Esther Henseleit: “I always look forward to the BMW Ladies Championship”.

Munich/Wonju. Two of the four rounds have now been played at the BMW Ladies Championship at Oak Valley Country Club (Wonju, South Korea). As there is no cut, all 78 players will tee off again at the weekend. The lead is currently held by American Andrea Lee (-12). Tied in second place on 10 under par are Lilia Vu (USA), amateur Minsol Kim (KOR), who has been sensational so far, and Atthaya Thitikul from Thailand, who set a tournament record with her opening round of 9 under par. The only German in the field, Esther Henseleit, currently lies in 67^th place. In an interview, the 23-year-old discusses what she particularly enjoys about the BMW Ladies Championship, what you can learn from success, and the exciting golf course.

Esther Henseleit, you played at the BMW Ladies Championship for the first time last year. Back then, however, no spectators were allowed. How are you enjoying it this year – at a new venue and with crowds?

Esther Henseleit: “It is certainly nice to have virtually no restrictions this year. Last year, for example, we were not allowed to leave the hotel except to play golf. As such, there was definitely a different atmosphere. The golf course here is extremely nice and I really like it. It is also great to see so many spectators out there.”

What makes the BMW Ladies Championship different to other top tournaments on the LPGA Tour?

Henseleit: “I always look forward to coming here. BMW does a very good job with the branding, the grandstands and the organisation of the tournament. We don’t get that so often elsewhere, and that definitely makes the BMW Ladies Championship special. Plus, we are in South Korea. As we have so many Korean players on the Tour, it is special, as we get to see what it is like here.”

You have two rounds behind you at Oak Valley. How is the course playing?

Henseleit: “We are up in the mountains here, so you have to cope with the altitude. That gives you some absolutely beautiful views, but you first have to get up the mountain before you can enjoy the panorama. Furthermore, there are a lot of trees here and a few extremely tricky holes. You have to be particularly careful where you lay up on the par fives. The greens are large and fast. On the whole, the course is very exciting.”

How happy are you with your first two rounds, and what is your approach to the weekend?

Henseleit: “The first couple of days did not go so well, particularly the front nine on Friday. However, I am just trying to stay positive and hit as many birdies as possible. I am obviously hoping to turn things around at the weekend.”

You finished tied for third place in September at the tournament in Oregon – your best result so far on the LPGA Tour. What do you take from a tournament like that?

Henseleit: “It gives you a lot of confidence and shows that you have the potential to compete at the top of the leaderboard. Sometimes, you have to remember moments like that. You learn a huge amount when you are in contention for victory, even if you don’t get the win in the end. You also learn a lot about yourself in that situation. I was definitely very happy with the week.”

You are playing at the Japan Classic in two weeks. What will you do between now and then?

Henseleit: “I am going to spend a week here in Seoul, as a tourist: a week’s holiday to really take in the city, people and culture.”