Golf: Brooky tackles the Open for her mum

Lynette Brooky has to focus on golf. Picture / Bay of Plenty Times

New Zealand golfer Lynnette Brooky will do well to keep her emotions in check during the Women's British Open starting tonight.

Brooky enters the £1.05 million ($3.20 million) major championship at Royal Lytham and St Annes mourning her mother, Margaret, who died in Wellington on Monday after a two-year battle with cancer.

The New Zealand No 1 skipped two European events last month to be with her mother, whom she credits with instilling the fighting spirit that has marked her career as a touring professional.

She spent 10 days with her family before returning to Britain last Saturday at the urging of Margaret, and now wants to ensure her thoughts do not drift too far beyond the gallery ropes at the historic English course.

That's easier said than done with Brooky teeing off a matter of hours after her mother is laid to rest on the other side of the world.

"It will be pretty emotional but I'm determined to stay strong," said Brooky, 38.

"My playing is what the family and mum, especially, wanted me to do. She made me promise to come back for the British Open."

Brooky is thankful she could celebrate her mother's 73rd birthday, the first time in 13 years she had been present on the occasion.

"Because it's a major the family really wanted me to come here and play for mum. That's what I intend doing.

"She actually dreamed I played this British Open so it's something I really want to do."

Apart from the loss of her mother it has been a difficult season for Brooky, which peaked with a win in the Spanish Open in May, her fourth European title.

Injury has troubled her since then, forcing a premature withdrawal from the Portugal Open before the same ankle complaint accompanied her to New York last month for the US Open. Damp conditions and a long course left her limping home 68th and last after a closing round of 85.

"It was a bit embarrassing towards the end but I could still walk and my thinking was that if I could walk I would finish," Brooky said. "It was a bit painful, I was having bad back spasms by the end."

She then bypassed the Catalonia Masters in Italy and the rich Evian Masters in France to be at her mother's side. Brooky says that although she feels as if she will be starting from scratch, she feels fine physically. She also has positive memories of past appearances at Royal Lytham and St Annes, where she has been known to dip into red figures.

"I know that if I'm on, if I can read the greens and the putts are dropping, there's a good chance of me playing really well.

"I'm just happy to be back on the golf course, knowing that I'm doing it for my mum."

- NZPA