former Greenhead College student, now 18, is taking this year out to concentrate on her golf.
Earlier this month she had the dream start with a strong performance in the Faldo Series qualifier at Moortown. She beat West Lancashire’s Eloise Healey in a play-off to finish runner-up in the girls’ division.
The 2014 Faldo Series Europe schedule features 17 tournaments in 15 countries, including three in England, plus others in Abu Dhabi, Ireland, Chile, Wales, Brazil, Scotland, Czech Republic, Italy, Austria, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Slovakia and the USA.
Rochelle will be up against some stiff competition, 40 Faldo Series tournaments are held in 30 countries, with more than 7,000 golfers taking part every year. Past winners include major champions Rory McIlroy and Yani Tseng.
Rochelle also had a strong finish to last season against tough opposition from around the world with a 15th place in the Let Access Series WPGA International Challenge at Stoke By Nayland, Levenheath.
Continuing where she left off before the winter, Rochelle posted another good series of rounds in the Portuguese International Ladies Amateur Championships at Montado at the end of January. She was one of eight English players to make the third round cut, going on to finish 23rd .
In February, she had her best result so far: second in the Hacienda del Alamo Ladies Golf Festival in Spain.
Earlier this week both Rochelle and Megan Lockett of Huddersfield made the 66-player cut in the Scottish Open Strokeplay Championship, finishing 49th and 56th respectively.
Parents Roger and Marie, of Brackenhall, are her biggest fans and travel with Rochelle to many of her tournaments. Roger said: “I think her chances of having a successful season are very good.
“There is some strong competition at this level, but she has worked hard all winter, her swing is looking good and she is improving all the time.”
John Eyre, who has coached Rochelle since she was a nine-year-old at Crosland Heath, endorsed this view. Like the successful British cycling squad, John is working on making small improvements to every aspects of Rochelle’s game -and this includes gym work to improve body strength and diet.
He said: “It has been great to use the cameras and studios upstairs here at Woodsome Hall. We have been able to keep going throughout the winter, even when we’ve had some awful weather.
“I try to keep things fairly simple, not too technical, and Rochelle’s practice ethic is fantastic. I think she is going to have a really good season. She is physically stronger, which also helps concentration, her handicap has come down to plus one and she is hitting the ball further.
“It is fantastic what Rochelle has already achieved and now she is ready to take the step up to the next level.”
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