Mind games crucial to Maha's ambitions in Ladies Masters

Joy Chakravarty 08:47 09/12/2015
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  • Home from home: Maha Haddioui.

    It’s an important week for Morocco’s Maha Haddioui, the only Arab player in the Ladies Masters field.

    The 27-year-old from Casablanca feels like she is playing her home tournament, and yet the Majlis course hasn’t really been very kind to her.

    In her previous three visits, she has missed the cut twice and finished 52nd last year.

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    And yet, Haddioui is targeting a top 10 this week, knowing she needs a finish like that to keep her Tour card for 2016. Going into the season-ending championship, she is 107th in the Order of Merit.

    Haddioui needs to move to within the top 80 of the Order of Merit on Saturday in order to avoid a trip to the Qualifying School.

    “I’m really happy to be back in Dubai. It’s one of my favourite tournaments and it feels like home,” said Haddioui.

    “My goals for the week are pretty high, because I’ve been working a lot on my game.  I know the course pretty well. I’m more used to the high pressure that is involved in this kind of big tournament. So I’m hoping for a top 10.”

    Haddioui believes the reason she has failed before is because there has been too much pressure on her, but comes armed with a new method to deal with that situation.

    “I think I had a hard time dealing with the big pressure that was on me. It feels a bit as being in Morocco here. So basically, I think I had too high expectations, which I am learning to counter,” she added. 

    “More importantly, I’ve worked on it a lot. I think I’ve gained more experience from the previous years and worked a lot on my game and shot making.  So, I am very confident this year. 

    “I know there’s a lot of eyes on me because I’m the only Arab player. I’m trying to use it as a positive thing and as a pride, and trying to have it lift me up rather than put pressure on me.

    “I’ve set up a mind routine with a coach that involves mental conditioning where I think of positive things and try and get a quiet mind before playing every shot. 

    “It involves thinking of a happy place, a happy smell, a happy sound, and then that helps me calm down.”

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