Face of Nation : “For people to come and congratulate me, that’s a little different,” Green said of the attention she has received since winning the Women’s PGA Championship by one stroke a month ago.
“Even when I went to the orthodontist, they all knew the news and said congratulations.”
Before the tournament, the quiet West Australian was ranked 113th in the world, with no wins on the LPGA Tour. She is now a major champion, having surged to 27th in the world and pocketing an $822,000 pay cheque in the process.
Green, 22, was also only the third Australian woman to win a major, after Karrie Webb and Jan Stephenson.
The tournament and the win was something for which she had practised for years with focus and dedication. But the level of recognition that it brought was something she never expected.
“I’ve never really had something like that, so that I’m slowly getting used to [it],” Green admitted. “It’s slowly sinking in.”
Green has operated largely in the shadow of fellow Perth product Minjee Lee, who is ranked third in the world and was seen as the player most likely to break Australia’s 13-year major drought after recording four top-three finishes this year.
“We’ve been playing together since juniors and I’ve obviously seen her win so many times,” Green said of Lee.
“I’d say people thought she was going to be the first person to win [a major] after Karrie, so it’s a good rivalry for both of us, very healthy indeed.” “She was actually one of the first people to congratulate me, which was really nice.”
