Rising LPGA star Francella tries to keep the momentum after her stunning first victory (Part 1)

It wasn’t quite Upset defeating Man o’War, N.C. State dunking Houston’s Phi Slamma Jamma or Fleck taking down Hogan, but Meaghan Francella’s four-hole playoff victory over then-world No. 1 Annika Sorenstam at the LPGA’s MasterCard Classic in March shocked everyone but the player and her longtime coach, Tom Patri.
….“I told some people at home the night before the final round that it wouldn’t surprise me if she got real (gutsy) and pulled this thing off,” says Patti, 44, who has worked with the 25-year-old Francella since she was 12. “Knowing Meaghan as a competitor, she’s not particularly scared of anybody, and that’s true of Annika or anybody else.”
…..Building such fearlessness has been a focus of Patri’s coaching, which he takes pains to distinguish from teaching. As the pair refines Francella’s technique and manages the habitual flaws in her game, Patri continues to push his charge with as much stick as carrot.
….“Even when Meaghan was a little girl, I always tried to put her in situations where she had pressure on her, creating expectation,” Patri says. “She has prepared for this for a long time, in a lot of different ways, and I think she’s where she’s supposed to be. Maybe she should be even further along.”
….Francella  says, “Tom’s tough – really tough – but he’s prepared me for this level by being so tough on me. He has a soft side, too, and I see it more than anybody else. The key thing is that he can be a technical instructor, but I’m a feel player and he teaches me that way. We don’t get too technical, or I’d be totally lost.”
….Francella, who sees Patri once or twice monthly for two or three hours at a time during the LPGA season, recalls being “in shock” going to the first playoff tee with Sorenstam. She credits her coach for the preparation and her caddie for the calm that allowed her to perform. She also knew that win or lose, she was guaranteed a spot in the Kraft NabiscoChampionship (where she finished T-5), one of her 2007 goals.
….With a win in her sixth LPGA event – just a few months removed from being one of the top five money winners on the Duramed Futures Tour – qualifying for majors no longer suffices.
….“My expectations  have changed,” she says. “After finishing 21st at the LPGA Championship, I was mad. I know I can play better than that. I’ve always expected a lot of myself, even before I won the event in Mexico. I knew it was only a matter of time before I’d be successful.”
….Patri expects more good things to come. “Once Meaghan feels like she belongs at that new level,” he says, “it’s like the afterburners kick in and she’s ready to go.”

. Handling success
….An issue for many first-time winners is managing the added weight of expectation and maintaining the focus needed to keep improving. Patri, not one to grade on a curve, gives Francella good marks in this area.
….“She spent a few too many days patting herself on the back after Mexico (pictured above), but since then she’s been back putting her nose to the grindstone,” he says. “Overall, she’s handled the success and attention very well.”
….Francella says one of her main focuses since her victory has been finding more alone time. The victory over Sorenstam helped Francella understand what the Swedish star goes through, to a much larger extent, of course, and makes Francella appreciate Sorenstam’s accomplishments all the more.
….“It’s been really hectic,” Francella says. “I’m trying to make some time to reflect on everything, to say, ‘OK, I did this well today, or that.’ Just trying to unwind. It’s been difficult. I don’t know how Annika does it – she must get pounded (by requests). There’s been a lot of extra stuff. It’s a great problem to have, but to an extent, it can be a problem.”