KUALA LUMPUR: A 16-hour drive with a punctured tyre was just one of the hurdles Mirabel Ting had to overcome on her way to the LPGA Tour.
The 21-year-old from Miri endured close to 300 hours on the road during her first full season on the US Epson Tour, but the travel demands proved worthwhile as she claimed both Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honours.
With two titles and 12 top-10 finishes, Mirabel topped the Race for the Card to secure her place on the LPGA Tour, capping a breakthrough season that has earned her a place in this week's Maybank Championship at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC).
Yet, the Malaysian golfer's biggest lessons went beyond trophies and results, with the demands of professional life forcing her to learn how to manage her schedule, look after her body and, above all, stop putting pressure on herself to prove her worth to others.
"Not when I have a 16-hour drive with a punctured tyre! I think we drove around close to 300 hours for the entire season," she said when asked how travelling had prepared her for the next level.
Mirabel admitted the early stages of the season were a steep learning curve, as she struggled with player logistics and even missed rookie meetings before learning to manage her schedule, sleep, nutrition and physiotherapy.
Putting was another weakness, while the desire to perform and prove herself to others added to the pressure.
"My weakness was always on putting and trying to expect too much, trying to play well and prove it to people," she said.
"I kind of realised that I don't play golf for people, I play golf for myself. I love the game of golf, and to be able to get out and play and do the things that I love and not sitting down doing nothing,
"I'm really grateful for it. For me, it's more about being grateful, knowing things are going to be okay, having faith, and just keep playing."
With close friend and fellow golfer Michelle Koh serving as her caddie, Mirabel hopes to carry that outlook into the Maybank Championship, where she will be among the Malaysian players seeking to make an impression against the world's best.
Mirabel joined compatriots Natasha Andrea Oon, Kelly Tan and Genevieve Ling at a media briefing at KLGCC today ahead of Thursday's opening round.
Last year, Mirabel led the Malaysian contingent with an opening five-under-par 67 to tie for 11th before eventually finishing tied for 49th at three-under 285.
Natasha, meanwhile, returns to KLGCC after a two-year absence from the LPGA Tour caused by foot and nerve problems, bringing her own story of persistence into this week's tournament.
The 25-year-old fought her way back to the tour after a prolonged medical setback that began with a foot injury sustained at the 2023 Maybank Championship.
What initially appeared to be a manageable problem developed into a lengthy struggle that included surgery, nerve issues, crutches and instability.
"It kind of became unsolvable, and then I got a surgery, and then I had nerve issues... crutches, instability," Natasha said.
"It was kind of like this rock and push and tumble, push and tumble type of thing."
Although she managed a six-under-par 66 at the JM Eagle LA Championship this season, she missed the cut.
The time away from competition, however, gave Natasha a fresh perspective on life beyond golf.
"I got to live without golf in my life, and I think in a sense I'm grateful, because I have a big chunk of my life that I never had that," she said.
"I got to experience myself in situations where I don't introduce myself as a golfer. I got to know myself as a person, and that's so important."
Friendships outside the sport helped her maintain that perspective, regardless of how she performed on the course.
"I made so many friends in my area, and you can like play bad, and they're like, 'Oh, sorry, but like want to go like, you know, get boba (drink)?' and you're like, 'Yeah!'" she said.
Natasha has also used social media to share the realities of life as a touring professional, including the financial uncertainty that comes with missing cuts.
"When I explain the job to normal people, they're like, 'Wow, so you don't even know you're going to get paid that week?' I'm like, 'No, and you're losing money if you don't make the cut,'" she said.
Her advice to young golfers going through difficult spells is to treat every performance as an opportunity to learn.
"They're all deposits in the bank, and one switch is going to just turn your whole game around, and you don't know when that's coming. So you got to always reflect on the good things, and also reflect on the bad things."
While Natasha missed last year's Maybank Championship, she will be hoping to make the most of her return as both Malaysians look to build on their respective journeys back to the sport's biggest stage.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd