A six-month TAFE course and two-week placement at an aged care facility has revitalised the career of the Gold Coast’s Karis Davidson as she prepares for her first major championship in more than a year.

Fresh off her career-best finish on the LPGA Tour – a tie for seventh at last week’s Meijer LPGA Classic – Davidson is one of nine Australians in the field for the third women’s major of 2025, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, starting Thursday night in Texas.

It is her first major since walking away from the game midway through last year, disillusioned and physically unwell due to the pressure exerted by professional golf.

Her coach, Dom Azzopardi, thought she was a “50/50” chance of ever returning to the sport.

Davidson, now 26, was not even that optimistic.

“I just had to take time away from it and I didn’t know if I was going to come back,” was Davidson’s honest answer.

“Honestly, at that time I didn’t know because I disliked it so much.

“It was affecting my health as well just because I was just so wrapped up in my own mind.

“When I went back (to Australia), it was the best thing I’ve ever done.”

It is just over 12 months ago when Azzopardi arrived in the US and saw first-hand the extent of Davidson’s struggles.

She had finished top-40 just once in seven starts when Azzopardi suggested that there was no point playing the ShopRite LPGA Classic last June.

“We pulled out that Tuesday and got the medical because it was pointless. It was pointless teeing it up that week,” Azzopardi recalled.

“I said to her, ‘I can see by the way we are that we’re not going to play any good. We haven’t last week or the week before, so let’s get in a better position to be able to actually play good and get something out of it’.”

For six months, there was a chance that “better position” may never eventuate.

Davidson returned home to the Gold Coast, enrolled in a TAFE course in Aged Care and Disability Services and left golf behind.

She glimpsed a world she may return to in future and found the reason to play golf again, her reason to play golf again.

“It was really hard work and after that I knew that I wanted to play golf for myself,” she added.

“Before I felt like I was just doing it for other people, and I think that was unhealthy.

“I am out here because I want to; it’s not because it feels like the only option.

“That’s been such a positive perspective that I’ve gained from that time off.”

Also aiding in Davidson’s return to the LPGA Tour is the record number of Australians travelling the circuit week after week.

This week she is sharing an Airbnb with Hannah Green, Stephanie Kyriacou and England’s Olivia Cowan, both a support network and motivational group.

“All the girls that are out on the Tour are hardworking and I would say they’re all very resilient,” she added.

“They’re all quite laid back and good with stress. I think that definitely helps with this type of career.

“Hannah’s normally the one that books the Airbnb. She’s really good at picking good ones and she’s a lot more organised than the rest of us.

“Cooking, we don’t cook much. Steph’s really good at making bowls with beef and sweet potato and avocado and those health bowls. She’s really good at making them.”

Photo: Raj Mehta/Getty Images

Round 1 tee times AEST

KPMG Women’s PGA Championship Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco, Frisco, Texas 10:27pm* Robyn Choi 10:38pm* Grace Kim 11:28pm Lydia Ko (NZ) 11:44pm* Hira Naveed 11:50pm Minjee Lee 3:54am Cassie Porter 4:27am Stephanie Kyriacou 4:49am Gabriela Ruffels 5:28am* Hannah Green 5:33am Karis Davidson

Past champion: Amy Yang Past Aussie winners: Hannah Green (2019) Prize money: $US12m TV times: Live 1am-5am Friday, Saturday; Live 1am-8:30am Sunday; Live 1am-8am Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.