Reid feels calm at Women's British Open thanks to newfound maturity

England's Melissa Reid believes her game has matured in the last 12 months and feels a calmness heading into the Ricoh Women's British Open at Carnoustie.

The 23-year-old is currently fourth on the Ladies European Tour money list, a position helped by her second professional win in the Dutch Open last month. Her form has been good all season with five top-10 finishes in 10 LET events and that has given her additional confidence for her home major, where she finished best amateur in 2007 at St. Andrews.

"I've played all right this year but I would quite like to have had a few more better results than I have had," said Reid, who is the second-highest ranked Briton in the field behind Scotland's Catriona Matthew, the 2009 champion at Royal Lytham. "The win in Holland came at a good time and I certainly feel that my game is much more mature than what it was a year ago.

"My swing feels a lot better and I feel very calm about this week,” she added. “There's something about it. I've just changed a few things, like the way I've been practicing, and it gives me a kind of bubble really.

"Maybe that's why there is that sense of calmness; I just have a little bit more self-belief because if don't you can get a bit shaky,” she added. "I just feel quite settled here, to be honest. Obviously the more British Opens, the more bigger tournaments, you play the more comfortable you feel there. This is my fourth so obviously the whole arena is getting a lot more comfortable."

Reid has been drawn with English amateur Lauren Taylor and three-time champion Sherri Steinhauer for the first two rounds. However, the player the rest of the field will be watching is defending champion Yani Tseng.

The world No. 1 from Taiwan, with six victories this season, has three of the past seven women's majors, finishing inside the top-20 on the other four occasions. Since landing winning the Women’s British Open 12 months ago, the 22-year-old has won seven times in 24 starts.