Hannah Darling opens up on 'tough time' ahead of Women's Scottish Open outing
Lothians star excited about ‘great opportunity’ in star-studded field at Dundonald Links
Hannah Darling admits she’d had a “tough time on and off the course” in her rookie year in the professional ranks.
But the Lothians star feels she is ready to grasp a “great opportunity” when she tees up in a star-studded field in this week’s ISPS HANDA Scottish Women’s Open in Ayrshire.
Darling is flying the Saltire at Dundonald Links along with Gemma Dryburgh, the pair having secured spots in the $2 million event through VisitScotland invitations.
Making her pro debut on the same stage 12 months ago, Darling had a real spring in her step on the back of a glittering amateur career.
A few months later, the Broomieknowe player came through two stages of the LET’s Qualifying School to secure her card for this season only to then struggle to find her feet on the circuit.
In 13 events so far, Darling has made only two cuts and sits 164th in the Order of Merit, meaning she could be heading back to the Qualifying School at the end of the year.
“Yeah, it's been challenging,” she admitted, speaking at the side of the putting green at Dundonald Links with her trusty coach, Ian Muir, close by. “Definitely a lot of learning so far. It's probably not gone as I would have liked for it to have gone.
“But, you know, I wouldn't really have it any other way. It's definitely not a bad thing, having a bit of a struggle and just getting a bit of experience and just testing yourself a little bit and seeing how you go through it. It's been fairly tough on and off the golf course to be honest with you. But I know it will come.
“It's just trying to be patient, which is not my favourite word. I do have the patience - but I just want to come now and, yeah, that (shining on home soil) would be a nice one.”
Darling, a two-time Scottish Girls’ champion and member of a winning GB&I Curtis Cup team at Sunningdale in 2024, isn’t the first player to take time to adjust to life in the pro ranks. Just ask Justin Rose, who suffered a lengthy streak of missed cuts at the start of his professional career.
“I think it's like anybody starting in any job,” added Darling. “There's a bit of a period where you have to get used to it and find out who everybody is and where you need to go and what you need to do, and it's not really been golf.
“To be honest with you, it's just been all the other things, including travelling a lot this year on the LET. We’ve been pretty much all over the world, but, at the same time, it’s been a great experience.”
World No 1 Nelly Korda spearheads a star-studded line up at Dundonald Links, where seven of the top ten in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings are teeing up. They include defending champion Lottie Woad and fans’ favourite Charley Hull.
“It's obviously a great event that is co-sanctioned with the LPGA, so it's a big tournament for us in the year,” said Darling, referring to her and fellow LET players.
“Just to be on home soil playing in the Scottish Open is fantastic and it's a great opportunity - really, really excited to be here. Yeah, not feeling as nervous as I was last year here, which is quite nice.”