Derby player Mel Reid proved the doubters wrong and sealed her first LPGA victory at the ShopRite Classic.
This weekend, English player Mel Reid saw her years of hard work finally pay off.
The wait was officially over for the Derby-born girl as she sealed her first LPGA win at the ShopRite LPGA Classic in spectacular style
We couldn't be more happy for her and it was so well deserved.
She won by two strokes at 19-under at Seaview, A Dolce Hotel in the USA, shooting a final round of 67 and 4 under par.
Naturally, the 33 year old was thrilled and speaking after her final round she said: “I’m just over the moon, so emotional. So happy for myself and my team, there is a lot more to it than just me hitting a golf ball."
Always a fighter and never afraid to speak her mind, she admitted that she went into the final round wanting to prove the very few (and stupid) doubters wrong.
She said: "I read a tweet yesterday and it was probably one of the only bad tweets that I got saying she’ll choke. It gave me a bit of motivation. I know it sounds stupid, but probably the best thing I could have read. I was definitely not letting that happen."
Mel is a true model who has come back fighting after going through personal tragedy.
In 2012, her mum died in a car crash on the way to watch her daughter play in a Ladies European Tour event in Germany, and in the past the player has been open about the emotional scars she wears.
But now she's gone full circle, and although her first win may have taken longer than she initially hoped, she's the perfect example of why you should never give up.
Runner up Jennifer Kupcho, who finished two shots behind at 17 under, is exactly ten years Mel's junior.
But the Florida-based star didn't let the younger players chase her down after she took the overnight lead going into the Sunday.
She said: “The older you get in this game you do create a few scars. But being 33 years old and lifting this trophy when I had some young players behind me, it goes to show I guess that I like adversity. I’ll always be a fighter and try and fight my way through things. I’m so happy and relieved that I got it done.”
Hitting 13 greens in regulation during her last round, Mel started off on the right foot with a birdie on the 1st and then again on the 3rd.
She faultered slightly at holes 6 and 7 with a pair of bogies but after a few more birdies she still had a one-shot leader over Jennifer Song going into the back nine.
Things then got tense on the 15th for the six-time Ladies European Tour winner.
After coming up short on the par-3 she realised she had to make a 15-foot putt to par the hole and keep surging ahead.
But of course she did it, and it was one of the best bits of golf we've seen in a long time.
Commenting on that fateful hole she said: “That was a huge moment for us and probably the first time I showed emotion the whole tournament because I knew what a big putt it was."
"Making par there, that’s when I knew if I don’t do anything stupid this is mine.”
The final day definitely had a sense of déjà vu; in the last event on the LPGA, the Portland Classic, the three-time Solheim Cup player was also leading going into the final round.
But while in Oregon she eventually finished T5 and fellow Brit Georgia Hall lifted the trophy, this time she didn't let herself drop down the leaderboard.
Mel again credited her team for helping her work on her mental approach ahead of the tournament in New Jersey.
Speaking after the third round she said: “I spoke to [my psychologist] Howard [Falco] about it quite a lot last week. I’m a pretty quick player and it kind of makes me quick on my swing. I’ll take my time tomorrow, I think. That is basically what we took away.”
Her shots of the weekend also including an amazing eagle on the par-5 9th during Round 3 and an epic driver off the deck moment.
Showered with champagne afterwards, she looked absolutely in her element.
Congratulations Mel and we hope your head has recovered from all the celebrating, that's if the party isn't going on all week…. (it totally should).
