Hey Friends,

I am sure you all can relate when I say, it feels like my weeks go by so fast these days.....

I arrived back to LA early last Monday morning from Korea. I spent most of that day recuperating and battling jet lag. The only downside to international travel is jet lag! Adjusting between the different time zones is always a challenge.

 

I tried my best to not fall asleep before 9PM. It was tough! However, I still managed to feel tired until 4pm, then I seemed to get a random burst of energy, and I was ready to go. I also picked up a cold while in Korea,because of the cold weather and change in environment.

I spent most of my week laying low. I went to the gym and practiced golf. I was saving my energy for my big weekend in Vegas! I hit Vegas on Friday! The Cotto vs. Pacquiao boxing fight was the highlight and talk of the town. The city was packed with people, and the energy was insane and off the charts.

I had a great weekend. I played golf at the Wynn Hotel, where I spotted Mark Wahlberg and the hilarious Will Ferrell. The atmosphere was super cool, and I got numerous compliments on my GoDaddy carry bag, which always makes me so happy because I love it so much! It is always so humbling and rewarding to receive compliments from fans.

I also hit the Wynn spa and gym, as well as ate at all the great restaurants in Vegas! I didn't do much gambling or staying out late because of my cold. I knew I had to be ready to compete the following week. It’s my last LPGA event of the year! I hope you can tune in to the Tour Championship on the golf channel and or log on to lpga.com! It always means so much to me to know you guys are watching. I can feel your support, and it is a wonderful feeling.

Thanks so much.

Till next week,

Anna Rawson

Hey Guys,

 

I just got back from visiting Shanghai, China. I flew out to play in the Suzhou Ladies Open, as well as do fashion photo shoots for three different magazines, one of them being Women's Health China. I arrived in Shanghai a few days earlier for the shoots. We shot all day Monday getting about 14 different looks in. The day was definitely fruitful and the outfits were lovely, but I have to admit I did get a bit exhausted.

 

On Tuesday, I filmed a talk show, I had a great time, but right after I had to head back down to Suzhou for the tournament. Wednesday morning I played 9 holes followed by the Pro-Am. Thursday morning I headed out for nine holes and some more practice. I felt good about the course which seemed to be playing quite long.

 

The greens were slow, but I was hopeful they would quicken up for the tournament. On Friday I woke up with a terrible migraine; unfortunately, I get them often. They start with loss of vision, and then I feel nausea in my stomach. At first I thought I wouldn't be able to play, but after lots of coffee and some breakfast, I decided to try and bear it.

Amazingly enough I didn't throw up, and I played quite well shooting -1.  After the round I had to lay down the entire evening! Round two started off well. I holed out my wedge on hole 6 for an eagle to get to -3, but after a par on 7, it was downhill from there. I continued to hit the ball well, but 3 putted 4 times to finish at +2. 

During round 3, it was very cold and windy. The club selection was difficult too, so I left myself with some long putts. 16 greens and 5 3 putts later, and I shot +5. I was extremely disappointed to hit the ball so well yet putt so poorly. I do believe it had a lot to do with the greens being particularly slow. However, my stroke was a little off, and it got me thinking too mechanically. Next week in Korea, I am going back to basics: "Look and shoot." All in all, I shot rounds of 71, 75, 77 to finish T33.

Anna Rawson

 

Dear fans,

 

Last week, I had the pleasure of training in beautiful Hualalai, on the big island of Hawaii! Hualalai is the perfect getaway place to relax, train and workout.

 

My golf training consisted of 9 to 18 holes daily as well as a good 1 to 2 hours of chipping and putting. I also worked out mostly in the weight room and on the tennis court. Weight training is important to help build muscle and endurance, while tennis lessons help me learn to feel more confident about my backhand!

 

Although, I worked out in the afternoons I managed not to skip my daily morning 1 to 3 mile walks along the ocean. How could I? The view was too gorgeous to miss out on.

 

Unfortunately, my trip ended after only having been in Hawaii for a week. As much as I wanted to stay I had to head back to LA and prepare for my trip to Asia. I am playing two ladies European tour tournaments. The first tournament will be held in Shanghai, China and the second one on Jeju Island in South Korea.

 

Although, I am looking forward to competing in Asia nothing gets me more excited than the thought of all the delicious and authentic Asian cuisine I will be having. The culture is very beautiful and I can not wait to be a part of it.

 

Stay tuned for details on my trip to Asia.

 

Much love,

 

Anna Rawson

This week I played in the Navistar LPGA classic in Prattville, Alabama. I shot rounds of 70, 69, 73, 73 to finish T44.

On Tuesday, I traveled to Alabama, so I could work with one of my coaches, Ron Stockton. I played 9 holes with him and worked on chipping bunkers and shot-making on the course. I was extremely happy with how I was hitting it!

Upon arriving at Alabama, I headed straight to a player meeting. Afterwards, I attended the Pro-Am party. Navistar hosts one of the best Pro-Am parties that we have all year, so it was fun mingling with players, sponsors and volunteers. The highlight of the night was meeting Charles Barkley. After someone introduced us, he paused for a second and then said "Wait, I know who you are." He then explained how he knew who I was and proceeded to say something along the lines of “Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks, you just keeping paying those bills." It was both sweet and hilarious all at the same time!

Wednesday I had a fabulous Pro-Am group who had to deal with me still asleep for the first 9 holes. Luckily they were all in stellar form and didn't need me—they only used one of my shots and two putts in 9 holes. I woke up on the back nine and redeemed myself; we shot a -16 and finished a respectable second.

In Round One, I hit the ball quite superbly. I gave myself tons of chances and didn't really convert. But I was happy to start with a two under 70.  Especially because I played at the last tee time, which left me with bumpy greens and playing the last few holes in near darkness.

I came out firing the next morning, getting it to -7 at one point, but unfortunately, a bad approach on 17 and a 3-putt on 18 left me at -5.

 I was still optimistic heading into the weekend.

Once again, I started Round Three with stellar ball striking but no ability to convert birdies. I was hitting good putts, but I wasn’t getting a good line. Then I made numerous course management errors and could not get anything going. Making soft bogeys was extremely frustrating.  In Round Four, I just felt stiff right from the beginning. It was a cold and windy morning, and I just couldn't put the ball close to the pin.  Eventually my frustration led to some silly bogeys.  Luckily I pulled my head up and finished with two awesome birdies. The pin was in a ridiculous position on 18. I hit a great approach which ended up over the green, but I holed out and the crowd went crazy, which is always a great way to end the tournament. 

With a few weeks off from the LPGA, I am now heading back to LA. I am looking forward to hitting the gym and working on a few things in my game!

Last week I traveled to Calgary, Canada to play in the Canadian Open. The week didn't start so smoothly when my clothes didn't arrive with me to Canada. The good news was I had my clubs!

I spent Monday resting and going to the mall to buy everything from toiletries to clothes so I could survive until my bag arrived! Thankfully, I had contact lenses and a few other things packed in my carry on!  My bag arrived Tuesday night, which was a relief that I didn't have to go back to the mall to buy more clothes. It’s hard shopping for shorts when all the stores are carrying their fall lines!

I must say that Calgary has some of the most beautiful views on earth. Lake Louise and Bannf were only an hour away from the course. So it felt nice to breathe in the fresh air and take in the magnificent views. I’ll have to come back during ski season!

Wednesday was the pro-am and I had a fabulous group. We laughed our way around the course, which by the way was in great condition. I liked the layout and felt that it would be quite score-able. Thursday morning I played with confidence and shot 64. It really was my best mental performance all year! Not once did I think about the future or the past. I was great at staying in the moment. Unfortunately, when you’re leading the tournament it is so hard to not think about the future and winning, which resulted in me not doing as well on the course the next two days. I shot 73 and 72.  Sunday I did better, but still got a little frustrated when I couldn't get things going. I shot 70 and finished the tournament T18. It was great to be back at the top of the leader board, I had not been there in a while! It was especially fun to play in front of big crowds; the fans in Canada were awesome! 

I was lucky to get a flight to Los Angeles on Sunday so I could spend a few days at home before I had to ravel to Arkansas for the P&G Beauty LPGA event. Don't forget to tune in to the tournament starting Friday!

Anna

.. .. .. .. .. .. ....

After leaving England on Monday my next stop was Cape Cod. It was my first time in the Cape and I must say I loved it! The weather was warm and balmy at night, which was such a nice change from England.

My only prior knowledge of the Cape came from the Freddie Prince Jr. movie Summer Catch. Remember that one?! So for those of you who haven’t been, it’s located on the Peninsula in the easternmost portion of Massachusetts. It has an adorable small-town feel with a large beachfront. It is also home to some fabulous Golf courses. I had a great time playing Eastwood Ho and Old Sandwich. They are both beautiful and fun courses. My time on the Cape flew by and before I knew it I was back in Los Angeles.  I have to say it was nice to be home after 3 weeks on the road!

I was able to fit in a nice lesson with Dana on Friday before I was off to a good friend’s wedding festivities.  This was my first time being in the bridal party and boy can I tell you it was hard work! The wedding was an absolute blast. There were lots of great people and the music made me want to dance all night!

Thank you Brandon and Natasha for an unforgettable weekend! J

Make sure to visit my blog at www.annarawson.com/blog to check out my Go Daddy Speed Channel video with Go Daddy NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski!!

Anna

After the British Open I headed to Northern Wales to play in the Wales Ladies Championship. Surprisingly, we had absolutely gorgeous weather! I had to pinch myself a few times to remind myself where I was. It was the first time I have ever played in the UK when it’s been sunny and we had four amazing days of it!

I felt good about the way I was hitting it and I shot -2 in round one. Round 2 didn't quite go as hot. I was forcing birdies and you just can't do that on links golf. I finished with 77 and was highly disappointed. Round 3 was much of the same.  A few bad breaks here and there and your over par. Round 4 I was determined! I stayed focused and patient and ended up with another 70! It was great to get another crack at links golf. I really believe the more you play it the better you get.

Royal St Davids Golf Course was a great track lying right near a huge castle. It was fun to aim at different parts of the castle. It was also right on the ocean, which made the wind an interesting factor. All in all it was so much fun to get back to England. I had plenty of good cups of tea that will hopefully last until my next visit.

For now, I am back on a plane heading home to the states!

Anna

Last week I had the pleasure of flying to Charlotte, North Carolina to meet up with fellow Go Daddy sponsored NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski. And what a nice guy he was! We spent half the day on the golf course, were I managed to get him to hit one ball straight and about 200 yards down the fairway...the rest were…ummm... let’s just say not so straight. haha

The other half of the day we spent on a miniature track where it was Brad’s turn to be the instructor.  He made driving a super charged go-kart look like a piece of cake.  I could barely keep the steering wheel straight, and boy did my forearms get a work out! It was such a blast to hang with the Go Daddy team and learn all about NASCAR. I am so pumped to go to my first race; I’ve heard it’s a fan experience like no other!  Make sure you check out the golf and driving lesson on GoDaddy.com.

The rest of the week included a visit to Dave Stockton, who got my short game in shape for Royal Lytham (a course where he had played the Ryder Cup!), some swing work with Dana Dahlquist (where we tided everything up), lots of hard workout sessions and packing for two weeks in Europe.

Can't wait to get over there!

Anna