Klára Davidson Spilková: After a week of rest, I feel ready for the defense

 Czech professional golfer Klára Davidson Spilková is returning to the game after a short period of regeneration. Just before the climax of this year’s season, Klára Davidson Spilková will participate in two tournaments on the Ladies European Tour circuit. In the first of the two, at the Women’s Open Championship in Newmarket-on-Fergus on the west coast of Ireland, she will defend her last year’s victory. Immediately afterwards, she will fly to the Netherlands to compete in the Big Green Egg Open near the town of Hilversum.

“In the end, I was glad I skipped the last planned tournament and went home. I didn’t touch my clubs all week, and my mind and body had a nice rest. Those five weeks before were really demanding, and two weeks of recovery and gathering strength are a minimum. Thanks to that, I now feel prepared for the defense,” the player wrote upon arriving in Ireland.

The 2022 title was decided in a three-player playoff, into which Davidson Spilková proceeded after playing a daring shot from a water hazard on the next-to-last hole and a birdie on the final hole. In the playoff, the Czech player faced Ursula Wikström of Finland and Nicole Broch Estrup of Denmark. All three finished with identical scores of 14 strokes under par after the final round. However, it wasn’t just victory that Davidson Spilková earned at the extra hole. As the defending champion, she has the honour of staying at Dromoland Castle. Yet the title also meant a lot of obligations…

“I’m not the only one staying at the castle. The biggest domestic star, Leona Maguire, is also staying here. But it’s not all for free and for no reason. As the defending champion, I had a junior clinic and a press conference on Tuesday and a media day on Wednesday. There are a lot of obligations associated with defending the title. However, they all make up for it with typical Irish hospitality, and I will even play the first two rounds with Leona [Maguire]. So I expect her fans to create a great atmosphere for us,” Davidson Spilková revealed from the tournament venue and Dromoland Castle.

Although the tournament is played on the same course as last year, there are some changes, and the weather and recent heavy rains may affect the play as well.

“There are a few new features, like a new bunker on the 11th hole or a new tee on the 16th, and the course has been extended overall. You can also tell it rained a lot here all summer as the course is quite soft. Some holes may be slightly shortened due to this. Last year, the course was dry and firm. So there was too little water last year and too much of it this year. Although it’s the same course, it’s actually quite different due to the conditions, so let’s see how it turns out,” the professional described the course conditions.

Davidson Spilková will tee off from the 10th hole at 9:06 local time in the first round, and she won’t be short of spectators. As last year’s champion, she will be joined by two Irish players: four-time LPGA and Ladies European Tour tournament winner and current world number fourteen Leona Maguire and the great hope of Irish golf and this year’s successful qualifier for the US Women’s Open at Pebble Beach, amateur Áine Donegan.

The starting list of the KPMG Women’s Irish Open, which starts on Thursday, 31 August 2023, also features three other Czech names: this year’s winner of the Amundi German Masters Kristýna Napoleaová (starting from hole 1 at 13:47), Sára Kousková (hole 10 at 13:36) and Tereza Melecká (hole 10 at 8:11).

Klára Davidson Spilková’s tournament schedule:

31 August – 3 September 2023         KPMG Women’s Irish Open, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Ireland

8–10 September 2023                       Big Green Egg Open, Hilversum, Netherlands