Behind the gleaming smile seen so often in magazines, the internet and on social media, Carly Booth was undergoing a nightmare in the personal and professional life.
Only now, two years on from winning two Ladies European Tour titles and seeming as if she would fulfil all the promises made for her since before she was even a teenager, the Comrie girl believes she is on an even keel and ready to challenge again.
A tenth place last month at the Turkish Airlines Open might not seem that much when other Scots on the LET are doing so impressively. Kylie Walker is winning tournaments, Carly’s old amateur rival Sally Watson is settling into pro golf seamlessly and Pamela Pretswell is becoming a consistent contender.
But that performance was a clarion call for Carly in terms of her form but also mentally. She hadn’t been in the top ten for 30 straight events, with just one top 20 finish in that time a stark contrast to what had appeared to be a breakthrough in 2012 with wins in the Scottish and Swiss Opens.
“Turkey, I swear to you, was the first week in a couple of years where I actually enjoyed being at a tournament,” she explained.
“It’s been tough for 18 months. I’m finally in a good pace, both in my game, and in my mental side. It is all just starting to come together nicely.
“It’s a shame there has been this break (in the LET schedule) since Turkey because I felt like I could get into a nice rhythm. But it is about keeping practising and keeping my confidence going.”
The source of her battle back to form is a curious one, particularly for an ardent Liverpool FC fan like Carly; former Manchester United star Dwight Yorke.
“I played with Dwight in the Gary Player Invitational tournament a few years back and we stayed in touch,” she explained. “He and a lot of footballers work on their golf with Daniel Haughian, who is now my coach.
“Dwight thinks he’s a golfer, and he’s aiming for the seniors tour, but we’ll see about that. But Daniel has been fantastic for me, because he is not only working on the golf side of things, but he has actually become my best friend.
“He’s been a shoulder for me, I can talk to him about anything, and he is such a positive person. Like I say, I’m now getting the right people around me.”
Stockport-based Haughian has simplified Carly’s swing and given her key triggers to concentrate on, while also caddying for her in Turkey. But she accepts that the mental side and sorting herself off the course has been the key.
Her frequent pictures on Twitter and appearances at functions despite her recent form Carly’s still regarded as one of the most marketable figures on the LET may have created the impression of someone who was loving her life, but the opposite was the case.
“Yes, I did give that impression very well, didn’t I?” she admitted. “I wanted everyone to think that. It was just an impression I gave. I wasn’t a happy person, I was in a bad place.
“It was a grind. I was working hard, I was doing my best, in my golf, in my fitness, but I think I lost it a lot on the mental side. My belief had gone.”
She believes she hit rock bottom in March, due to “personal things”. It was around this time she moved back to her parent’s home in Comrie from her former base in Spain after her relationship with European Tour player Tano Goya broke up.
“I don’t really want to go into it because it’s personal,” she continued. “But now I can focus on me and make golf my priority.
“Yes, there are loads of things where I can say, ‘oh, I wish I hadn’t done that’, but I’ve learnt from my mistakes and it’s a whole process. You learn from it, and you try to do things differently, and try to make things better, you have to be positive.”
It’s been some journey for Carly, who it’s easy to forget is still only 22 as she’s been in the spotlight for so long.
“I feel like I’m 30, I’ve been out here so long; I actually feel like I have age on my side!” she joked.
“But it other ways, this is my sixth year on tour and every day is still a learning day. I could be sitting here aged 38 or 42I’d still be learning every day.
“To have the nous to learn, to improve, that’s life.”