American star Alison Lee has revealed that going into vacation mode was the key to her "huge" victory at last year's Aramco Team Series Sotogrande, as she prepares to defend her title on Spain's southern coast in two weeks' time.

Lee won by five strokes in the individual format of the first edition of the Ladies European Tour tournament at Club La Reserva last August.

It was the former Solheim Cup star's first professional victory after eight years on the Tour, leading to exciting moments on the 18th green.

A year later, the 27-year-old player attributes that historic victory to what she believes was "a relaxed holiday mentality," a consequence of making her first trip to Spain and playing in the unique environment of Cadiz.

According to Lee: “That week was like a dream for me. I almost felt like I was on vacation: it was a great place, an amazing countryside, and my first time in Spain.”.

“I told myself to take it easy and not be too hard on myself. The event was between two majors, which is when I usually try to take a week off, so I took it very easy that week and tried to have fun and enjoy the moment. I think that helped my game a lot and allowed me to perform at a high level and ultimately win the event.”.

“If you ask several players, they’ll tell you they play their best when they feel good, when they’re in a good place mentally, and when they feel confident. I think that week I had all of that in my favor. I’ll always remember it.”.

With a packed schedule that included up to seven consecutive events around Europe, Lee had to work hard to find the time to properly celebrate his victory, which he admits brought him both relief and joy.

Lee said, “[The victory] definitely had a huge impact on my mindset going forward, it was massive. I was coming off a couple of tough years on the Tour, it was my eighth year on the Tour and I felt like I was halfway through my professional career. I had been through some ups and downs and had been very close to winning, but at that point I started having problems and getting ahead of myself. I think that affected me a lot mentally and it started to show on the golf course.”.

“However, being able to win gave me confidence and the push I needed to work hard and experience that feeling again and reach the top again.”.

The impact of that victory has been very significant so far this season for Lee, who has had a great performance in the four majors to date and who comes to this week's AIG Women's Open after finishing in fifth position at the Scottish Open.

“I would say I’m very happy with how this season has gone so far, considering where I was three or four years ago when I had to go back to Q school. I’ve only missed one cut all year, and I think I’ve played very consistently. Do I feel like I can play a little better? Yes, but I feel like my game is at a great level, and I believe I’m very close to my best. I just need a little bit of magic that week to make everything click and work. Obviously, there are things I need to work on, but overall, from a consistency standpoint, I feel really good about my game,” Lee said.

The American, who will defend her title again in Spain in two weeks, will face an excellent group of Grand Prix winners and Solheim Cup stars, such as Nelly and Jessica Korda, Anna Nordqvist, Bronte Law or Carlota Ciganda.

Twelve months after the 2021 Aramco Team Series Sotogrande, the eyes of the golf world will once again turn to southern Spain for the biennial Solheim Cup, a competition in which Lee has only participated once, in 2015.

Now knocking on the door of a spot within the top 50 of the world rankings (currently fifty-third), Lee admitted that a place on Team USA next year is a goal he aspires to.

When asked if it was a motivation, Lee said: “Yes, absolutely. I haven’t been able to play in the Solheim Cup since 2015, so it’s definitely something I’m thinking about, a team I want to be a part of again and an experience I want to be a part of once more. I’m not stressing about it too much; obviously, I want to be on the team, but hopefully, if I play good golf, everything will fall into place.”.

The American admitted that she will have to give her best to retain a trophy that has meant so much to her career when she takes to the field at this year's Aramco Team Series Sotogrande.

However, he is looking forward to playing again in the unique format of the Aramco Team Series and returning to La Reserva Club Sotogrande.

“I’m really excited,” Lee said. “It’s a very competitive field, even more so than last year, so I’m really looking forward to it and hope I can play as well as I did last year.”.

“The Aramco Team Series events are always world-class. They're held in fantastic locations, and I know many of the girls playing this year. We've all talked about it and are really excited because it's more fun and a more relaxed format.”.

“The Reserve is also beautiful, but I remember it being challenging last year. I think it was very windy in the second and third rounds, so it was tough. Sometimes, when you're playing in difficult conditions and you're nearing the end of your round, you give up and you get tired and you just want it over, especially if you're not having a good day. But when you're playing with the same group and as a team, like in the Aramco Team Series, you're playing for a common goal, so there's extra motivation.”.

SOURCE: Tournament Organization