Australian Karrie Webb has put aside her disappointment on missing out on Olympic qualification, and instead hopes it reinvigorates her late golf career.
Webb has fallen 51 ranking spots since the end of 2014, dropping from ninth to 60th as her title drought now reaches 28 months.
It saw her lose her status as Australian No.1 last year, and then slip out of the all-important top two Aussies in the lead up to the Olympics in May.
But now the 41-year-old hopes it can help her rebuild her game.
"I wanted to play in the Olympics, something I stated back in 2009 when it was first announced," she said.
"But I think the thing I'm most disappointed about is that I just haven't played well.
"It could be a good reset button ... that the weight of the Olympics is off now; I don't have to think about that."
Webb will have a chance to represent Australia at the International Crown, an eight-team event this weekend in Chicago at the Merit Club, the venue where she claimed her first US Open title in 2000.
She'll also be alongside the two Australians who claimed her Rio spot, Su Oh and Minjee Lee, as well as 27-year-old Rebecca Artis.
The trio are among the number of golfers Webb has helped mentor in recent years as the next generation of Australia's females begin to take charge.
"Minjee and Su were four years old when I won the U.S. Open here in 2000, so that kind of puts things into perspective," Webb said.
"I watch all the girls, I watch all their scores every week to see how they're doing.
"I want there to be a competition of five, six, seven, eight girls inside the top 100, or even more, competing to get into this team and to represent Australia at the Olympics."
