Defending champion Lindsey Wright credits her victory in the New Zealand Women’s Open with getting her golf career back on track.

The Australian, who reached her best world ranking of No.12 in 2009, hadn’t won a tournament for eight years when she arrived last February at the Pegasus club in Christchurch.

She says there was a period at the end of 2009 when doubts set in and she considered giving the game away.

She didn’t pick up a club for months and, when she headed into the NZ Women’s Open, it was with no expectations.

Wright, from Albury in New South Wales, went on to compile a 10-under-par score of 206, rattling in a four-metre birdie putt on the final hole to win by a shot.

“I was going through such a rough time and my belief was at a real low point, but I changed my whole attitude and mindset that week,” the 33-year-old said.

“I had got to the point where I decided that I was going to enjoy my golf, no matter what.”

To cap it off with victory was “a really satisfying and amazing turnaround”.

Wright will take the same approach when she defends the title at another Christchurch venue, Clearwater, from February 8-10.

“Everyone knows you are only as good as your last hit,” she said.

“There are so many good players coming, I don’t expect that I will be talked about too much, but it’s nice to be defending champion.”

All four of the tournament’s previous winners will be back, as will the world’s No.1 amateur, New Zealander Lydia Ko.

Also in the strongest field assembled for the event will be the Swedish pair of former major champion Anna Nordqvist and five-time LPGA Tour winner Sophie Gustafson.

Other notable entries include American world No.16 Angela Stanford and compatriot Cheyenne Woods, the niece of Tiger Woods, and European No.1 Carlota Ciganda of Spain.