May 2, 2025 • 41 mins
We’re spreading the love this week and introducing you slices to some of the other excellent podcasts on the iHeart Women’s Sports Network! Today we’ve got an episode of Welcome to the Par-Tee with Tisha Alyn from March 25th. Tisha sits down with former professional golfer Cheyenne Woods about her LPGA career, how to budget on Tour, the pressure of carrying a famous last name, and how she’s uplifting others in golf.
- Subscribe to Welcome to the Par-Tee with Tisha Alyn here
- Follow Tisha on Instagram here, and follow Cheyenne Woods here
- Send us a note at goodgame@wondermedianetwork.com
- Follow Sarah on social! Bluesky: @sarahspain.com Instagram: @Spain2323
- Follow producer Misha Jones! Bluesky: @mishthejrnalist.bsky.social Instagram: @mishthejrnalist
- Follow producer Alex Azzi! Bluesky: @byalexazzi.bsky.social
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where everyone at
this party is taking the expected number of shots and
we're not talking about the handy alcohol impairment chart Leslie
Noe keeps in her wallet swings, not swigs. It's Friday,
May second, and on today's show, we're concluding our Iheartwomen's
Sports Week with an episode of Welcome to the Party
with Tisha Allan. Tisha joined us as a guest on
(00:22):
this show a few months ago and taught us so
much about the world of golf and the LPGA. But
for those of you who missed that episode, we asked
Tisha to introduce herself and her podcast for new listeners.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Here's what she had to say.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
What's going on, friends, I'm Tisha Allen, former professional golfer
now turned creator, speaker, and your host of Welcome to
the Party, and I mean par dash tea. This pod
is all about celebrating badass women in golf, and I'm
not just talking about LPGA pros, but I'm also talking
about entertainers, actresses, and game changers who just love the game,
from those grinding for their tour card to retired legends
(00:53):
and women working behind the scenes every guest touches golf
in a unique and powerful way. Whether you're a scratch
golfer or you don't know what par means, this party
is for you.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Today you'll hear Tisha's interview from March with former player
Chyanne Woods to get to prep. Here's a little preview
of what to expect.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
This episode is one of my favorites. I got to
sit down with my friend Cheyenne Woods, Yes that Woods.
She's a former professional golfer, trailblazer, and now a proud mama.
She opens up about her journey through the LPGA, the
pressure of carrying a legendary last name, and how her grandfather,
Tiger's Dad, was the one who first put a club
in her hands. Now, as a mom of two and
(01:31):
hosts of her show Tea to Dream, she's using her
voice to uplift others in the game. This episode is powerful,
personal and will absolutely pull on your heart strings. I
know I had to hold back my tears, so that
being said, I can't wait for y'all to tap in
and join the party, all.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Right, Selice's that episode of Welcome to the Party with
Tisha Allen is coming.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Up right after this.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
I feel like the very first time I I definitely
blacked out when I played.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
I'll come Great because I thought you had blacked out.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
So that's a totally normal emotion. Okay, but no, I
mean everyone's so different. I always try to focus on
like an my song that I could play in my head.
I talked right, Caddy, and just try to get through
the first few holes and just survive.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
I am so pumped for today's guest for all the reasons.
She's an absolute boss on and off the golf course.
And I know you're gonna know this name. She's a
golf star and amazing mom and someone was just an
incredible story. She crushed it at Wake Forest, where she
was a two time All American and conference champion, and
not only that, she got inducted into.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Their Hall of Fame.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
No big deal, right, And then from there she took
her talents to the pro stage, from the LED to
LPGA Tour, winning the twenty fourteen Vulvic RICB Ladies Masters
and making history only the sixth black woman to compete
on the LPGA Tour. In twenty twenty two, she stepped
away from competitive golf to welcome her first child and
just a year later, she became a mom of two.
(03:10):
Now she's bringing her passion for the game in a
whole new way, posting Tea to Dream on Golf Pass
where she's shining a light on golfers using their influence
to make a difference. Now, y'all, if this pod doesn't
pull on your heartstrings and make you become an even
bigger fan, I really don't know what more to tell you.
You just have to trust me and listen to the
very end. She's stunning, inspiring, and so much more. Without
(03:34):
further ado, please welcome Cheyenne Woods to the party. Cheyenne
Welcome to the party. We're so excited to have you
and I really appreciate you being here in the studio. Well,
we're gonna get started in a fun way. We like
to have a little four play in the beginning, so
we have a fun rapid fire questions.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Of this or that? Okay? Are you ready? I sure
hope so? Okay golf or baseball golf for sure? Okay?
Speaker 3 (03:57):
North Carolina or Arizona?
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Oh, Arizona?
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Okay, love it? Which, by the way, North Carolina is
where she went to school. Yes, as place in the heart. Yes, Okay,
our ACV Royal Pines Resorts in Australia or Seven Canyons
in Arizona.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Oh, Royal Pines, Yes, okay, that's where she won.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
That is where she won. We love it. Okay. What's harder?
Ten years playing professionally or being a mom of two
under two?
Speaker 2 (04:22):
A mom of two under two challenge?
Speaker 5 (04:25):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Yes, yeah, golfers, you know, get a breeze.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Oh yeah, okay, play Augusta National and pouring rain or
Saint Andrew's in forty mile per hour winds.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Oh I think the proper way to play St. Andrews
is in the wind. I would totally do that. Okay,
we're playing Augusta in the rain.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Would you rather your kids grow up to be a
professional golfer or MLB star MM or softball or softball?
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Yeah, that's true with our little baby girl. Oh that's
really hard. I would say baseball. Really like the fact
that when I go watch I don't have to walk.
That is a good point, and I can be indoors
at times and sit down.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
And baseball they don't play in the rain a lot,
So I'm.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Going to go with the baseball. Okay, baseball, it is
all right. Last rapid fire question caddy for Tiger at
the Masters or have him caddy for you at an
LPGA event the Masters.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Yeah, I know him down, although I would.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
Be so nervous caddie and not want to screw up.
But that is just something you can't you can't miss. Yeah,
you can't miss that type of mop.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
Yeah, that would be like the biggest crowd probably humanly possible,
to have you on the bag for him at the Masters,
that would be that would be fun. All right, So
let's actually get started and get into your career and
how you began golf. You actually started golf at a
very young age, like three years old.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Right, Yeah, I do, honestly, I don't even remember how
old I was, but golf was always around, right.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Neither of my parents played golf. I have two older brothers.
They never played.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
But my grandpa, Earl Woods is the one who got
me into it, and at the time I got started,
was maybe just turning pro in his early nineties. I
was watching him. I was in a stroller when he
played as an amateur.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Out here. I'm totally blanking.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
That's okay, that's again. What's the course they played the
Genesis side? Well, Riviera at Riviera, Yes, when you played
as an amateur. So I was there as a baby.
So it was just always around in my life. And
I started playing in my grandpa's garage with an old
cutdown club of Tigers. And I grew up in Arizona.
My grandpa and Tiger lived in California. We'd always come
out to visit summer vacations, and it just was something.
(06:33):
I think I was growing up at the right age
as a lot of us were now in our thirties,
where Tiger was everywhere on TV. He changed the game,
and as a five six seven year old watching him,
it was just the coolest thing ever.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
And I just wanted to be like him. Yeah, and
so that's how I got into golf.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
It just spurred this excitement about golf in me that
that's how I saw my life being of playing on tour.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
That's so wild.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
So what age for you when you were like, yeah,
I want to do this, like I want to be
a pro.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
Ever since I can remember, really, yeah, honestly, and again,
I think it's just seeing it and having that connection
to Tiger.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
I was like, it just was the coolest thing.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
And I think also growing up a girl in the sport,
and I had two older brothers. I always had the
mindset of what they can do I can do and
trying to keep up with them. And I loved surprising
people as a young girl and saying I play golf
and yeah, I'm good at it.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
So I just always saw golf in my life.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
In that way that that was the career I wanted,
that was the path I wanted to take. Luckily, my
grandfather also just instilled a lot of belief in myself.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
I love from at a young age. I mean I
was probably nine or ten years old.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
I remember sitting in his kitchen and he's making me
breakfast and he told me like that he could see me.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Being on tour, that he believed in me.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
And one of my favorite stories about my grandpa is
he used to work for IMG and he was a
scout to scout like junior golfers and potential, you know,
up and coming players. And when I was sitting in
his kitchen on that day, he told me that when
I was like four or five years old, he wrote
an official report about me and he submitted it officially
(08:11):
into IMG.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
And I was like, wow, what did you write?
Speaker 4 (08:14):
And he goes I'm not going to tell you what
I wrote, but one day when you turn pro, IMG
will come and recruit you and they'll bring the letter
and you can read it then. So when I graduated
from Wake Forest, my grandfather had passed while I was
in high school, so this was a couple of years
after and I graduated, I wanted to turn pro.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
IMG came and they brought the letter and I got
to read it for the first time.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
I literally goose And it was literally nineteen ninety three,
I think, so I was three or four years old. Wow,
And he wrote what he saw in me. He wrote
that he could see me play on tour, the skills
that he could see in me, And those are the
types of things that I tell people make a difference
when you have someone in your corner that believes in
(08:56):
you and then you start to believe it too. That
is what always propelled me in my career, in my
life with golf, Like my grandpa could see it when
I was three or four years old, like I want
to do it for him. I want to do it
because I believe it too. And so that was a
huge part of my golf life of just having him
as like that foundation in that rock of like believing
(09:17):
in me and what I.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Can do in the game of golf.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
So what was your reaction in opening that letter, Like,
did you even remember it in that moment that he
had given you that? Yeah, it was always in the
back of my mind. I always remember that letter. I
always thought.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
What did he write? What did he think?
Speaker 4 (09:33):
And so when they did bring it, it was like
a full circle moment.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
It felt unreal, honestly to see.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Literally tear up right now thinking about it.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
I can't even imagine.
Speaker 4 (09:42):
And it's in his handwriting, you know, it's like this
beautiful curse of and just to read his words, especially
after he had passed. And yeah, he was the one
who got me started. He was the one who taught
me what I knew about golf. So he was the
biggest figure in my life when it came to golf
and what I wanted to do in the sport.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
I was able to sit there and see it.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
It was just like, this is what I've been waiting
for and it just meant so much. So I have
it framed in our house and it's just one of
those really special moments that I will never forget.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
That's so beautiful. You're gonna have to send me a
picture you've framed at your house. Okay, so you talked
a little bit about Wake Forest. You just got inducted
into the Hall of Fame. Congratulation.
Speaker 5 (10:22):
Thanks you.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
What does that honor mean to you?
Speaker 4 (10:24):
It means a lot, and it feels surreal because Wake
Forest has such a deep, deep history in every sport.
I mean it's a small school, but they have such
depth and the athletes that they've produced while they be.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Basketball, golf, soccer.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
So now to be among the names of the Hall
of Fame inductees is just an honor. Growing up on
the West Coast, I didn't know a lot about Wake
Forest other than like Tim Duncan and Chris Paul and
of course mister Palmer.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
To now be etched in history is really special.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
And during my speech at the induction, I spoke about
how I wasn't always the best golf and I really
had to work my way up, and so to be
able to work my way through Wake improve my game,
work my way through the team and up in the
rankings really meant a lot to me.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
To be able to accomplish that. What made you commit
to that school?
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Honestly, growing up in Arizona.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
I just was sick and tired of being there, like
it is boring.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
So I was like, I want to just try somewhere new.
In North Carolina. It was very new. It was a
culture shock.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
But I always tell people it was the best thing
that ever happened to me, especially golf wise.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
I was forced.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
To learn how to live on my own away from
my family, play in weather that is not just perfect
at all times, and play different.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Golf courses too, which was such a test.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
So I always say it was the best thing for
my career and just for me, kind of like growing
up and learning again on that path of trying to
become professional.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Clearly, you know, you have a really big name in
your family what's the last name? And a lot of
attention was on you throughout your career, college golf, professional golf.
What was that like for you building a name for yourself?
Speaker 2 (12:23):
It was difficult, you know.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
Growing up I loved watching Tiger play, and he was
the biggest inspiration for me to become professional golfer or
even a play golf in general.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
So I somewhat I am a fan and I love
watching him play.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
But then coming up and being a woods and having
the extra attention or the expectations whatever that might be
was difficult. I mean, even to this day, I am
still referred to as his niece, which is totally fine
because I get it. But when you are young and
trying to not only prove yourself to the world, but
prove yourself to yourself, yes, it can be difficult when
(12:58):
you're constantly reminded of the other person rather than yourself
and what you've accomplished. So I really had to learn
how to have that self love, that self worth of I.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Worked to get here. I deserve to be here.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
Despite what my name is, and I think it made
me a stronger person and a stronger player of just
believing and who I am. But it definitely was difficult,
and I had to just embrace it because it's not
something that was ever going.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
To leave right absolutely, like I was thinking about actually
on the drive here, and I just feel very empathetic
to what that feeling and pressure could be like to
have someone in your life that's essentially setting the bar
right and the pressures that you could face. And I
feel like you've done it with so much grace, and
I think from the outside looking in I don't think
(13:44):
you could really tell that it may have been difficult
or that you know, it was a lot of pressure.
So I think you did a phenomenal job, like making
a name for yourself.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
You know, thank you. I appreciate that. I mean, I
try to do what I could.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
I mean, I love golf for my own reasons, and
I never wanted to be the next Tiger Woods, sure,
but you know, I just grew up wanting to see
how far I can take it, and I love that challenge.
And to at least have the representation of Woods on
the women's side means a lot to me. And to
be a woman of color in golf and kind of
(14:15):
have that representation again.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Is just really powerful. So I try to do what
I could to give back.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
To the game, and you know, the Woods name definitely
helps elevate whatever I do, which I think is definitely
a privilege.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Absolutely, has Tiger given you any advice about your career
and of sell you mind sharing, I would.
Speaker 4 (14:31):
Say the biggest thing is he always has just said
to have fun. And I think the biggest advice I've
ever had from him is just me watching what he
does fair and whether it be on TV or the
few times I've been able to kind of watch him
practice in person, I've always said he's the hardest working
person I've ever seen in my life. Yeah, in every aspect,
and he's so intelligent, he's so hard working, he's just
(14:55):
so intense that that is definitely what I've learned most
from him is just by observing seeing where he came
from and how far he's taken it, what he's gone through.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
It's just really really inspirational.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Yeah. Yeah, So you went on to play professionally, like
basically a decade right playing pro LED, which is a
Ladies's European Tour LPGA. What is your favorite memory of
playing on tour?
Speaker 2 (15:19):
My favorite memories are definitely playing on European Tour.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Really Okay, why is that?
Speaker 2 (15:23):
It just was such a new experience for me.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
Yeah, and it wasn't anything I had expected myself to do,
And I think that's what makes it really special too.
You know, I graduated from WIG and you know, in
our minds we always think, Okay, I'm gonna go boom
boom boom, this is how I.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Get on tour.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
Sure, So I went to Q school, didn't make it through.
I didn't even get Epson Tour status. I didn't make
the cut at first stage.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Yeah, so I was confused, like where do I go
from here?
Speaker 4 (15:48):
And so my agent suggested, you know, European Tour is
an option, and the thought of going to Morocco and
for the qualifiers and potentially playing in Europe, and you know,
I it was twenty one, fresh out of college. I
had never really traveled like that before. All of this
was so new to me, so you know, it was
a huge leap. It felt like to go over there
(16:09):
and just kind of get this experience of the unknown.
But it was so fun. The girls there were amazing.
Every country you go to you learn so much about
the culture. Every course is so different. It was the
best thing for my professional career. I then played.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
I always had status, but I played their full.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
Time for like I don't know, two or three years,
and then I came back and I was able to
earn LPGA Tour status.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
But it was just the best learning experience.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
So, talking about professional golf, what's something that you wish
that maybe like the audience or outside voices understood more about,
especially women's professional golf.
Speaker 4 (16:47):
There's a lot and I think the biggest thing that
I've always tried to advocate for women's golf is obviously
how talented we are. Yeah, and you hear it all
the time, but you really don't. I feel like you
don't understan it till you see it, whether it be
the talent or how personal the players are, or how
close you can get to actually enjoying the golf while
(17:09):
you're out watching an LPGA event.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
It's such a different.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
Experience than going to maybe a PGA Tour event or
a men's event. So I always try to tell people
how friendly the women's game is and how welcoming it is.
I always try to make it a point when I
was playing to interact with fans or meet with the
juniors and interact with them, because I do remember being
the girl out there behind the ropes and trying to
get an autograph or getting that golf ball, and it's
(17:34):
the best feeling in the world. But I feel like
in the women's game, you definitely get that experience a
lot more.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
And then obviously the.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
Talent is just amazing, and you see these girls make
it look so easy. My husband's played in a couple
LPGA pro ams and he still can't believe how good
the girls are. I mean, he hits it like three
point fifty, He hits it far, and these girls are
kicking his butt and he can't believe how easy they're
making it look. And I think it's a testament to
how deep the talent is, right, how just amazing they are.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
I mean, I'm a huge advocate for the women's game,
and I may be butchering this stat but I believe that,
Like they said that on the LPGA Tour, say, like
a woman's six iron and green and regulation average is
comparable to like the man's nine iron, and it's something
of that nature. And it's like the distances are actually
(18:26):
so far in correlation for women compared to men, Like
they have a lot more shorter irons and compared to women.
And I'm like, you guys don't realize how hard is
to get a hybrid next to the pin, a five
iron next to the pin.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Those are like the clubs that I hate when you're
hitting nine irons and wedges all day.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
Yeah, I'm like, yeah, you can stick a wedge, spin
it back all day, but like, yeah, ask me to
hit a three wood next to the pin on like
an unreasonably long part four like, you guys don't understand
how hard that is. If you ask the men to
do it, you'll be seeing a lot more short game
and a lot more wild shot.
Speaker 4 (18:54):
And I've always told people too, I mean, when you
see the men's game, it definitely does play shorter. Yeah,
and almost every round they have reachable part fives or
reachable part four. And on the women's side, I always said,
so rare. Maybe if you are one of the longer hitters,
yes you have maybe a reachable part five, but it
was so rare when you were playing, when I was
playing on tour to truly have those whole where you
(19:14):
can be aggressive and go for it or to take
advantage of hitting one in two or whatever the case
may be.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
Yeah, well we'll work on that. We can talk about
that all day. So I wanted to ask your opinion
on the LPGA as an organization. I feel like a
lot has grown. What do you feel like they're doing
right and what do you feel like maybe like maybe
we can bring a little more attention to this.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
There's been so many changes in the LPGA, and it's
been exciting for me the last couple of years. I've
been on the board for LPGA Foundation, which is behind
the scenes of their charities and girls programs.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
But it's definitely give me an inside.
Speaker 4 (19:50):
Look of what the LPGA is doing and how awesome
you know they're being able to provide all these programs
for girls and amateurs. So I absolutely love that. I
grew up in the LPGA Girls Golf Program.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
I started when I was like five or six years old.
I was the very first original.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
Sandy Leboa started it in Scottsdale, Arizona, and my coach
was her husband. So I got started in that program
and to be able to see it grow into what
it is today, I think the LPGA has done so
much in giving back to the game and also the communities.
Their reach is not just within the US, but also
so global, and I think that's been so cool to see.
(20:26):
And you're seeing a lot of Girls Golf alumni now
on tour, which I think goes to show how they
are able to give back to the game and also
support them throughout their careers.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
So I think the LPGA is doing such a good
job of that.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Obviously, playing on tour has gotten so much better in
terms of money, yeah, yeah, and supports growing. We love
golf courses that we play are just amazing. So I
think that's been really great in terms of what they
can do better.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
Jeez, that's a tough question.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
Yeah, I mean every organization can use him improvement, right,
Like look at the PGA tour.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
What's happening you know?
Speaker 4 (20:59):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean I love if the LPG
is elevating their players more. I think that's all the
stories issue, more stories. There's so many great personalities. I
know they've invested in trying to elevate their players individually
in showcasing those stories, and I think that's been really great,
just to bring more eyes on individual players like you
see Charlie.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Hole out there, you see Lydia, you see.
Speaker 4 (21:22):
All these personalities that are just so unique and so
special that a lot of the men are able to
showcase a bit more, like even with the Netflix show,
like hellay our household names, and it makes a big
difference when it comes to them trying to sell the
tour or sell sponsorships to have that connection with fans
and players.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
So I think if they can continue to do that more,
it would definitely help.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
I love that. I completely agree. So as we know
right now, there is at this moment. Maybe when the
pod comes out, will know there is no commissioner at
this moment. If you were the commissioner, what is something
that you would instill no rules, no restrictions on moneytach
what is something that you would instill right now to
help continue to support the girls.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
Honestly, I'm thinking any way to help make.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
The travel easier for the girls, whether that's such a
good point, something they're able to provide wellness wise, or
even hotel sponsorship. That's really hard for players, whether you're
at the top or you're just trying to keep your
car like it gets expensive. And I always say the
lifestyle of playing on tour is one of the most
difficult things of traveling.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Day in and day out, all around.
Speaker 4 (22:27):
Too, all years, cross timelines and timelines, yeah, time zone,
cross time zones, and just globally. So if there was
something that the tour could do in order to support
them a little bit better travel wise, I think that
would be really good.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
Yeah, I agree with that. When you make it onto
the PGA tour, new players are essentially loaned nearly half
a million dollars to go and support themselves, and the
girls are given zero. And I just can't. I mean,
but there's so many events now where like Miszoo Ho
and like even the Asia Swing where like everything is
covered and like the girls are like royalty. So we
(23:00):
just need to get all the events to be like yeah, right.
Speaker 4 (23:02):
And even the stipends that they've been able to provide
a few misses, they've been able to provide stipends because
I mean when people think of professional golf and they
see the PGA Tour, they see the private jets and
all these glamorous life things in the front, it's assumed
that the women you know, have that as well, and
it's just not the case. And so it's definitely a
reality check, I think even as a player to come
(23:22):
in and you're like, wait, I have to pay for
this whole list of things, and how do I get
a sponsor? You know, sponsorships are hard to come by
as well, so definitely a little bit more difficult on
the women's side.
Speaker 3 (23:33):
So can you break that down. Let's say take us
back to when you were playing one week, what are
expenses like, what are you covering for yourself and your team?
Speaker 2 (23:43):
I mean you you.
Speaker 4 (23:43):
Basically cover everything so flight you don't have to pay
for your caddy swipe, but you have to pay for
your caddies weekly fee in addition to whatever percentage if
you make the cut. When I was playing, I think
caddy was anywhere between twelve hundred.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
And fifteen hundred or one week for one week.
Speaker 4 (23:59):
Okay, So hotel unless you do a host family, which
a lot of players do, so you can kind of
cut that expense.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Food, rental car. They do sometimes have like courtesy cars
that you.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
Could use, but it's not as flexible, I guess, right.
So it definitely maybe about five grand. I usually budgeted
for per week's entry feet do we say entry feet? Oh?
Speaker 2 (24:21):
And entry feeth?
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Yeah, we had to pay for the tournaments. Two guys
don't forget, so.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
It definitely adds up.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
And you're thinking, you're playing twenty five thirty events, right,
it gets expensive.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
Right, right? So we had to make more than just
the cut to survive, right, Yes?
Speaker 5 (24:36):
Crazy?
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (24:54):
So I wanted to transition into motherhood too, beautiful children,
and so what what was that transition like for me?
Taking kind of like a step aside from professional golf
and becoming a mother.
Speaker 4 (25:05):
It was very different. I played golf my whole life,
and I always wanted to be a mom. I always
knew I wanted to be a mom, and we had
our son in twenty twenty two. I competed up until
I think I was like five months pregnant, but nobody
knew I was pregnant at the time, and then I
haven't competed since we had our son. And I always
knew I didn't want to play professional golf and be
(25:26):
a mom. I didn't want to travel and have my
kids on the road. And at the time when we
had our son, my husband was still playing baseball, Okay,
so we were trying to be with him as much
as we could and travel as well, So it was
hard to think about doing golf and that at the
same time with having a family. But definitely taking a
step aside from professional golf was refreshing.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
Okay, I like it.
Speaker 4 (25:48):
I think I was ready, yeah, And it just was
nice to see a different side of life, right.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
I think as a professional golfer you get so just self.
Speaker 4 (25:57):
You're always just focused on self, right, And it was
I used to have something to take my focus off
of just me, me, me and think about this beautiful
baby and my husband and our family.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
So it was definitely a breath of fresh air.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
Now, speaking of your daughter, how is your baby girl
doing good? She's good?
Speaker 2 (26:13):
My mind sharing so well, yea.
Speaker 4 (26:16):
So Maya has had like not the toughest journey, but
it's been difficult and it has not been anything that
we ever expected and nothing that I ever heard people
talking about.
Speaker 3 (26:25):
I didn't either until I saw your poems.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
And so if people, you know, want more information.
Speaker 4 (26:32):
Our daughter was born like full term, totally fine, but
she had a lot of feeding difficulties. She had really
bad acid reflux where she was throwing up NonStop, and
she wouldn't take a bottle, pacifier or nothing, and she
wouldn't have long enough feats, and so she wasn't gaining weight.
So she was submitted admitted to the hospital's failure to thrive,
(26:53):
which was the absolute worst feeling ever as a mom,
because you feel like you failed as well.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
And I still didn't know what was happening.
Speaker 4 (27:01):
She's throwing up, she's not gaining weight, and I literally
can't do anything. So we've did all the tests possible,
all of the things, and she ended up being a
tube fed baby. She still is tube fed through a gtube,
but she's not throwing up.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Anymore, which is did great good.
Speaker 4 (27:17):
And she also had like a breathing condition she had
to have a surgery on, which was at the end
of the day not allowing her to feed, which we
didn't know.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
But she's doing better, which is great.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
It's honestly such a long story, so I don't know
how to cut it down, but it's just been such
a journey of just appreciation and gratitude for all of
the little things, because you hear about women having babies
and babies growing up all the time, but there are
so many things that can go wrong, or so many
health conditions that could happen, and I'm just so grateful
(27:49):
that although she's still gtube fed, she is healthy and
she is happy and thriving, and it's just the best
feeling in the world because you appreciate all of the
little moments and all the little things right after going
through difficult times.
Speaker 3 (28:03):
Well, I'm so happy that she is growing stronger every
single day. I'm sure like any stressful moment you had
in your professional golf career is like f that, like
this is my everything, Like your child now is your life?
Speaker 1 (28:17):
Right?
Speaker 3 (28:17):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (28:17):
And again it just gives you perspective.
Speaker 4 (28:19):
I mean when we were going through that with mya
it was probably like eight months of it where wow,
literally every day we couldn't leave the house because she
would throw up fifteen to twenty times a day.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
I couldn't take her anywhere.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
And it just gives you perspective of just what is important.
And I think again just having kids in general, of
being able to step back and look at the big
picture of what is important in life. And I do
love golf and I love to compete, right, but in
this stage of my life, it's just so nice to
be able to have these moments with my kids and
to raise them and to be there for all the
little moments and for when they need me.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
So you mentioned how you love competing. Is there any
shot that we will see Syanne Woods compete again, qualify anything?
Speaker 5 (29:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (29:02):
I think so. Yeah, I think so.
Speaker 4 (29:04):
I mean, honestly, I missed the competition and it's so
hard to replicate.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
I love competing.
Speaker 4 (29:09):
I've always been a competitive person in everything that I do,
and I want to be able to have my kids
see me play one day.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
So I would say maybe in the next couple of
years i'd play.
Speaker 4 (29:18):
I would love to qualify for the US open again
and play in that. And have you know our kids
following us along. Maybe my husband can, Caddie, I'll put
them to work.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
I love that. Okay, speaking of husband, So Chyanne's husband
is Aaron Hicks, and he is a professional baseball player.
And I actually played golf with him, oh pre pandemic
and the media day era, and I was actually so
surprised at how good at golf he was, especially for
a baseball player, because typically baseball player just like slice
the shit out of it, and he was like striping it.
(29:47):
And I wanted to hear how you two met. I
know it was kind of something similar to what we're
doing now, but I'm gonna let you tell the story.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
Yeah, So Erin and I have been married for three
years now, and we met during the pandemic or just
before the pandemic. I used to have a podcast with
Doug Smith called Bertie's not Bs, and we were record
in Phoenix, Arizona, and Aaron and Doug were friends, and
so Doug invited him on the podcast and we did
just a little episode like just getting to know Aaron
(30:16):
and his relationship with golf, and so it was awesome
just to get to know him a little bit, and
that was my first time meeting him. During the pandemic,
both of our seasons got shut down, so I was,
I think in Florida. I was at the Players actually
at the time, and so during the pandemic when we
were both home, we just started playing golf together and
that's kind of how it just sparked this friendship.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
And then we got to know each other more. It
was like, he's kind of cool.
Speaker 4 (30:41):
Yeah, I like him, and so that's kind of where
it all started.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
I love that. So it wasn't like instance sparks in
the podcast room. It was more just like a slow
burn hang out, play a lot of golf together, and
then you're like, okay.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
Yeah, and it's funny.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:55):
And it's funny because I always said I would never
date a golfer, and technically he's not a golfer, right,
but he plays a lot of golf, right, And I
actually love it because we can appreciate the same love
of golf and we can enjoy it with our.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Families now too.
Speaker 4 (31:09):
And I think that the pandemic really gave us a
lot of quality time that we never would have had otherwise,
especially him being a baseball player, I was playing golf
full time. Our worlds were literally like that, just like
colliding and just would never have cross paths. So I'm
grateful for, you know, the time that we were able
to have. And then, like you said, slow burn of
just yeah, you know, we fell in love and basically
(31:31):
through the game of golf.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
Right, So in this case, it was actually a turn
on that he was that he plays golf.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
Usually, I feel like for golfers, it's like no turn off.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
Please don't please, don't love golf too much, don't want
to be on the course. So have you taught him
much and like kind of helped him out with this game.
I'm trying to work on a short game, okay. Yeah,
he's definitely a.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
Power player, and he loves his sixty degree whch yeah,
which a lot of people do. And I'm trying to
just teach him about bump and run, yeah, and different
shots that he can hit, a different clubs that he
has other than his low budge.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
So definitely trying to balance out his game a little bit.
Speaker 3 (32:04):
Okay, I love that now your little boy he plays
both baseball and golf. Yeah, if you could choose which,
We're not going to force our kids, you know, into anything,
but if you could control it, you so you would
want him to play baseball.
Speaker 4 (32:19):
I think baseball, Aaron says, golf, So we'll kind of
see what happens there. But Cameron will be three next month,
so he is just full toddler boy, loving absolutely every
sport possible, but definitely attached to a club and a
bat at all times.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
It's so cute.
Speaker 4 (32:34):
And the thing that frustrates me most is that now
that I'm post LPGA Tour career, right, he mainly sees
his dad playing golf and he thinks Dad is the
golfer and I think related is dad. So that's why
I'm thinking I need to get back out and show him.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
Who the real golfer is in the house.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
Do you play much anymore?
Speaker 2 (32:51):
Not as much as I want to.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
Okay, No, I'm finally starting to get back out and
hit balls and like playing a couple of things here
and there.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
But I'm trying to get back out more.
Speaker 1 (32:59):
So.
Speaker 3 (33:00):
One thing that I do love about, like everything that
I've seen you share, is that you're huge about making
golf more accessible and so how do you feel like
golf is heading right now? Do you feel like we're
heading in the right direction, making.
Speaker 4 (33:10):
More Absolutely, Yeah, it's been so exciting to see how
far golf has come, honestly, just since the pandemic.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
In the last five years.
Speaker 4 (33:19):
Sure, I remember when I was playing, that was always
something I advocated, was access to golf, getting everybody out there,
showing them that golf is for them.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
You don't have to be a country club, button up player.
Speaker 4 (33:28):
Sure, places like Top Golf have really opened up the
world to what golf can be and that it can
be fun, it can be for everybody.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
So I love where golf is headed.
Speaker 4 (33:39):
And even just the influencer world of making golf relatable
and YouTube golf, I think is so great for the game.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
What is it the good good guys.
Speaker 4 (33:47):
Yeah, when I saw them come out to Scottsdale and
all the people that came out to the event, and
they're not saying first sour fans, you know, these are
just like your everyday people, And I think that's great
for the game of golf. So it's exciting, and I
am honestly mind blown with how far art it's coming,
like five years, but I think it's great.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
For the game.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
Absolutely. What do you think golf maybe needs more of
to continue that trajectory.
Speaker 4 (34:09):
I think, just continued support of that everyday person who
wants to get into golf. For sure, you know, it's
nice to have the facilities like top Golf or like
the YouTube people that you can watch. But I think
still maybe with instruction wise of making golf more accessible
or a little bit more affordable is a big thing,
because it's one thing to go out and like, okay,
(34:30):
get a club and hit some balls, but it takes
a little bit of teaching to really understand and know
how to swing the club. So maybe just a little
bit more support in programs to kind of get this
new fan base able to learn how to play golf.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
We just need a teaching course from Cheyenne Woods, you know,
or we do or we could do it together.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
Yeah, one or the other.
Speaker 1 (34:52):
Go.
Speaker 3 (34:52):
So switching gears a little bit because this was really
big news to the golf world a few weeks ago.
We understand that you lost your grandmother, Tilda Woods, and
I just wanted to do a check in, how's the family,
how are you?
Speaker 2 (35:05):
Yeah, it was really sad to see that, honestly sudden.
Speaker 4 (35:09):
Yeah, and we had just seen her, you know, at
TGL and just beaming with pride, which I think, honestly
looking back, is the best thing to be able to
have her at those moments for Tiger to support. You know,
I didn't get to spend as much time with Tita
as I did with my grandfather, but she was just
so special and she This probably sounds silly, but she's
(35:30):
why I loved Tigh.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
Food, Oh my god.
Speaker 4 (35:32):
But of course obsessed with Tai food because I remember
growing up, you know.
Speaker 2 (35:35):
She would cook ty food or yea. She would show
us how to cook Tay food.
Speaker 4 (35:39):
So it definitely is so sad, but I'm so grateful
that she was able to have those special moments with
Tiger and Charlie and watch them at TGL and she
definitely won't be missed.
Speaker 3 (35:48):
You know, I actually met her when I was I
think like twelve years old. It was for a TGR
Foundation event and I somehow got into it through like
SEPGA or one of those millions of golf or gazations.
And funny enough, I didn't realize I was sitting next
to your grandmother and I was just waiting for my
mom at the restroom and we were in the facility
and she was like eating like it looked like country
(36:10):
club snacks. And she looks at me and she just
goes and she like gestures like do I want it?
And I'm like okay, and I grabbed a pretzel. Do
you play golf?
Speaker 2 (36:19):
I said yes?
Speaker 3 (36:20):
And she said are you here for the clinic? I
said yes, and she goes practice hard, Oh I will yeah,
And I thought it was like yes, And then my
dad was like, do you know who that was? I
was like, oh my gosh, I mean yeah, no big deal.
But no, I love that story and we love that
you love Thai food of course. Yeah, yes, okay, switching
gears back to like a little more of a lighter not.
(36:41):
I saw that you recently launched a show on golf Pass,
Tita Dreams. Can you tell everybody about it?
Speaker 4 (36:48):
It's really exciting, honestly, So, Tita Dream is on golf
Pass Dreaming right now.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
We have two episodes out.
Speaker 4 (36:53):
You love it, and the basis of the show is
showcasing professional golfers who are associated with found and the
work that they do to give back to their charity
and to the community. We all know golf is so philanthropic,
but we don't always get to see behind the scenes
of how these professional golfers.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
Are using their platforms to give back.
Speaker 4 (37:12):
When I was playing, it was always a big part
of my traveling and my career of trying to give
back to the communities or connect with the local girls.
So to be able to see what these golfers are,
you know, obviously not only just playing at the highest
level possible, but then giving so much back to their
communities and giving back to their foundations. So we've focused
on Ryan Palmer and not a big a so far
(37:33):
this year, and it's just been really special to be
a part of and see how golf cannot only change
obviously the golfers' lives and they're playing and doing these
glamorous things, but changing the lives of kids and people
within their communities. So it's on golf Fast now if
people want to check it out. I think the episode
is free to stream right now if you want to see.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
And we're going to film a bit more this season
as well.
Speaker 3 (37:55):
Okay, we will be on the lookout for sure. We'll
just drop the link. You guys, don't worry. So what's
next for Cheyenne Woods in general? I know that I
feel like you do a lot more media now and
traveling to tournaments and whatnot.
Speaker 4 (38:07):
You have the next stop, Yeah, definitely more filming with
Golf Bass for sure, and focusing on that show and
then maybe a couple of other fun things in the
golf world. Talking a little bit about podcast as well.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
So I love it. It could be potentially coming up soon.
Speaker 3 (38:21):
Would you be bringing it back or would you just
be like starting a brand starting new?
Speaker 4 (38:25):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (38:26):
Not BS. Was so fun to do with you and
we learned so much, but that is rip.
Speaker 4 (38:33):
Yeah, but yeah, Doug and I are so really close, actually,
that's what he was telling me.
Speaker 3 (38:37):
Yeah. Yeah. If you guys don't know who Doug is,
he is now like a commentator on Golf Channel. I
was actually just with him a few days ago and
he was commentating me playing, which was kind of weird
and kind of weld, and he was always telling me,
he's like, you should get shy on the pod. I'm like, bro,
help me out, dude. And so I love that you
guys are close.
Speaker 4 (38:52):
Yeah, And it's funny because he lives like twenty minutes
from us and his son is about the same age
as ours, so perfect sons are best friends. And I
think the next couple of years are going to be
like golf rivals slash best friends.
Speaker 2 (39:04):
So stay tuned. We love a good story. We love
it all right.
Speaker 3 (39:08):
So we are winding down now, but we have to
end with a fun little game.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
All right.
Speaker 3 (39:13):
Do you know the game f kill Mary?
Speaker 4 (39:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (39:15):
Okay, it's that's a little dramatic, but.
Speaker 5 (39:19):
Words.
Speaker 3 (39:19):
Yeah, it's called travel cut like miss the Cut Mary. Okay, okay,
those are your three options. These are amongst your LPGA peers. Yes, yes, okay,
are you ready?
Speaker 2 (39:32):
I think so?
Speaker 3 (39:32):
Okay, all right, Lexi Thompson, Danielle Kang, Brooke Henderson.
Speaker 2 (39:38):
My gosh, wait, this is the kind of game that
it is no hard feelings.
Speaker 4 (39:45):
Okay, so I'm gonna say travel Danielle Kang. Okay, she
is so fun and I always loved playing with her.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
You have Hanbrook.
Speaker 4 (39:54):
I'm gonna cut Lexi because she is technically partially retired,
that is true, so she kind of cut herself.
Speaker 2 (40:02):
Right, yeah, at a point.
Speaker 4 (40:05):
And then I would marry Brooke. I love playing with
Brooke and her sister.
Speaker 2 (40:10):
I love that, and her game is just amazing. It
is amazing. Yeah, and I feel like her driver just
looks so long for her, but she crushes.
Speaker 3 (40:16):
It every time.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
She makes it look so easy.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
Okay, last one, Michelle Wee West, Brittany Lindscombe, Stacy Lewis.
Speaker 2 (40:23):
I think I would travel again with Michelle.
Speaker 4 (40:26):
Yeah, I know shep sure, I has all the good
food recommendations, She's got the babies that we could do
little play dates again. Stacy, I think I would marry Stacey. Wow,
she's I mean a legend. Yeah, she's an icon in
the game. And then Brittany. This is really brutal. I
would I guess I'd have to cut Brittany. No hard feelings, guys,
(40:46):
it's just the game. There is no one like send
some messages.
Speaker 2 (40:50):
Yeah, no offense.
Speaker 3 (40:52):
I love it. That is the end of the game.
And final question. Where can listeners follow you and see
everything that's going on.
Speaker 4 (40:59):
I'm on Instagram at Cheyenne Underscore Woods and Twitter as well,
but not so much active on there, but Instagram for sure.
Stay updated again on the golf past show for sure.
Just all of our family fun that we do.
Speaker 3 (41:15):
Welcome to the party with Taisha Allen is an Iheartwoman's
Sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports Entertainment. I'm
your host. Tisha Allen. Christina Everett is our executive producer,
and Jennifer Bassett is our producer. Sound mixing and mastering
by Mary Doo. Special thanks to Jesse Katz at iHeart
and to Jess McCallister and the teams at GERSH and
Catalyst nine. Listen to Welcome to the Party with Tisha
(41:37):
Allen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcasts.
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where everyone at
this party is taking the expected number of shots and
we're not talking about the handy alcohol impairment chart Leslie
Noe keeps in her wallet swings, not swigs. It's Friday,
May second, and on today's show, we're concluding our Iheartwomen's
Sports Week with an episode of Welcome to the Party
with Tisha Allan. Tisha joined us as a guest on
(00:22):
this show a few months ago and taught us so
much about the world of golf and the LPGA. But
for those of you who missed that episode, we asked
Tisha to introduce herself and her podcast for new listeners.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Here's what she had to say.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
What's going on, friends, I'm Tisha Allen, former professional golfer
now turned creator, speaker, and your host of Welcome to
the Party, and I mean par dash tea. This pod
is all about celebrating badass women in golf, and I'm
not just talking about LPGA pros, but I'm also talking
about entertainers, actresses, and game changers who just love the game,
from those grinding for their tour card to retired legends
(00:53):
and women working behind the scenes every guest touches golf
in a unique and powerful way. Whether you're a scratch
golfer or you don't know what par means, this party
is for you.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Today you'll hear Tisha's interview from March with former player
Chyanne Woods to get to prep. Here's a little preview
of what to expect.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
This episode is one of my favorites. I got to
sit down with my friend Cheyenne Woods, Yes that Woods.
She's a former professional golfer, trailblazer, and now a proud mama.
She opens up about her journey through the LPGA, the
pressure of carrying a legendary last name, and how her grandfather,
Tiger's Dad, was the one who first put a club
in her hands. Now, as a mom of two and
(01:31):
hosts of her show Tea to Dream, she's using her
voice to uplift others in the game. This episode is powerful,
personal and will absolutely pull on your heart strings. I
know I had to hold back my tears, so that
being said, I can't wait for y'all to tap in
and join the party, all.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Right, Selice's that episode of Welcome to the Party with
Tisha Allen is coming.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Up right after this.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
I feel like the very first time I I definitely
blacked out when I played.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
I'll come Great because I thought you had blacked out.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
So that's a totally normal emotion. Okay, but no, I
mean everyone's so different. I always try to focus on
like an my song that I could play in my head.
I talked right, Caddy, and just try to get through
the first few holes and just survive.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
I am so pumped for today's guest for all the reasons.
She's an absolute boss on and off the golf course.
And I know you're gonna know this name. She's a
golf star and amazing mom and someone was just an
incredible story. She crushed it at Wake Forest, where she
was a two time All American and conference champion, and
not only that, she got inducted into.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Their Hall of Fame.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
No big deal, right, And then from there she took
her talents to the pro stage, from the LED to
LPGA Tour, winning the twenty fourteen Vulvic RICB Ladies Masters
and making history only the sixth black woman to compete
on the LPGA Tour. In twenty twenty two, she stepped
away from competitive golf to welcome her first child and
just a year later, she became a mom of two.
(03:10):
Now she's bringing her passion for the game in a
whole new way, posting Tea to Dream on Golf Pass
where she's shining a light on golfers using their influence
to make a difference. Now, y'all, if this pod doesn't
pull on your heartstrings and make you become an even
bigger fan, I really don't know what more to tell you.
You just have to trust me and listen to the
very end. She's stunning, inspiring, and so much more. Without
(03:34):
further ado, please welcome Cheyenne Woods to the party. Cheyenne
Welcome to the party. We're so excited to have you
and I really appreciate you being here in the studio. Well,
we're gonna get started in a fun way. We like
to have a little four play in the beginning, so
we have a fun rapid fire questions.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Of this or that? Okay? Are you ready? I sure
hope so? Okay golf or baseball golf for sure? Okay?
Speaker 3 (03:57):
North Carolina or Arizona?
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Oh, Arizona?
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Okay, love it? Which, by the way, North Carolina is
where she went to school. Yes, as place in the heart. Yes, Okay,
our ACV Royal Pines Resorts in Australia or Seven Canyons
in Arizona.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Oh, Royal Pines, Yes, okay, that's where she won.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
That is where she won. We love it. Okay. What's harder?
Ten years playing professionally or being a mom of two
under two?
Speaker 2 (04:22):
A mom of two under two challenge?
Speaker 5 (04:25):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Yes, yeah, golfers, you know, get a breeze.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Oh yeah, okay, play Augusta National and pouring rain or
Saint Andrew's in forty mile per hour winds.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Oh I think the proper way to play St. Andrews
is in the wind. I would totally do that. Okay,
we're playing Augusta in the rain.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Would you rather your kids grow up to be a
professional golfer or MLB star MM or softball or softball?
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Yeah, that's true with our little baby girl. Oh that's
really hard. I would say baseball. Really like the fact
that when I go watch I don't have to walk.
That is a good point, and I can be indoors
at times and sit down.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
And baseball they don't play in the rain a lot,
So I'm.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Going to go with the baseball. Okay, baseball, it is
all right. Last rapid fire question caddy for Tiger at
the Masters or have him caddy for you at an
LPGA event the Masters.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Yeah, I know him down, although I would.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
Be so nervous caddie and not want to screw up.
But that is just something you can't you can't miss. Yeah,
you can't miss that type of mop.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
Yeah, that would be like the biggest crowd probably humanly possible,
to have you on the bag for him at the Masters,
that would be that would be fun. All right, So
let's actually get started and get into your career and
how you began golf. You actually started golf at a
very young age, like three years old.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Right, Yeah, I do, honestly, I don't even remember how
old I was, but golf was always around, right.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Neither of my parents played golf. I have two older brothers.
They never played.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
But my grandpa, Earl Woods is the one who got
me into it, and at the time I got started,
was maybe just turning pro in his early nineties. I
was watching him. I was in a stroller when he
played as an amateur.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Out here. I'm totally blanking.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
That's okay, that's again. What's the course they played the
Genesis side? Well, Riviera at Riviera, Yes, when you played
as an amateur. So I was there as a baby.
So it was just always around in my life. And
I started playing in my grandpa's garage with an old
cutdown club of Tigers. And I grew up in Arizona.
My grandpa and Tiger lived in California. We'd always come
out to visit summer vacations, and it just was something.
(06:33):
I think I was growing up at the right age
as a lot of us were now in our thirties,
where Tiger was everywhere on TV. He changed the game,
and as a five six seven year old watching him,
it was just the coolest thing ever.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
And I just wanted to be like him. Yeah, and
so that's how I got into golf.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
It just spurred this excitement about golf in me that
that's how I saw my life being of playing on tour.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
That's so wild.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
So what age for you when you were like, yeah,
I want to do this, like I want to be
a pro.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
Ever since I can remember, really, yeah, honestly, and again,
I think it's just seeing it and having that connection
to Tiger.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
I was like, it just was the coolest thing.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
And I think also growing up a girl in the sport,
and I had two older brothers. I always had the
mindset of what they can do I can do and
trying to keep up with them. And I loved surprising
people as a young girl and saying I play golf
and yeah, I'm good at it.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
So I just always saw golf in my life.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
In that way that that was the career I wanted,
that was the path I wanted to take. Luckily, my
grandfather also just instilled a lot of belief in myself.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
I love from at a young age. I mean I
was probably nine or ten years old.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
I remember sitting in his kitchen and he's making me
breakfast and he told me like that he could see me.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Being on tour, that he believed in me.
Speaker 4 (07:49):
And one of my favorite stories about my grandpa is
he used to work for IMG and he was a
scout to scout like junior golfers and potential, you know,
up and coming players. And when I was sitting in
his kitchen on that day, he told me that when
I was like four or five years old, he wrote
an official report about me and he submitted it officially
(08:11):
into IMG.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
And I was like, wow, what did you write?
Speaker 4 (08:14):
And he goes I'm not going to tell you what
I wrote, but one day when you turn pro, IMG
will come and recruit you and they'll bring the letter
and you can read it then. So when I graduated
from Wake Forest, my grandfather had passed while I was
in high school, so this was a couple of years
after and I graduated, I wanted to turn pro.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
IMG came and they brought the letter and I got
to read it for the first time.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
I literally goose And it was literally nineteen ninety three,
I think, so I was three or four years old. Wow,
And he wrote what he saw in me. He wrote
that he could see me play on tour, the skills
that he could see in me, And those are the
types of things that I tell people make a difference
when you have someone in your corner that believes in
(08:56):
you and then you start to believe it too. That
is what always propelled me in my career, in my
life with golf, Like my grandpa could see it when
I was three or four years old, like I want
to do it for him. I want to do it
because I believe it too. And so that was a
huge part of my golf life of just having him
as like that foundation in that rock of like believing
(09:17):
in me and what I.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Can do in the game of golf.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
So what was your reaction in opening that letter, Like,
did you even remember it in that moment that he
had given you that? Yeah, it was always in the
back of my mind. I always remember that letter. I
always thought.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
What did he write? What did he think?
Speaker 4 (09:33):
And so when they did bring it, it was like
a full circle moment.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
It felt unreal, honestly to see.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Literally tear up right now thinking about it.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
I can't even imagine.
Speaker 4 (09:42):
And it's in his handwriting, you know, it's like this
beautiful curse of and just to read his words, especially
after he had passed. And yeah, he was the one
who got me started. He was the one who taught
me what I knew about golf. So he was the
biggest figure in my life when it came to golf
and what I wanted to do in the sport.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
I was able to sit there and see it.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
It was just like, this is what I've been waiting
for and it just meant so much. So I have
it framed in our house and it's just one of
those really special moments that I will never forget.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
That's so beautiful. You're gonna have to send me a
picture you've framed at your house. Okay, so you talked
a little bit about Wake Forest. You just got inducted
into the Hall of Fame. Congratulation.
Speaker 5 (10:22):
Thanks you.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
What does that honor mean to you?
Speaker 4 (10:24):
It means a lot, and it feels surreal because Wake
Forest has such a deep, deep history in every sport.
I mean it's a small school, but they have such
depth and the athletes that they've produced while they be.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Basketball, golf, soccer.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
So now to be among the names of the Hall
of Fame inductees is just an honor. Growing up on
the West Coast, I didn't know a lot about Wake
Forest other than like Tim Duncan and Chris Paul and
of course mister Palmer.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
To now be etched in history is really special.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
And during my speech at the induction, I spoke about
how I wasn't always the best golf and I really
had to work my way up, and so to be
able to work my way through Wake improve my game,
work my way through the team and up in the
rankings really meant a lot to me.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
To be able to accomplish that. What made you commit
to that school?
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Honestly, growing up in Arizona.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
I just was sick and tired of being there, like
it is boring.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
So I was like, I want to just try somewhere new.
In North Carolina. It was very new. It was a
culture shock.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
But I always tell people it was the best thing
that ever happened to me, especially golf wise.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
I was forced.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
To learn how to live on my own away from
my family, play in weather that is not just perfect
at all times, and play different.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Golf courses too, which was such a test.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
So I always say it was the best thing for
my career and just for me, kind of like growing
up and learning again on that path of trying to
become professional.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Clearly, you know, you have a really big name in
your family what's the last name? And a lot of
attention was on you throughout your career, college golf, professional golf.
What was that like for you building a name for yourself?
Speaker 2 (12:23):
It was difficult, you know.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
Growing up I loved watching Tiger play, and he was
the biggest inspiration for me to become professional golfer or
even a play golf in general.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
So I somewhat I am a fan and I love
watching him play.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
But then coming up and being a woods and having
the extra attention or the expectations whatever that might be
was difficult. I mean, even to this day, I am
still referred to as his niece, which is totally fine
because I get it. But when you are young and
trying to not only prove yourself to the world, but
prove yourself to yourself, yes, it can be difficult when
(12:58):
you're constantly reminded of the other person rather than yourself
and what you've accomplished. So I really had to learn
how to have that self love, that self worth of I.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Worked to get here. I deserve to be here.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
Despite what my name is, and I think it made
me a stronger person and a stronger player of just
believing and who I am. But it definitely was difficult,
and I had to just embrace it because it's not
something that was ever going.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
To leave right absolutely, like I was thinking about actually
on the drive here, and I just feel very empathetic
to what that feeling and pressure could be like to
have someone in your life that's essentially setting the bar
right and the pressures that you could face. And I
feel like you've done it with so much grace, and
I think from the outside looking in I don't think
(13:44):
you could really tell that it may have been difficult
or that you know, it was a lot of pressure.
So I think you did a phenomenal job, like making
a name for yourself.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
You know, thank you. I appreciate that. I mean, I
try to do what I could.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
I mean, I love golf for my own reasons, and
I never wanted to be the next Tiger Woods, sure,
but you know, I just grew up wanting to see
how far I can take it, and I love that challenge.
And to at least have the representation of Woods on
the women's side means a lot to me. And to
be a woman of color in golf and kind of
(14:15):
have that representation again.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Is just really powerful. So I try to do what
I could to give back.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
To the game, and you know, the Woods name definitely
helps elevate whatever I do, which I think is definitely
a privilege.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Absolutely, has Tiger given you any advice about your career
and of sell you mind sharing, I would.
Speaker 4 (14:31):
Say the biggest thing is he always has just said
to have fun. And I think the biggest advice I've
ever had from him is just me watching what he
does fair and whether it be on TV or the
few times I've been able to kind of watch him
practice in person, I've always said he's the hardest working
person I've ever seen in my life. Yeah, in every aspect,
and he's so intelligent, he's so hard working, he's just
(14:55):
so intense that that is definitely what I've learned most
from him is just by observing seeing where he came
from and how far he's taken it, what he's gone through.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
It's just really really inspirational.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Yeah. Yeah, So you went on to play professionally, like
basically a decade right playing pro LED, which is a
Ladies's European Tour LPGA. What is your favorite memory of
playing on tour?
Speaker 2 (15:19):
My favorite memories are definitely playing on European Tour.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Really Okay, why is that?
Speaker 2 (15:23):
It just was such a new experience for me.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
Yeah, and it wasn't anything I had expected myself to do,
And I think that's what makes it really special too.
You know, I graduated from WIG and you know, in
our minds we always think, Okay, I'm gonna go boom
boom boom, this is how I.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Get on tour.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
Sure, So I went to Q school, didn't make it through.
I didn't even get Epson Tour status. I didn't make
the cut at first stage.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
Yeah, so I was confused, like where do I go
from here?
Speaker 4 (15:48):
And so my agent suggested, you know, European Tour is
an option, and the thought of going to Morocco and
for the qualifiers and potentially playing in Europe, and you know,
I it was twenty one, fresh out of college. I
had never really traveled like that before. All of this
was so new to me, so you know, it was
a huge leap. It felt like to go over there
(16:09):
and just kind of get this experience of the unknown.
But it was so fun. The girls there were amazing.
Every country you go to you learn so much about
the culture. Every course is so different. It was the
best thing for my professional career. I then played.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
I always had status, but I played their full.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
Time for like I don't know, two or three years,
and then I came back and I was able to
earn LPGA Tour status.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
But it was just the best learning experience.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
So, talking about professional golf, what's something that you wish
that maybe like the audience or outside voices understood more about,
especially women's professional golf.
Speaker 4 (16:47):
There's a lot and I think the biggest thing that
I've always tried to advocate for women's golf is obviously
how talented we are. Yeah, and you hear it all
the time, but you really don't. I feel like you
don't understan it till you see it, whether it be
the talent or how personal the players are, or how
close you can get to actually enjoying the golf while
(17:09):
you're out watching an LPGA event.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
It's such a different.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
Experience than going to maybe a PGA Tour event or
a men's event. So I always try to tell people
how friendly the women's game is and how welcoming it is.
I always try to make it a point when I
was playing to interact with fans or meet with the
juniors and interact with them, because I do remember being
the girl out there behind the ropes and trying to
get an autograph or getting that golf ball, and it's
(17:34):
the best feeling in the world. But I feel like
in the women's game, you definitely get that experience a
lot more.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
And then obviously the.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
Talent is just amazing, and you see these girls make
it look so easy. My husband's played in a couple
LPGA pro ams and he still can't believe how good
the girls are. I mean, he hits it like three
point fifty, He hits it far, and these girls are
kicking his butt and he can't believe how easy they're
making it look. And I think it's a testament to
how deep the talent is, right, how just amazing they are.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
I mean, I'm a huge advocate for the women's game,
and I may be butchering this stat but I believe that,
Like they said that on the LPGA Tour, say, like
a woman's six iron and green and regulation average is
comparable to like the man's nine iron, and it's something
of that nature. And it's like the distances are actually
(18:26):
so far in correlation for women compared to men, Like
they have a lot more shorter irons and compared to women.
And I'm like, you guys don't realize how hard is
to get a hybrid next to the pin, a five
iron next to the pin.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Those are like the clubs that I hate when you're
hitting nine irons and wedges all day.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
Yeah, I'm like, yeah, you can stick a wedge, spin
it back all day, but like, yeah, ask me to
hit a three wood next to the pin on like
an unreasonably long part four like, you guys don't understand
how hard that is. If you ask the men to
do it, you'll be seeing a lot more short game
and a lot more wild shot.
Speaker 4 (18:54):
And I've always told people too, I mean, when you
see the men's game, it definitely does play shorter. Yeah,
and almost every round they have reachable part fives or
reachable part four. And on the women's side, I always said,
so rare. Maybe if you are one of the longer hitters,
yes you have maybe a reachable part five, but it
was so rare when you were playing, when I was
playing on tour to truly have those whole where you
(19:14):
can be aggressive and go for it or to take
advantage of hitting one in two or whatever the case
may be.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
Yeah, well we'll work on that. We can talk about
that all day. So I wanted to ask your opinion
on the LPGA as an organization. I feel like a
lot has grown. What do you feel like they're doing
right and what do you feel like maybe like maybe
we can bring a little more attention to this.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
There's been so many changes in the LPGA, and it's
been exciting for me the last couple of years. I've
been on the board for LPGA Foundation, which is behind
the scenes of their charities and girls programs.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
But it's definitely give me an inside.
Speaker 4 (19:50):
Look of what the LPGA is doing and how awesome
you know they're being able to provide all these programs
for girls and amateurs. So I absolutely love that. I
grew up in the LPGA Girls Golf Program.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
I started when I was like five or six years old.
I was the very first original.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
Sandy Leboa started it in Scottsdale, Arizona, and my coach
was her husband. So I got started in that program
and to be able to see it grow into what
it is today, I think the LPGA has done so
much in giving back to the game and also the communities.
Their reach is not just within the US, but also
so global, and I think that's been so cool to see.
(20:26):
And you're seeing a lot of Girls Golf alumni now
on tour, which I think goes to show how they
are able to give back to the game and also
support them throughout their careers.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
So I think the LPGA is doing such a good
job of that.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
Obviously, playing on tour has gotten so much better in
terms of money, yeah, yeah, and supports growing. We love
golf courses that we play are just amazing. So I
think that's been really great in terms of what they
can do better.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
Jeez, that's a tough question.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
Yeah, I mean every organization can use him improvement, right,
Like look at the PGA tour.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
What's happening you know?
Speaker 4 (20:59):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean I love if the LPG
is elevating their players more. I think that's all the
stories issue, more stories. There's so many great personalities. I
know they've invested in trying to elevate their players individually
in showcasing those stories, and I think that's been really great,
just to bring more eyes on individual players like you
see Charlie.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Hole out there, you see Lydia, you see.
Speaker 4 (21:22):
All these personalities that are just so unique and so
special that a lot of the men are able to
showcase a bit more, like even with the Netflix show,
like hellay our household names, and it makes a big
difference when it comes to them trying to sell the
tour or sell sponsorships to have that connection with fans
and players.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
So I think if they can continue to do that more,
it would definitely help.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
I love that. I completely agree. So as we know
right now, there is at this moment. Maybe when the
pod comes out, will know there is no commissioner at
this moment. If you were the commissioner, what is something
that you would instill no rules, no restrictions on moneytach
what is something that you would instill right now to
help continue to support the girls.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
Honestly, I'm thinking any way to help make.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
The travel easier for the girls, whether that's such a
good point, something they're able to provide wellness wise, or
even hotel sponsorship. That's really hard for players, whether you're
at the top or you're just trying to keep your
car like it gets expensive. And I always say the
lifestyle of playing on tour is one of the most
difficult things of traveling.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Day in and day out, all around.
Speaker 4 (22:27):
Too, all years, cross timelines and timelines, yeah, time zone,
cross time zones, and just globally. So if there was
something that the tour could do in order to support
them a little bit better travel wise, I think that
would be really good.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
Yeah, I agree with that. When you make it onto
the PGA tour, new players are essentially loaned nearly half
a million dollars to go and support themselves, and the
girls are given zero. And I just can't. I mean,
but there's so many events now where like Miszoo Ho
and like even the Asia Swing where like everything is
covered and like the girls are like royalty. So we
(23:00):
just need to get all the events to be like yeah, right.
Speaker 4 (23:02):
And even the stipends that they've been able to provide
a few misses, they've been able to provide stipends because
I mean when people think of professional golf and they
see the PGA Tour, they see the private jets and
all these glamorous life things in the front, it's assumed
that the women you know, have that as well, and
it's just not the case. And so it's definitely a
reality check, I think even as a player to come
(23:22):
in and you're like, wait, I have to pay for
this whole list of things, and how do I get
a sponsor? You know, sponsorships are hard to come by
as well, so definitely a little bit more difficult on
the women's side.
Speaker 3 (23:33):
So can you break that down. Let's say take us
back to when you were playing one week, what are
expenses like, what are you covering for yourself and your team?
Speaker 2 (23:43):
I mean you you.
Speaker 4 (23:43):
Basically cover everything so flight you don't have to pay
for your caddy swipe, but you have to pay for
your caddies weekly fee in addition to whatever percentage if
you make the cut. When I was playing, I think
caddy was anywhere between twelve hundred.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
And fifteen hundred or one week for one week.
Speaker 4 (23:59):
Okay, So hotel unless you do a host family, which
a lot of players do, so you can kind of
cut that expense.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Food, rental car. They do sometimes have like courtesy cars
that you.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
Could use, but it's not as flexible, I guess, right.
So it definitely maybe about five grand. I usually budgeted
for per week's entry feet do we say entry feet? Oh?
Speaker 2 (24:21):
And entry feeth?
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Yeah, we had to pay for the tournaments. Two guys
don't forget, so.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
It definitely adds up.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
And you're thinking, you're playing twenty five thirty events, right,
it gets expensive.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
Right, right? So we had to make more than just
the cut to survive, right, Yes?
Speaker 5 (24:36):
Crazy?
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (24:54):
So I wanted to transition into motherhood too, beautiful children,
and so what what was that transition like for me?
Taking kind of like a step aside from professional golf
and becoming a mother.
Speaker 4 (25:05):
It was very different. I played golf my whole life,
and I always wanted to be a mom. I always
knew I wanted to be a mom, and we had
our son in twenty twenty two. I competed up until
I think I was like five months pregnant, but nobody
knew I was pregnant at the time, and then I
haven't competed since we had our son. And I always
knew I didn't want to play professional golf and be
(25:26):
a mom. I didn't want to travel and have my
kids on the road. And at the time when we
had our son, my husband was still playing baseball, Okay,
so we were trying to be with him as much
as we could and travel as well, So it was
hard to think about doing golf and that at the
same time with having a family. But definitely taking a
step aside from professional golf was refreshing.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
Okay, I like it.
Speaker 4 (25:48):
I think I was ready, yeah, And it just was
nice to see a different side of life, right.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
I think as a professional golfer you get so just self.
Speaker 4 (25:57):
You're always just focused on self, right, And it was
I used to have something to take my focus off
of just me, me, me and think about this beautiful
baby and my husband and our family.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
So it was definitely a breath of fresh air.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
Now, speaking of your daughter, how is your baby girl
doing good? She's good?
Speaker 2 (26:13):
My mind sharing so well, yea.
Speaker 4 (26:16):
So Maya has had like not the toughest journey, but
it's been difficult and it has not been anything that
we ever expected and nothing that I ever heard people
talking about.
Speaker 3 (26:25):
I didn't either until I saw your poems.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
And so if people, you know, want more information.
Speaker 4 (26:32):
Our daughter was born like full term, totally fine, but
she had a lot of feeding difficulties. She had really
bad acid reflux where she was throwing up NonStop, and
she wouldn't take a bottle, pacifier or nothing, and she
wouldn't have long enough feats, and so she wasn't gaining weight.
So she was submitted admitted to the hospital's failure to thrive,
(26:53):
which was the absolute worst feeling ever as a mom,
because you feel like you failed as well.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
And I still didn't know what was happening.
Speaker 4 (27:01):
She's throwing up, she's not gaining weight, and I literally
can't do anything. So we've did all the tests possible,
all of the things, and she ended up being a
tube fed baby. She still is tube fed through a gtube,
but she's not throwing up.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Anymore, which is did great good.
Speaker 4 (27:17):
And she also had like a breathing condition she had
to have a surgery on, which was at the end
of the day not allowing her to feed, which we
didn't know.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
But she's doing better, which is great.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
It's honestly such a long story, so I don't know
how to cut it down, but it's just been such
a journey of just appreciation and gratitude for all of
the little things, because you hear about women having babies
and babies growing up all the time, but there are
so many things that can go wrong, or so many
health conditions that could happen, and I'm just so grateful
(27:49):
that although she's still gtube fed, she is healthy and
she is happy and thriving, and it's just the best
feeling in the world because you appreciate all of the
little moments and all the little things right after going
through difficult times.
Speaker 3 (28:03):
Well, I'm so happy that she is growing stronger every
single day. I'm sure like any stressful moment you had
in your professional golf career is like f that, like
this is my everything, Like your child now is your life?
Speaker 1 (28:17):
Right?
Speaker 3 (28:17):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (28:17):
And again it just gives you perspective.
Speaker 4 (28:19):
I mean when we were going through that with mya
it was probably like eight months of it where wow,
literally every day we couldn't leave the house because she
would throw up fifteen to twenty times a day.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
I couldn't take her anywhere.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
And it just gives you perspective of just what is important.
And I think again just having kids in general, of
being able to step back and look at the big
picture of what is important in life. And I do
love golf and I love to compete, right, but in
this stage of my life, it's just so nice to
be able to have these moments with my kids and
to raise them and to be there for all the
little moments and for when they need me.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
So you mentioned how you love competing. Is there any
shot that we will see Syanne Woods compete again, qualify anything?
Speaker 5 (29:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (29:02):
I think so. Yeah, I think so.
Speaker 4 (29:04):
I mean, honestly, I missed the competition and it's so
hard to replicate.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
I love competing.
Speaker 4 (29:09):
I've always been a competitive person in everything that I do,
and I want to be able to have my kids
see me play one day.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
So I would say maybe in the next couple of
years i'd play.
Speaker 4 (29:18):
I would love to qualify for the US open again
and play in that. And have you know our kids
following us along. Maybe my husband can, Caddie, I'll put
them to work.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
I love that. Okay, speaking of husband, So Chyanne's husband
is Aaron Hicks, and he is a professional baseball player.
And I actually played golf with him, oh pre pandemic
and the media day era, and I was actually so
surprised at how good at golf he was, especially for
a baseball player, because typically baseball player just like slice
the shit out of it, and he was like striping it.
(29:47):
And I wanted to hear how you two met. I
know it was kind of something similar to what we're
doing now, but I'm gonna let you tell the story.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
Yeah, So Erin and I have been married for three
years now, and we met during the pandemic or just
before the pandemic. I used to have a podcast with
Doug Smith called Bertie's not Bs, and we were record
in Phoenix, Arizona, and Aaron and Doug were friends, and
so Doug invited him on the podcast and we did
just a little episode like just getting to know Aaron
(30:16):
and his relationship with golf, and so it was awesome
just to get to know him a little bit, and
that was my first time meeting him. During the pandemic,
both of our seasons got shut down, so I was,
I think in Florida. I was at the Players actually
at the time, and so during the pandemic when we
were both home, we just started playing golf together and
that's kind of how it just sparked this friendship.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
And then we got to know each other more. It
was like, he's kind of cool.
Speaker 4 (30:41):
Yeah, I like him, and so that's kind of where
it all started.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
I love that. So it wasn't like instance sparks in
the podcast room. It was more just like a slow
burn hang out, play a lot of golf together, and
then you're like, okay.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
Yeah, and it's funny.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:55):
And it's funny because I always said I would never
date a golfer, and technically he's not a golfer, right,
but he plays a lot of golf, right, And I
actually love it because we can appreciate the same love
of golf and we can enjoy it with our.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Families now too.
Speaker 4 (31:09):
And I think that the pandemic really gave us a
lot of quality time that we never would have had otherwise,
especially him being a baseball player, I was playing golf
full time. Our worlds were literally like that, just like
colliding and just would never have cross paths. So I'm
grateful for, you know, the time that we were able
to have. And then, like you said, slow burn of
just yeah, you know, we fell in love and basically
(31:31):
through the game of golf.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
Right, So in this case, it was actually a turn
on that he was that he plays golf.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
Usually, I feel like for golfers, it's like no turn off.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
Please don't please, don't love golf too much, don't want
to be on the course. So have you taught him
much and like kind of helped him out with this game.
I'm trying to work on a short game, okay. Yeah,
he's definitely a.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
Power player, and he loves his sixty degree whch yeah,
which a lot of people do. And I'm trying to
just teach him about bump and run, yeah, and different
shots that he can hit, a different clubs that he
has other than his low budge.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
So definitely trying to balance out his game a little bit.
Speaker 3 (32:04):
Okay, I love that now your little boy he plays
both baseball and golf. Yeah, if you could choose which,
We're not going to force our kids, you know, into anything,
but if you could control it, you so you would
want him to play baseball.
Speaker 4 (32:19):
I think baseball, Aaron says, golf, So we'll kind of
see what happens there. But Cameron will be three next month,
so he is just full toddler boy, loving absolutely every
sport possible, but definitely attached to a club and a
bat at all times.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
It's so cute.
Speaker 4 (32:34):
And the thing that frustrates me most is that now
that I'm post LPGA Tour career, right, he mainly sees
his dad playing golf and he thinks Dad is the
golfer and I think related is dad. So that's why
I'm thinking I need to get back out and show him.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
Who the real golfer is in the house.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
Do you play much anymore?
Speaker 2 (32:51):
Not as much as I want to.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
Okay, No, I'm finally starting to get back out and
hit balls and like playing a couple of things here
and there.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
But I'm trying to get back out more.
Speaker 1 (32:59):
So.
Speaker 3 (33:00):
One thing that I do love about, like everything that
I've seen you share, is that you're huge about making
golf more accessible and so how do you feel like
golf is heading right now? Do you feel like we're
heading in the right direction, making.
Speaker 4 (33:10):
More Absolutely, Yeah, it's been so exciting to see how
far golf has come, honestly, just since the pandemic.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
In the last five years.
Speaker 4 (33:19):
Sure, I remember when I was playing, that was always
something I advocated, was access to golf, getting everybody out there,
showing them that golf is for them.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
You don't have to be a country club, button up player.
Speaker 4 (33:28):
Sure, places like Top Golf have really opened up the
world to what golf can be and that it can
be fun, it can be for everybody.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
So I love where golf is headed.
Speaker 4 (33:39):
And even just the influencer world of making golf relatable
and YouTube golf, I think is so great for the game.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
What is it the good good guys.
Speaker 4 (33:47):
Yeah, when I saw them come out to Scottsdale and
all the people that came out to the event, and
they're not saying first sour fans, you know, these are
just like your everyday people, And I think that's great
for the game of golf. So it's exciting, and I
am honestly mind blown with how far art it's coming,
like five years, but I think it's great.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
For the game.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
Absolutely. What do you think golf maybe needs more of
to continue that trajectory.
Speaker 4 (34:09):
I think, just continued support of that everyday person who
wants to get into golf. For sure, you know, it's
nice to have the facilities like top Golf or like
the YouTube people that you can watch. But I think
still maybe with instruction wise of making golf more accessible
or a little bit more affordable is a big thing,
because it's one thing to go out and like, okay,
(34:30):
get a club and hit some balls, but it takes
a little bit of teaching to really understand and know
how to swing the club. So maybe just a little
bit more support in programs to kind of get this
new fan base able to learn how to play golf.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
We just need a teaching course from Cheyenne Woods, you know,
or we do or we could do it together.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
Yeah, one or the other.
Speaker 1 (34:52):
Go.
Speaker 3 (34:52):
So switching gears a little bit because this was really
big news to the golf world a few weeks ago.
We understand that you lost your grandmother, Tilda Woods, and
I just wanted to do a check in, how's the family,
how are you?
Speaker 2 (35:05):
Yeah, it was really sad to see that, honestly sudden.
Speaker 4 (35:09):
Yeah, and we had just seen her, you know, at
TGL and just beaming with pride, which I think, honestly
looking back, is the best thing to be able to
have her at those moments for Tiger to support. You know,
I didn't get to spend as much time with Tita
as I did with my grandfather, but she was just
so special and she This probably sounds silly, but she's
(35:30):
why I loved Tigh.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
Food, Oh my god.
Speaker 4 (35:32):
But of course obsessed with Tai food because I remember
growing up, you know.
Speaker 2 (35:35):
She would cook ty food or yea. She would show
us how to cook Tay food.
Speaker 4 (35:39):
So it definitely is so sad, but I'm so grateful
that she was able to have those special moments with
Tiger and Charlie and watch them at TGL and she
definitely won't be missed.
Speaker 3 (35:48):
You know, I actually met her when I was I
think like twelve years old. It was for a TGR
Foundation event and I somehow got into it through like
SEPGA or one of those millions of golf or gazations.
And funny enough, I didn't realize I was sitting next
to your grandmother and I was just waiting for my
mom at the restroom and we were in the facility
and she was like eating like it looked like country
(36:10):
club snacks. And she looks at me and she just
goes and she like gestures like do I want it?
And I'm like okay, and I grabbed a pretzel. Do
you play golf?
Speaker 2 (36:19):
I said yes?
Speaker 3 (36:20):
And she said are you here for the clinic? I
said yes, and she goes practice hard, Oh I will yeah,
And I thought it was like yes, And then my
dad was like, do you know who that was? I
was like, oh my gosh, I mean yeah, no big deal.
But no, I love that story and we love that
you love Thai food of course. Yeah, yes, okay, switching
gears back to like a little more of a lighter not.
(36:41):
I saw that you recently launched a show on golf Pass,
Tita Dreams. Can you tell everybody about it?
Speaker 4 (36:48):
It's really exciting, honestly, So, Tita Dream is on golf
Pass Dreaming right now.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
We have two episodes out.
Speaker 4 (36:53):
You love it, and the basis of the show is
showcasing professional golfers who are associated with found and the
work that they do to give back to their charity
and to the community. We all know golf is so philanthropic,
but we don't always get to see behind the scenes
of how these professional golfers.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
Are using their platforms to give back.
Speaker 4 (37:12):
When I was playing, it was always a big part
of my traveling and my career of trying to give
back to the communities or connect with the local girls.
So to be able to see what these golfers are,
you know, obviously not only just playing at the highest
level possible, but then giving so much back to their
communities and giving back to their foundations. So we've focused
on Ryan Palmer and not a big a so far
(37:33):
this year, and it's just been really special to be
a part of and see how golf cannot only change
obviously the golfers' lives and they're playing and doing these
glamorous things, but changing the lives of kids and people
within their communities. So it's on golf Fast now if
people want to check it out. I think the episode
is free to stream right now if you want to see.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
And we're going to film a bit more this season
as well.
Speaker 3 (37:55):
Okay, we will be on the lookout for sure. We'll
just drop the link. You guys, don't worry. So what's
next for Cheyenne Woods in general? I know that I
feel like you do a lot more media now and
traveling to tournaments and whatnot.
Speaker 4 (38:07):
You have the next stop, Yeah, definitely more filming with
Golf Bass for sure, and focusing on that show and
then maybe a couple of other fun things in the
golf world. Talking a little bit about podcast as well.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
So I love it. It could be potentially coming up soon.
Speaker 3 (38:21):
Would you be bringing it back or would you just
be like starting a brand starting new?
Speaker 4 (38:25):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (38:26):
Not BS. Was so fun to do with you and
we learned so much, but that is rip.
Speaker 4 (38:33):
Yeah, but yeah, Doug and I are so really close, actually,
that's what he was telling me.
Speaker 3 (38:37):
Yeah. Yeah. If you guys don't know who Doug is,
he is now like a commentator on Golf Channel. I
was actually just with him a few days ago and
he was commentating me playing, which was kind of weird
and kind of weld, and he was always telling me,
he's like, you should get shy on the pod. I'm like, bro,
help me out, dude. And so I love that you
guys are close.
Speaker 4 (38:52):
Yeah, And it's funny because he lives like twenty minutes
from us and his son is about the same age
as ours, so perfect sons are best friends. And I
think the next couple of years are going to be
like golf rivals slash best friends.
Speaker 2 (39:04):
So stay tuned. We love a good story. We love
it all right.
Speaker 3 (39:08):
So we are winding down now, but we have to
end with a fun little game.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
All right.
Speaker 3 (39:13):
Do you know the game f kill Mary?
Speaker 4 (39:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (39:15):
Okay, it's that's a little dramatic, but.
Speaker 5 (39:19):
Words.
Speaker 3 (39:19):
Yeah, it's called travel cut like miss the Cut Mary. Okay, okay,
those are your three options. These are amongst your LPGA peers. Yes, yes, okay,
are you ready?
Speaker 2 (39:32):
I think so?
Speaker 3 (39:32):
Okay, all right, Lexi Thompson, Danielle Kang, Brooke Henderson.
Speaker 2 (39:38):
My gosh, wait, this is the kind of game that
it is no hard feelings.
Speaker 4 (39:45):
Okay, so I'm gonna say travel Danielle Kang. Okay, she
is so fun and I always loved playing with her.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
You have Hanbrook.
Speaker 4 (39:54):
I'm gonna cut Lexi because she is technically partially retired,
that is true, so she kind of cut herself.
Speaker 2 (40:02):
Right, yeah, at a point.
Speaker 4 (40:05):
And then I would marry Brooke. I love playing with
Brooke and her sister.
Speaker 2 (40:10):
I love that, and her game is just amazing. It
is amazing. Yeah, and I feel like her driver just
looks so long for her, but she crushes.
Speaker 3 (40:16):
It every time.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
She makes it look so easy.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
Okay, last one, Michelle Wee West, Brittany Lindscombe, Stacy Lewis.
Speaker 2 (40:23):
I think I would travel again with Michelle.
Speaker 4 (40:26):
Yeah, I know shep sure, I has all the good
food recommendations, She's got the babies that we could do
little play dates again. Stacy, I think I would marry Stacey. Wow,
she's I mean a legend. Yeah, she's an icon in
the game. And then Brittany. This is really brutal. I
would I guess I'd have to cut Brittany. No hard feelings, guys,
(40:46):
it's just the game. There is no one like send
some messages.
Speaker 2 (40:50):
Yeah, no offense.
Speaker 3 (40:52):
I love it. That is the end of the game.
And final question. Where can listeners follow you and see
everything that's going on.
Speaker 4 (40:59):
I'm on Instagram at Cheyenne Underscore Woods and Twitter as well,
but not so much active on there, but Instagram for sure.
Stay updated again on the golf past show for sure.
Just all of our family fun that we do.
Speaker 3 (41:15):
Welcome to the party with Taisha Allen is an Iheartwoman's
Sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports Entertainment. I'm
your host. Tisha Allen. Christina Everett is our executive producer,
and Jennifer Bassett is our producer. Sound mixing and mastering
by Mary Doo. Special thanks to Jesse Katz at iHeart
and to Jess McCallister and the teams at GERSH and
Catalyst nine. Listen to Welcome to the Party with Tisha
(41:37):
Allen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcasts.
Host
Sarah Spain
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