Davies looking to improve

Making her 19th visit to compete Down Under, veteran English golfer Laura Davies is delighted by the prospect of being awarded life membership of the Australian Tour for her support for the game in Australia. But life membership is shaping as the only achievement Davies will have to commemorate the southern summer of 2009 based on her form heading into this week&aposs Women&aposs Australian Open at Metropolitan Gold Club in Melbourne. The 45-year-old has finished back in the pack in the New South Wales Open, the New Zealand Open and last week&aposs Australian Ladies Masters on her current foray, and is desperate to rise to the occasion at &aposMetro&apos. “I came down here to try and win four tournaments, but so far I&aposm oh-and-three and struggling, to be honest,” Davies said on Tuesday. “I haven&apost really had a crack at any of them.” “This is my last chance and I&aposve got to step up to the plate this week or else I&aposll consider it a disappointing trip.” Davies, a three-time winner in 2008 in Austria, Morocco and at the NSW Open believes her form towards the end of last season was as good as ever. But coming off the month&aposs break leading into Christmas and the New Year her touch has proved difficult to recapture. “It&aposs just not there at the moment – I&aposm not holing putts,” Davies said. “Last week I was finished before I started – the seven-over on the first day left me completely out of it.” “The ball striking is nearly there but since the start of the year every single round seems to have been in a howling gale and it&aposs been hard to get your tempo.” Davies will welcome the forecast of southerly breezes and unseasonably cool conditions in Melbourne this week. The four-time major winner and holder of 70 career titles worldwide practised at Metro on Tuesday but not on the course. Wednesday&aposs pro-am will provide her only first-hand look at the highly-acclaimed par-73 layout that&aposs hosting a leading women&aposs tour event for the first time.