Waiting at the baggage carousel and realising your luggage hasn’t made the journey with you must be one of the worst moments any traveller must face.

Now imagine you’re a pro golfer making a long-haul dash back home to play in one of your favourite tournaments and it’s your clubs that are stuck at your point of origin.

That’s the scenario which Katherine Kirk must deal with when she tees off at the Ladies Masters on the Gold Coast later on Thursday morning.

The two-time LPGA Tour winner went on a pre-tournament shopping spree for golf clothes and will use borrowed clubs as she attempts to repeat her 2009 Masters success.

“If worst comes to worst I might be using my old man’s clubs,” Kirk said.

“When my parents were in the States for Christmas visiting as a Christmas gift, my husband and I got him a fitting and he got some new clubs, but it turns out they’re very similar to mine.

“I’ve actually only ever had clubs misplaced once in my career, so I wasn’t expecting it to happen on this trip and I guess the very time that you need them to make it they didn’t.

“But if that’s the worst thing that happens to me I’ve got it pretty good.”

Kirk made 21 cuts at 26 LPGA Tour events last year including two top-10 finishes and says she arrives at Royal Pines with no excuses.

In a field where South African world No.29 Lee-Anne Pace is the highest-ranked player, Kirk will tee off alongside Norway’s Victorian Open winner Marianne Skarpnord and Australia’s Rebecca Artis knowing she has a strong chance to add another victory to her career.

“I don’t have any expectations … I hope the weather cooperates and everyone has a good day,” she said.