Emily Pedersen shines in Boston with strong opening round despite limited training

Danish golfer Emily Pedersen delivered a stellar performance in the opening round of the LPGA Tour's FM Championship in Boston, securing a tie for second place. Her impressive display saw her card eight birdies against a single bogey, placing her seven strokes under par after the first day of play.

This strong showing comes at a time when Pedersen is still contending with the after-effects of wrist surgery performed earlier in the year. The 30-year-old athlete admitted that her ability to train and play is still restricted. "I still can't hit the ball as I usually can. I've always been someone who trained a lot, and I'm still at a point where I have a limit on how much I can hit," she told Reuters.

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I still can't hit the ball as I usually can. I've always been someone who trained a lot, and I'm still at a point where I have a limit on how much I can hit.

Despite the physical limitations, Pedersen has adapted her approach to training. She has focused on mental preparation and maximizing efficiency during her practice sessions. "Mentally, I've tried to learn to be more effective with my time and be more prepared. And not just stand and hit balls for four hours because I can or feel that I have to punish myself," she explained.

Pedersen, who joined the LPGA Tour in 2017, has yet to secure a victory on the prestigious American circuit, though she has achieved four top-10 finishes and earned approximately 10.3 million Danish kroner. Her success has been more pronounced on the Ladies European Tour, where she has won five titles, the most recent in 2020. Fellow Dane Nanna Koerstz Madsen, who won the sole Danish LPGA Tour title in 2022, is also competing but had a less auspicious start, finishing one over par. Nicole Broch Estrup is positioned better, two strokes ahead of par in a tie for 24th.

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Mentally, I've tried to learn to be more effective with my time and be more prepared. And not just stand and hit balls for four hours because I can or feel that I have to punish myself.