When Stephanie Kyriacou steps on to the primary tee within the US Girls’s Open at Erin Hills this week, make certain to present her an additional as soon as over whereas in search of something uncommon.
A part of the rationale for her very good golf, which has been wonderful this 12 months on the LGPA Tour, has been a change in considering and likewise the expansion that comes with being extra established.
Now not is Kyriacou a participant who felt intimidated by the ruthless nature {of professional} golf, notably within the US. And neither is she making an attempt to be good in each facet of her golf.
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Kyriacou sinks albatross on closing gap! | 00:50
The third-ranked Aussie, who sits comfortably contained in the world’s prime 40 golfers, advised foxsports.com.au that she has learnt loads since turning skilled in the course of the pandemic.
However that doesn’t imply Kyriacou and her crew should not having enjoyable, with the 24-year-old saying that sharing side-bets and smack speak together with her caddie and crew helps her keep relaxed on the course.
Which is why it’s value taking a detailed have a look at her this week. For those who notice something uncommon, be it a streak of color via her hair or a nick in her eye forehead, for instance, it in all probability means the rising star was hustled by one among her mates not too long ago.
Throughout Kyriacou’s audacious bid for victory in The Evian Championship final 12 months, the Sydneysider did so whereas coping with a payback that got here with dropping a type of facet wagers.
Kyriacou, who completed runner-up within the Evian basic in her finest end thus far in a significant, performed the match figuring out she had a large nick out of her eyebrow.
“I believe the worst one I’ve needed to do is put a slit in my eyebrow,” she advised foxsports.com.au
“It was so silly, however (the wager) was with my osteo Jack. He made two half-court photographs in a row (in basketball) and he gave me a couple of goes at it and I simply sucked and I missed.
“So I needed to do it. I (put the slit in on) the Monday or Tuesday of the Evian (and) there’s a few images (the place I look) horrendous.”
The eyebrow styling didn’t impact her efficiency, for Kyriacou performed with a panache that has many predicting she is able to rising far additional within the girls’s sport.
Importantly, she additionally acquired her personal again on a latest journey to New York within the lead-in to her second US Girls’s Open, the place she will likely be hoping for enchancment after posting a uncommon missed reduce lead to 2024.
“My osteo misplaced a guess to me and he needed to get a bowl reduce, so I did it and it wasn’t very fairly,” she mentioned.
“My caddie needed to clear it up however that was in all probability the spotlight, simply watching him in ache. However everybody was laughing. It’s not simply me. The following day was robust for him when he was going via safety and needed to take his hat off.”
The shut relationships Kyriacou, who was launched to golf by her dad as a three-year-old, shares together with her crew are essential given she spends many of the 12 months on the highway enjoying.
She spoke to Fox Sports activities Australia from a home Golf Australia has in Orlando to help those that spend important time away from their household and mates at dwelling.
Kyriacou is caddied by Wei Liang, a childhood mate and peer who performed alongside her in junior ranks as she emerged to develop into one among Australia’s finest prospects. In the event that they seem like they’re having quite a lot of enjoyable on the course, it’s as a result of they’re, she mentioned.
“Wei and I’ve been working collectively for 3 years now. I don’t assume it’s like an everyday caddie-player relationship, as a result of we’re good mates and now we have been for over 10 years now,” she mentioned.
“We’ve performed an entire bunch of golf collectively for years and years, so I believe that made it straightforward for him to return out, as a result of he already is aware of my sport.
“And Wei is somebody who can inform me to tug my head out of my bum within the instances after I want it, whereas another person who I haven’t had that historical past with may not be capable to, so I believe that’s a giant benefit that now we have.”
Kyriacou received the Australian Women Traditional by a whopping eight strokes whereas nonetheless an newbie when capturing 22-under on the Bonville Golf Resort in 2020 previous to the pandemic.
Whereas she needed to forego nearly $70,000 in prize cash, the success earned her a two-year exemption on the European tour and, after turning skilled, she made an imprint when making the reduce within the British Open earlier than ending second within the Swiss Open.
A 12 months later she claimed her first skilled win within the Massive Inexperienced Egg Open — yep, it’s an occasion in France — and completed the season third within the tour’s Order of Benefit. However the US was calling.
After incomes her LPGA card via qualifying college, Kyriacou has made regular inroads up the rankings, together with her consistency in majors and on the common tour excellent.
Within the 16 majors she has performed thus far Kyriacou, who’s desperately hoping the Blues win the opening State of Origin match on Wednesday night time to present her sledging rights over Australian legend Karrie Webb, she has three prime 10 finishes.
In her 9 begins this season main into the US Girls’s Open, she has recorded three prime 10 finishes and reached the weekend in all bar one occasion to earn greater than $630,000.
“I believe I’ve type of modified my perspective on golf,” she mentioned.
“I believe for a pair years, particularly after I first got here out, I acquired a bit sucked into the technical facet and making an attempt to make issues good when that’s simply not dependable as a result of in golf, you’re going to fail extra instances than you’ll succeed.
“So I believe this 12 months, and even the final 12 months, I’ve tried to play video games inside the sport. Identical to even having little bets with my caddie or, you already know, some kind of a birdie match with a number of the different women.
“I’ve simply tried to get a bit extra exterior and simply play golf fairly than making an attempt to make it look fairly. And it’s been working. In order that’s the strategy I’m going to take for some time.”
However, she mentioned, getting used to the cut-and-thrust nature within the US took a while.
“I really feel like yearly, each match, I really feel like there’s one thing I study or there’s one thing that I need to enhance on,” she mentioned.
“I’ve discovered how I need to play golf out right here. It’s very cutthroat and ruthless. So … it’s a must to be egocentric. You must have a pair out right here, as a result of there’s no level popping out and simply placing in 50 p.c, as a result of that’s probably not going to get you anyplace. That’s actually the most important factor that I’ve discovered, to only truthfully be courageous whenever you play.
“I bear in mind my first 12 months, I used to be so intimidated, since you’re enjoying in opposition to the those that (you used to) watch on TV. It was very scary (and) very intimidating. However when you type of recover from that and also you’re courageous with the way you play, I believe that provides you the perfect probability.”
And that’s on the golf course. Dwelling within the US has its personal challenges, amongst them “reducing your requirements on the subject of espresso”.
“The primary couple years had been a little bit of a wrestle. You’re getting type of thrown within the deep in America,” she mentioned.
“It’s just like us in a pair methods, nevertheless it’s (additionally) so totally different being in a rustic you’ve by no means been in earlier than and also you … have to maneuver right here and keep right here months at a time. So it’s fairly scary. It’s fairly intimidating.
“However I believe as soon as you’re employed out the information and tips of touring and you’ve got your personal little crew — like, I’m good mates with quite a lot of the Aussies out right here — so when you type of set up that, it does get a little bit bit simpler. I imply, in fact I miss my household and mates again at dwelling, however once more, it’s a part of the job.”
Webb, who’s in common contact with quite a lot of the Aussie golfers, was a assist as properly.
“I bear in mind the primary time I met Karrie — Stacey Peters put me in a apply spherical together with her and compelled me to ask her all these questions — however I had nothing for,” she mentioned.
“I used to be similar to, ‘Oh my God. I’m enjoying with like a legend.’ However (in) my first years popping out on tour, she’s been so approachable with all the recommendation.
“I’ve had dinners together with her. She’s launched me to different LPGA legends. She provides me stick about State of Origin. She loves rubbing it in your face, which is sort of annoying. However, yeah, she’s very approachable (and) she’s not afraid to assist all of the Aussie women.”
The Aussie connection runs robust. Hannah Inexperienced was not too long ago on the New York journey with Kyriacou, who says the friendships are serving to the inexperienced and gold golfers flourish.
“I believe out right here, it’s type of like every nation sticks with each other, however I might say the Aussies in all probability have the closest household,” she mentioned.
“We stick with one another most weeks (and) go for dinners and stuff. It’s like having one other household out right here, which may be very good as a result of, once more, you’re so far-off from dwelling, so to have one thing from house is healthful, I suppose.”
The maiden main triumph and supreme success on the LGPA has confirmed elusive thus far, although Kyriacou has stored placing herself in positions to contend within the latter phases.
And she or he produced a second that went viral not too long ago when scoring an albatross on the final gap on the Black Desert Championship that gave her a way of what striding up the 72nd gap because the seemingly winner can be like.
“I believe I used to be a bit in shock,” she mentioned.
“I used to be simply nervous about not trying awkward, as a result of I’m a really awkward individual, however … they reduce to me the entire approach up the green. So I used to be similar to, ‘That is unreal. Extra of that.’
“Lots of people despatched it to me, however I didn’t realise it was as viral because it went, as a result of I reshared it on my Instagram. However then apparently it was shared much more than that. Nevertheless it was fairly cool. I’ll in all probability keep in mind that for a really very long time.”