Irksome ailment and fatigue forced Bahamian pro golfer Raquel Riley, 33, to pull out of the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic on Friday, February 6, 2015.
“I started out hopeful with high spirits but physically, I am not feeling too well. I have a stomach virus I was fighting since Tuesday and pulled out of the pro arm about two hours before teeing off,” Riley said.
Her first round in the tournament came to a halt Thursday due to heavy rain downpour and windy conditions over the world-famous 18-hole Ocean Club Golf Course on Paradise Island.
She said, “it’s really disappointing that I had to do that but as I went, it got more and more difficult to get my posture to hit a shot. It did not make sense to try and compete [in] something in such discomfort, so I decided to withdraw and hydrate myself and get rid of this thing,” Riley said.
Riley explained that she started off the morning feeling “okay” and figured she could complete the rounds, but it just was not possible.
Riley is one of the few top Bahamian women golfers. She is a former member of the Bahamas National Team and earned an exemption into the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic after her victory in the Bahamas Golf Federation Qualifier. A former winner on the Sun Coast Ladies Tour, Riley is in the process of completing her LPGA accreditation to become a Certified LPGA Teaching Professional.
This is her first time playing in the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic, amongst the 120 golfers competing for a purse of $1.3 million, plus a full allocation of points in the Race to the CME Globe season-long competition. The winner receives $195,000 and 500 CME Globe points.
Clearly disappointed over not being able to complete her rounds, Riley said it was a difficult decision she had to make.
About Thursday’s rounds coming to a halt due to inclement weather, Riley said that did not have any impact on her game mentally. “I wished I could have completed my rounds yesterday. It did not have any affect on me. I was happy with the way I hit the ball. Mentally, I was always ready to perform,” she said.
According to Riley, there is not much she can do to improve her game but there is always room for improvement: “With my game, there is not much I can work on but there is always room for improvement. Golf is a game you can perfect, there is no particular part of my game I can say is weak. I struck the ball really well; I was able to control the ball when I wanted to. I was able to do a lot of things but I know from competing in this game the last 10 years professionally, I have to keep up on things and focus on the chipping and putting.”
Manager of Sports Tourism with the Ministry of Tourism Greg Rolle said that The Bahamas is proud of Riley’s accomplishments. He said however that it was best that she take care of herself for future tournaments.
Riley, who hails from Freeport, Grand Bahama lives in Abaco and works at the Baker’s Bay Golf Club. She is preparing to compete in a few events in the US and plans to complete her LPGA certification to become an LPGA teaching member.
