KAREN Stupples begins the defence of her Weetabix Women’s British Open crown at Royal Birkdale on Thursday still struggling to find the form which won her the title in such spectacular style at Sunningdale 12 months ago.

The Deal golfer flew to Merseyside from France where she finished joint 59th in the Evian Masters at the weekend.

That compared with a fourth-place finish in the same event a year ago when Karen recorded a 15-under-par total of 273.

In contrast, she finished on 10-over par 298 on Sunday, 25 shots behind the winner, American Paula Creamer, but the prospect of returning to a links course at Birkdale has helped to bolster Stupples’ spirits.

She said: "I grew up on a links course at Prince’s and I have played Birkdale many times, and so I am looking forward to defending my title here."

Reflecting on her season so far, she said: "I have had a different year this year and I think I put down to my own expectations as much as anything else.

"I expect so much from my game now, and I know how I can play and I know what my potential is.

"Like all golfers, I want to do it all the time and when it doesn’t happen, I can get a bit impatient with it. So that has kind of hurt me a bit this year."

As an amateur, Stupples competed in the annual Birkdale Scratch Trophy and she also played the championship when it was last contested at Royal Birkdale, when Sweden’s Sophie Gustafson claimed the title, in 2000.

"I played here in 2000, so I’m used to coming to Birkdale and playing," she said.

"It’s a totally different kind of golf course, but I think it will require a similar discipline in playing compared to how I played Sunningdale and how I’m going to have to play around here, as well.

"It’s very nice to come and play courses like Birkdale again having spent so much time in the States, where you just fly the ball all the way to the flag and watch it stop.

"It’s really quite nice having to plot your way around the golf course in a completely different way."

Stupples will be playing alongside Creamer and Mexico’s Lorena Ochoa, who finished joint second in the Evian Masters, over the first two rounds at Birkdale.