The Lindrick professional’s debut in the Women's PGA Professional Championship last year was memorable for a variety of reasons.
She would prevail at Goswick Links in some horrible wet and windy conditions, she would book her place on the Women's PGA Cup side and she would think her way round the classic James Braid links in some style.
Holly Morgan pieced together rounds of 76-74 for a one-shot win over Keely Chiericato and by two from Heather MacRae, both former winners of the biggest WPGA event of the calendar. The Yorkshire Pro arrived in Northumberland to bright skies before having to put on her waterproofs and game face.
"Goswick is a great test and we had three very, very different condition days. On the practice day it was so calm and it was a beautiful day, then the weather hit and it was windy and raining. It was everything you wouldn't want on a links course. I did OK and kept myself in it but off the tee, I wasn't very good. I was missing fairways and that cost me a few shots and my short game and putter saved me a lot. In the final round, I don't think I hit my driver once. I was probably more proud of myself in that performance mentally than I've ever been in any other one because I stayed so patient," she explained.
Morgan has worked on the mental side of the game with Laura Scott, thanks to a chance meeting in the pro shop, and it paid dividends as she closed out the win on another tough day of both weather and scoring.
"It's just being present. I made a very poor double-bogey on the 2nd and I was just right, OK, that's it, wipe the slate clean. Don't take it into the next hole and keep playing my own game. I parred every hole up to the 17th, which I birdied, and then I bogeyed the last to win by one. I didn't try to go for anything stupid, the conditions weren't great and I play a lot of golf with men so I'm quite comfortable in coming into greens from further out. My mindset with the putter was also completely different that week and it really helped."
I was probably more proud of myself in that performance mentally than I've ever been in any other one because I stayed so patient
The other huge bonus was a place on the Women's PGA Cup side later in the year at Sunriver Resort in Oregon where she was part of Cathy Panton-Lewis's five-strong team. The Great Britain side would finish fourth and the experience was something that will stay with Morgan forever.
"Making the team was my goal at the start of the year. I didn't expect to do it at Goswick because I hadn't accrued any points from the previous year and it was my first championship. So when the captain, Cathy Panton-Lewis, gave me the welcome pack it was brilliant. I'd never played in a PGA Cup so I didn't know what to expect but it was honestly the best week of my life. The team environment makes it so special. It was fantastic from start to finish, everybody was rooting for each other and it was just such a nice atmosphere. I shared a buggy with two Swedish girls in particular and we just encouraged each other.
"The first day I was probably my happiest with my golf, I played really well and my golf was probably the worst on the last day but I holed quite a few putts and my short game was good. It was all amazing."
This year the Women's PGA Professional Championship will again be held at Goswick on June 30 and July 1 and the players will play for a prize fund of £15,000.
To read our preview of the Women's PGA Assistants' Championship, click here.
