Lindy Duncan Channels Sean Foley to Surge Into Contention at Chevron Championship
Lindy Duncan is picturing Sean Foley in her mind every time she feels nervous on the tee at the Chevron Championship – and it’s working brilliantly. The 12-year LPGA Tour veteran fired a second-round 66 to reach 6-under, just one shot off the lead as play continued Friday at the year’s first major.
For Duncan, who’s still searching for her first tour win, this opportunity comes after beginning work with Foley at Lake Nona Country Club in Orlando late last year.
“I asked him for help with my alignment, just some really basic stuff,” Duncan explained. “And he goes to Lake Nona and works with Ben An and it just kinda turned into, ‘Hey do you want to see me after Ben?’ And he was like, ‘Yeah.’ So we just kept doing little things here and there.”
What started as simple alignment work evolved into something more comprehensive. Foley, who’s coached some of golf’s elite players including Tiger Woods and Lydia Ko, began addressing Duncan’s persistent low-left miss by changing her ball position with the driver and adjusting her hand position.
The partnership became public when Foley shared details of their work on Instagram in January. But it’s the mental side of their collaboration that might be making the biggest difference this week in Texas.
“He would do this thing on the range where he would stand behind me and he’d just say, ‘high draw,’ and so he’ll just say it then I just hit it,” Duncan said. “I was picturing him a little bit today out there on some of the tee shots that I was nervous on. I was just kind of being playful with myself [picturing] like Sean is right there telling me to hit a high draw.”
That visualization technique is clearly working. Duncan has found 75% of fairways through two rounds, giving herself plenty of scoring opportunities.
But their work extends beyond swing mechanics. “He’s really into, I’d say, philosophy, psychology and perspective. So it really took a turn in that direction,” Duncan said. “He’s really amazing to talk to in terms of what’s going on in life and he’s been really helpful with that.”
The results are starting to show. Duncan tied for fifth at the Ford Championship in March, and now she’s in contention at a major. Despite their busy travel schedules limiting in-person sessions, Foley’s influence remains constant.
“I think about the stuff we talk about every single day,” Duncan said. “So, he’s kinda with me everyday.”
That presence – even if just in her mind – might be exactly what Duncan needs to breakthrough for that elusive first win on the biggest stage possible.
