Jaye Marie Green didn’t come in to the U.S Women’s Open week with her best game. She had missed four consecutive cuts before the start of the second major of the season.
Her visit to Charleston gave her a chance to reset.
“I think it’s just majors, you just know the scores aren’t going to be way low, and it’s tough. I feel like I can play patient, play my own game. I don’t know what it is about majors, I just love them.”
Green has found a groove in recent majors. She has finished in the top 20 in her last three major starts, and improving at each one. She finished T18 at the 2018 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, T15 at the Ricoh British Women’s Open, and T12 at the ANA Inspiration this year, her last made cut before her recent cold stretch of play.
“I’m not trying to go to pins, I’m not trying to go for birdies. I kind of just let it come to me. That’s just the way my game works, I make more birdies when I’m not trying.”
Her scores back up that belief. She finished (-2) at the 2018 KPMG Women’s Championship, (-5) at the 2018 Ricoh British Women’s Open, and (-3) at this year’s ANA Inspiration.
Her lowest career tournament score is at the 2014 JTBC Founders Cup, when she shot (-13) for the event. She finished six shots behind winner Karrie Webb at that tournament.
“Then I get on courses that are easier, more getatable, and I don’t know what to do with myself.”
Having a grinding mentality like Green takes a lot of mental energy out of a player. For the five-year LPGA veteran, having her older brother Matt on the bag helps keep her centered.
“Just being able to have no filter, he helped me a lot yesterday. I was struggling at the beginning of the round, and I let it out to him. Just to have that as a brother, and then a caddy, it’s awesome.”
As Green sits at (-3) through her opening two rounds, she has another opportunity to continue adding to her major success.