Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
What is going on y'all today? I have something a
little different for you. Over the past season, I've had
the privilege of interviewing some incredible pro female golfers, women
that I've known and admired, who have absolutely.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Crushed it in their careers.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
They've shared their insights on everything from the future of
women's golf, to what life on the LPG Tour is
really like, and so much more. For the special bonus episode,
we're taking a trip down memory lane, revisiting a bit
from each of those conversations. We're gonna kick things off
with the youngest of the bunch, Christine Wang and Amari Avery,
whom I spoke with earlier this year. Best friends and
(00:47):
former teammates at USC, they're now in the early stages
of their professional careers, competing on the episode tour and
sharing their journeys on social media. You guys have played
in quite a few events already, and you both just
from professional last year. You have you have status on EPSOM. Christine,
(01:08):
how has it.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Been very different than what I expected?
Speaker 4 (01:11):
Really?
Speaker 3 (01:11):
That is for sure.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
It's a lot of golf.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
I know that sounds silly, but before, like when we
played as a junior or in college, we would go
to a tournament one practice round, two or three days
because we played thirty six holes the first day, right,
so two or three day tournament, and then we go
back to school and we're back to being a student, right, right,
But now we get to the golf course on like Monday,
(01:36):
and then we're there. Yeah, and then it's Tuesday and Thursday, Friday, Saturday,
and then like I'm still like it's still this tournament.
I'm still hitting the same course. Like, so, yeah, it's
a lot of golf. It's very different in college, Like
we had our coaches get the hotel for us, food,
you know, travel, everything was already taken care of, even
(01:57):
what we wore, what time to get to the airport, right,
everything was taken care of. Now I have to do
it by myself. I had to book it myself for myself.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Yeah. Was there much of a learning curve.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
You'd say hundred percent?
Speaker 5 (02:10):
Like I think, you know, leading up to leaving school
and turning professional, I was kind of like thinking in
my head like, Okay, how's this going to be. Already
know it's going to be hard, but then you get
out there and you're like, oh my gosh, this is
this is not what I was thinking. Like I knew
it was going to be difficult with you know, traveling
and you know, making all of your arrangements and then
on top of that playing really good golf, and it's like, okay,
(02:33):
let's reevaluate here.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Golf is almost like the easiest part because golf is
still golf. Good golf is still good golf. A birdie
is still a birdie. But now everything around golf and
traveling is what got really rough. Rights Well up to you.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
It's a very individual sport and in this case right,
so I'd love to hear for the both of you,
how are you both supporting yourselves in your professional journey?
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Well, for me, I have A'm very fortunate from like
my social media and stuff. I've got a few sponsors.
I like Feathery, they are like my clothing sponsors. They
have been very supportive of me. I have a few
like just family they're very supportive as well. That's yeah,
It's it's tough. Like I feel like there's so many
(03:18):
really great golfers out there, but not everyone can play
professional golf for one reason or another.
Speaker 5 (03:23):
So I'm very lucky to have the chance to and
for yourself a Maori. Yeah, I would say the same.
It's definitely family and sponsors. Yeah, I Like I said,
I'm very fortunate to be with a brand like Nike.
They're a big supporter of mine, and also with Lexus
and Taylor Mate, like they they're.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
The reason why I'm playing golf.
Speaker 5 (03:39):
I'm playing professional golf, So love them. I think they're
they're great supporters. And of course my family, like they're
always going to be there for me, whether whether it's
financially or just you know, being emotionally there. So yeah,
and you know, it's not all sunshines and rabels like
everyone makes it out to be. But at the end
of the day, it's it's really something that I want
to do and I want to be a part of.
So no matter how grueling it can be, sometimes I
(04:01):
really am having the time.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
In life good.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
I was just gonna check in, like, are you guys
are having fun having a good time? Are we balancing
our personal life? Okay?
Speaker 3 (04:09):
I think it's like I see a lot of I mean,
I graduated with like everyone in my class, right, so
all my friends, the ones who are working like a
nine to five or like nine to nine, like It's
like it's like, golf is still a job at the
end of the day, but I cannot pick a better job,
like living a life.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
Like your office.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
This is my.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
So have either of you had any pinch me moment
moments since turning professional?
Speaker 3 (04:35):
I played a Monday qualifier for LPG event and right
behind me was Nellie Korda. When I like saw her
tee off and then I like I ted off and
then she teed off like right behind me.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
I was like, what's so.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Weird, like usually on a little screen.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
Yeah yeah, and.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Then have that for you, Mark. I honestly, I haven't
really had any pinch me moments. I wouldn't say I
definitely at the end of the year.
Speaker 5 (04:59):
Once a season wrapped, I was like, oh my god,
like I'm really a pronoun because like I mean, I
I mean we basically went from Nationals in May and
then went straight into the first event like like three
weeks days later. Yeah, yeah, like we were already at
our first steps in event, and I was like, okay,
so not in college anymore.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
My dad's with me actually.
Speaker 5 (05:17):
For the first time in months on the course and
he's catting for me again like old times. So yeah,
It definitely didn't hit me until after where I was like, Okay,
like this is this is the new life now. But
honestly I love it. I I can't wait for my
first pinch me moment.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Oh yeah, when I got my first check.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
That was gonna say.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
I want to assume when you guys got your first
check that would.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Have to be a pinching moment when I like, when
I saw that I made my first caught, Yeah, it
was the most exciting thing ever because then I saw
my bank colgo.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
And I was like, yes, my next guest, and I
go way way back, literally to our junior golf days.
Mariah Stackhouse went on to an out standing career at
Stanford University, where she not only captured four individual wins,
but also led her team to a national Old championship.
After college, she turned pro and continued her momentum, making
history as just the eighth African American woman to earn
(06:07):
her LPGA Tour card. Do you feel like competing and
playing for Stanford really help you prepare yourself for the
tour or do you feel like the tour is like
a whole different beast.
Speaker 6 (06:19):
It definitely helps you prepare, like game wise, okay, So
as far as being able to compete your skill, being there, absolutely,
and it just helps you develop as a person too,
Like I think maturity wise, I was able to handle
like the challenges both on and off the course better.
But tour life still is a different beast all in
its own right. Like it's a different it's a different process,
(06:42):
it's a different approach. Events, yes, more events, golf all
the time, more traveling, living out of a suitcase. It's
a huge adjustment.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
What was your transition Like rough it was you the gate.
Speaker 6 (06:58):
Well out of the gate, but I think emotionally it
was it was more challenging. Like I was playing well,
that was fine, but I think that I realized like
as the process the season was going, I got lonely.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Right.
Speaker 6 (07:10):
The second year was much better because a lot of
like my friends from underground stuff were also on tour
by my second season, but I didn't have as many
people that I played with growing up out there with
me that first year. And so I'm in the dining
hall like eating by myself, like in player lounge, and
you know that went away pretty quickly, like he makes
some friends, but I also am staying by myself, So
(07:31):
I'm in hotels most of the time. Somehow I missed
the memo on host families. And I don't know if
I was a sleep at that part of rookie orientation
or what, but I didn't really know that that was
a thing. So I was staying in hotels, either eating
restaurants or picking up my food going to my hotel
room to eat in the evenings, and like, that's just
that's a little bit isolating, right for a sport that's
(07:52):
already individual, and once you're a pro, there's no team
aspect to golf ats you you're caddy and that's it.
And so at the end of the seasonally I got
a therapist because I was like very unhappy. So I
reached out found a therapist to talk about and then
one of my buddies, Jane actually Jane Park and Molmartin
kind of like adopted me as little sisters out there
(08:12):
and are really sweet and so just gave me some
advice on how to just find pieces of home on tour.
So I traveled with friends a lot the next season,
and I got whose families and I have whose families
that I've stayed with for like eight or so years
now at certain tournaments, and that really made it a
lot better. It's just you don't think about the fact
(08:33):
that it's all golf all the time. And so when
you leave the golf course, if you can find something
that makes you feel like, you know, I've got a
little more peace and I've got people around me who care,
then that makes you feel better.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
You know. Women's golf has actually gone through a lot
of positive change in my opinion, from the professional golf
perspective with the purses, From the social perspective, women's golf
as a whole, a lot more programs for younger girls,
which we didn't really we didn't get the y'all.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
We didn't get to see each other unless.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
We played well. Literally our win was seeing one another
okay and having a rain delay and then hanging out.
So that being said, how do you feel about just
the state of golf right now? There's been a lot
of change since we've got into it.
Speaker 6 (09:16):
I think it's incredibly promising, Like that's the word I
use for golf right now, And I think it's not
just golf, it's women's sports. We're just in a place
where I feel like the sports world and sports lovers
are open right now to consuming women's sports as well,
and so I think that golf has a unique opportunity
to take advantage of that interest. And I think that
they're doing so, but it could even increase. I look
(09:38):
at social media for other sports organizations. I'm like, I
want to see a little bit of that fun in
that life.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
I'm going to ask you about this, but you're already
talking about it, so I'm going to let you go
with it.
Speaker 6 (09:47):
Yes, I would love to see some of that life
come to it. So I think what makes golf both
unique and challenging in terms of marketing is that it's
not a team sport, so you are marketing individual people
who oftentimes might be shy, who oftentimes might not. It's
harder to take advantage and push yourself on like social platforms,
and I find this challenging for myself as well. I'd
(10:09):
love to do more. But it's not like I'm in
a locker room with my teammates and say, hey, can
you hold the phone and get this for me. I
go to the golf course here at home, I buy myself.
I go to the golf course on tour. I have
my caddy. But we're focused. We've got a plan. So
I think that the tour could do a good job
of finding players like personalities and bringing it out in
different ways, whether that's getting into some of the TikTok
(10:31):
challenges or ig real challenges, coming up with something on
their own that's like golf specific, and then getting the
players that you can to buy into it and like
pushing those little clips, because I think women's sports do
best when people are connected to the players personalities and journeys, right,
Like a lot of times when men's sports are like
if you're great, you're just great, right, But I think
(10:52):
women's sports, when I've seen them do the best, it's
because people get attached to the players as a community.
And so I feel like right now on women's sports
is just on the rise, Like that's something we could
do to bring off to the forefront.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
I mean, just amen, you're speaking my language. Literally goose bumps.
The moment that I knew I wanted to walk away
from playing professionally, Like that's all I ever wanted for
you guys. It's like to show how amazing you all
are the grind that it takes, and like you literally
pulled the words from my mouth. I'm like LPGA.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
You listen it.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
We can do this. We can do this, And so
basically you're saying your solve is is to try and
just highlight those personalities, really allow the audience to fall
in love with the girls so that we can make
the same changes just as these other sports. Shanne Woods
(11:47):
is truly an incredible human being. She crushed it at
Wake Forest, earning two time All American honors and a
conference championship. From there, she took her talents to the
professional stage, competing on the l T and LPGA Tour,
winning the twenty fourteen Volbig RICV Ladies Masters and making
history as only the sixth black woman to compete on
(12:08):
the LPGA Tour. In twenty twenty two, Shayne stepped away
from competitive golf to welcome her first child. And speaking
of family, I loved how real she got when I
asked her about her famous uncle that we all know
in your family, Woods the last name, and a lot
of attention was on you throughout your career college golf,
(12:29):
professional golf. What was that like for you building a
name for yourself.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
It was difficult, you know.
Speaker 7 (12:36):
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 4 (12:45):
So I somewhat I'm a fan and I.
Speaker 7 (12:48):
Love watching him play, but then coming up and being
a Woods and having the extra attention or the expectations
whatever that might be was difficult.
Speaker 4 (12:56):
I mean, even to.
Speaker 7 (12:56):
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, it can
be difficult when you're constantly reminded of the other person
rather than yourself and what you've accomplished.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
So I really had to learn how.
Speaker 7 (13:17):
To have that self love, that self worth of I
worked to get here. I deserve to be here despite
what my name is, and I think it made me
a stronger person and a stronger player of just believing
in who I am. But it definitely was difficult, and
I had to just embrace it because it's not something
that was ever going to leave, right. I mean, I
love golf for my own reasons, and I never wanted
(13:39):
to be the next Tiger Woods. Sure, but you know,
I just grew up wanting to see how far I
can take it.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
And I love that challenge.
Speaker 7 (13:46):
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
have that representation again.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
Is just really powerful.
Speaker 7 (13:59):
So I try to do what I could to give
back to the game, and you know, the Woods name
definitely helps elevate whatever I do, which I think.
Speaker 4 (14:05):
Is definitely a privilege.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Absolutely, if you were the commissioner, what is something that
you would instill, no rules, no restrictions on money attached.
What is something that you would instill right now to
help continue to support the girls.
Speaker 7 (14:18):
Honestly, I'm thinking any way to help make 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 tours one of the most difficult things of traveling
(14:39):
day in and day out, all ye around to all years,
cross timelines and timelines.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
Yeah, time zone, cross time zones, and just globally.
Speaker 7 (14:49):
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 1 (14:54):
Yeah, I agree with that.
Speaker 7 (14:55):
When people think of professional golf and they see the
PGA Tour, they see the private jets and all the glamorous.
Speaker 4 (15:01):
Life thing different.
Speaker 7 (15:02):
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 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 1 (15:20):
So can you break that down. Let's say take us
back to when you were playing one week. What are
expense is? Like? What are you covering for yourself and
your team?
Speaker 7 (15:30):
I mean you you basically cover everything so flight you
don't have to pay for your caddy's 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
and fifteen hundred one week for one week. Okay, so
hotel unless you do a host family, which a lot
(15:50):
of players do, so you can kind of cut that expense.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
Food, rental car. They do sometimes have like courtesy cars
that you could use.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
But it's not as.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
Flexible, I guess, right.
Speaker 7 (16:01):
So it definitely maybe about five grand I usually budgeted
for per week.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
That's so entry feet do we say entry fee?
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (16:09):
And entry fee?
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Yeah, we have to pay for the tournaments. Two guys
don't forget.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
So it definitely adds up.
Speaker 7 (16:14):
And you're thinking you're playing twenty five thirty events right
a year?
Speaker 4 (16:18):
It gets expensive, right.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
So 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 more Absolutely?
Speaker 7 (16:33):
Yeah, it's been so exciting to see how far golf
has come, honestly, just since the pandemic.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
In the latch five years.
Speaker 8 (16:39):
Sure.
Speaker 7 (16:40):
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. You don't have
to be a country club button up player. 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. So I love where golf
is headed. And even just the influencer world of making
(17:01):
golf relatable and YouTube golf, I think is so great
for the game.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Absolutely, What do you think golf maybe needs more of
to continue that trajectory.
Speaker 7 (17:12):
I think just continued support of that everyday person who
wants to get into golf.
Speaker 6 (17:17):
For sure.
Speaker 7 (17:17):
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, get a club and hit some balls,
but it takes a little bit of teaching to really
(17:38):
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 1 (17:47):
We just need a teaching course from Cheyenne Wood. You know,
we got or we or we could do it together. Yeah,
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Speaker 4 (21:08):
Going back to her episode.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Her story about her beautiful daughter Grace is truly moving.
On the course, Jane made her mark early, rising to
national prominence in the early two thousands with an incredible
amateur career before spending fifteen remarkable years on the LPGA Tour.
Her journey is as inspiring off the course as it
was on it. So you've been playing golf for a
(21:31):
very long time. We have to hear the golf origin story.
How'd you get into it? You inspired you so?
Speaker 8 (21:38):
Tiger Woods obviously absolutely. I went to the driving range
when I was ten. My older brother was playing and
my dad was kind of his coach, and I was
not interested whatsoever in this game. And then, you know, finally,
when I turned eleven or something, I kind of got
(21:59):
bored make like flower crowns and rolling down the hill
like grassy knolls, like while they're you know, grinding away
hitting golf balls. I asked my dad, Hey, like can
I just try? And He's like, yeah, sure, whatever. He
kind of set up a golf ball those rubber tees. Yeah,
and apparently, according to him, I had a four iron,
like straight down the range, Like.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
You said, a four iron four iron? Who picks up
a four irons? By the way, the hard that was.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
My dad's ball.
Speaker 8 (22:25):
Oh yeah, yeah, well yeah, I would have not picked
a four arm, but yeah, he said, apparently I hit
that shot straight down the range. And he turned his
attention from my brother to me. Yeah, and uh, you know,
he kind of gave me the whole talk, like you
can maybe get a college scholarship, maybe it could be
(22:48):
on the LPGA. You know. That was that was when
I was eleven, and when I turned twelve, for some reason,
something clicked and I had this my sight set on
first going to UCLA and then making it to the LPGA.
You know, lots of practice, just days and hours and
hours and weeks and months out on the golf course,
(23:10):
and you know, I found myself getting a scholarship to UCLA,
although I only stayed for one year, I'm sorry, Coach Kerrie.
And then ultimately I reached my goal of playing on
the LPGA, and I played for fifteen years and that's
a pretty long career if you compare it to the
average career on the LPGA.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
And so what would you say has been your favorite
memory highlight of those years?
Speaker 8 (23:36):
Favorite memory? I will say my best memories golf wise
comes from the grand door of playing major championship golf.
There's just and I know it's just a it's a
very small little world that we play in, but when
we're in it, it's literally our entire world, you know,
playing to be a part of history, to experience what
(24:00):
it's like to have the jitters and feeling your heart
race and your throat. And I would say, I guess
one single highlight was finishing. I think it was like
tied for third or tied for fifth or something in
the twenty fifteen US Woman's Open in Lancaster. And just
that entire week was very surreal because from the start
(24:23):
of the week I just had signs of butterflies. And
I know it sounds lame, but when my grandmother passed away,
I kind of likened her visiting me to seeing butterflies.
And on Monday on the range, I saw this butterfly
kind of chill on a pile of range balls, and
(24:46):
it stayed there for twenty minutes. And you know that's
very unusual. H Then you know, thirty minutes later, I'm
on the putting green, my caddie walks over and he's like,
there's a butterfly in your golf bag and it won't leave.
And then I don't know. I know it sounds dumb,
but I have this like feeling of calm kind of
wash over me, and the whole week was a blur.
(25:07):
It was like it was kind of a blur, but
also like I was playing a video game, like if
I see a target, I'm going to hit it there. Yeah,
and I'm going to make Bertie Parr. I'd say that's
probably one of my favorite memories. And plus it's an
awesome golf course.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
I mean, to just perform well at a major in
front of like all your loved ones, and I'm a
firm believer in science. I don't think it's crazy. Okay,
So what would you say you miss most about being
on tour?
Speaker 8 (25:35):
Honestly, I just miss the people. And I know that
sounds so cliche, but I always tell people it's like
a big traveling circus. We're all kind of on the
same flights, kind of in the same area. You see
people at the grocery store, restaurants or whatever. And I
know we're all trying to beat each other in the game,
right but at the end of the day, I will
(25:57):
give my shirt off my back for you and you
would do the same for me because we all have
this common goal. But also, you know, we're all humans people,
So I miss the people. Yeah, yeah, And I know
that people miss you, Oh yeah. I mean You've always
been such a light on the tour, and anytime I
feel like your name has been brought up, everyone is
(26:19):
just like, I love Jane. I mean it like, I
feel like a lot of people genuinely very much miss
you and always always talk so highly and how funny
you are and all those things.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:33):
Of course, Last.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
But certainly not least, we have Angel Yin. Angel is
one of the most entertaining and magnetic players that I know.
She truly brings a party to the LPGA. She's best
known for her powerful swing, her wins on both the
LPGA and European tour, playing in the Solheim Cup, and
most recently capturing her second career LPGA title earlier this
(27:08):
year at the Handa LPGA Thailand. That win was especially remarkable.
She finished twenty eight underpar over four rounds, tying one
of the lowest four round totals on LPGA Tour events
in recent years. Angel was actually my very first guest
on Welcome to the Party, so it only felt right
to close out our final episode with someone I am
(27:30):
honored to call a friend. How old were you when
you started?
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Six years old?
Speaker 1 (27:34):
Oh? Okay, so you're really young. And so then did
you just like have like a natural knack for it?
Speaker 9 (27:40):
No, I really liked it. I think I remember this
very clearly. When I was six. I mean this sounds crazy,
I told my mom I want to play professional golf.
We didn't know anybody, so I learned, Like my first
two people that I learned about is Jack Nicholas and Tiger.
Speaker 2 (27:53):
Okay, and so like I hover my driver because of that.
Really yeah, wait, does Tiger hover the driver? Yeah? Oh
I didn't know that. Maybe he doesn't do it anymore.
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
It's actually a really cute fun fact.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
So then when you turn professional, right, you had a
win on the European Tour, which was that was a
big win.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
That was a big reason in Dubai. It was really fun.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
Yeah, and then eventually on the LPGA Tour. You successfully
had your first win just in twenty twenty three and Shanghai.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
Yes, was that a playoff? It was.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
It was a playoff, and it was against Lily Lily,
and it was like just during one of the majors,
you were in the same predicament Chevron and you guys
were in a playoff, and then she got you in
this time you got her. Yeah, and so how how
was that being able to win but also in a playoff?
Speaker 2 (28:37):
It was special.
Speaker 9 (28:38):
I mean everybody really liked it because it happened all
in the same year.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
Yeah, I thought it was special.
Speaker 9 (28:44):
I do still think she wanted that bargain in that
trade off because she got a major and I got
a tournament. But I really like shang Hai, so I
can't complain and I'm not going to be greedy about anything. Yeah,
I'm really happy, and I really like how it turned out.
Maybe not on lily a side, because she lost the
lad but but you know, it was like a fairy tale.
It was really it was really awesome.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
I think what was really wild. And I don't even
know if you remember talking to me through this is
before that win, you were telling me how difficult it
was for you to even want to be on tour
and that you were kind of going in and out.
You're like, I don't even know if I want to
like yeah, I want to do with yeah, yeah, But
like at the but you're someone who's actually very well ranked,
(29:24):
and you've been well ranked throughout all your years on tour.
You've made what I consider great money on tour. Why
would you want to walk away? Like what's going through
your head.
Speaker 9 (29:33):
When you go through periods of time of extreme injury,
Like I couldn't like lift a water bottle or sleep
at night because my shoulder injury was so bad, And
then the expectation of you playing well and a lot
was always there, and then you have to like support
a team, you have to do a support a living.
Our income is so volatile. If I don't play well
(29:53):
for a certain stretch of period, now I'm losing money.
Even if you make the cut on the LPGA, if
you finish towards the end, you're barely making the cut,
And it's like paycheck to paycheck, and it's like you
want to hire the best people on our team, but
they're also expensive because they need to eat.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Yeah, So everyone needs to eat every table.
Speaker 9 (30:13):
Right, so it just piles up, and then I couldn't
see my golf ball fly straight. It was just going
left and right, and I know all I am doing
is duct taping it. I really just sat myself down
at the end of twenty twenty two and I was like, look,
either we make it or we quit, because if we
keep going like this, our bank account's going to run dry.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Technical were ten to eighty nines. So we get taxed
a lot, okay, and we have to spend a lot.
We have to spend a lot. We're all independent contractors.
Speaker 9 (30:39):
We're not associated with any you know, organization, right, which
is quite funny because we get restricted to do things
that we cannot do. So it's always been interesting. No
one's really going to be out there like, hey, like
you're not doing well, let me support you, right, And
our status works with how well you play each year, right,
and so it washes completely in the beginning of the
(31:00):
next year. Every single year, okay single I mean, so
it's just gets so stressful. Right, Some people who's been
out tour for like a decade and play consistent golf,
all of a sudden on the tenth year, gets an injury,
and all of a sudden, now they have to like
fight for their status of play when people already know
who they are. You're like kind of almost losing an
icon in your own organization because you can't always like
(31:22):
build up new fandom or fan bases for these people
because they've been out here like they earned it, right.
My issue was that it was just like so hard
I had to upkeep it and I couldn't hit the
ball straight. So then twenty twenty two, I was like, Okay,
I need to fix it or we're gonna quit because
that's just the rat we're gonna lead. And then I'm
gonna have to I don't know, figure out my life
right from there, maybe the lawyer Finally now it's time
(31:45):
to actually go to maybe yeah, maybe the court maybe
needs me.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
Yeah, okay, okay, So for those that are listening, the
reason why I'm so mind boggled is because when you
look at angel stats the year by year, like you've
always been essentially top fifty in rankings, career earnings. By
the way, this is Google leble. I'm not trying to
be a stocker or anything, but all our stuff is
it's all yeah on the LPGA tour. You can see
(32:08):
all this and every single year you've essentially made at
least half a million. Obviously twenty twenty three was an
amazing year. So excluding twenty twenty three, you've made half
a million in your earnings. But let's go back to
what you were saying in terms of everything costs a lot.
So let's say you make your half a million, how
much money are you actually spending on like the travel,
(32:29):
the caddy, the training, like you know, all the all
the stuff.
Speaker 9 (32:32):
So caddy gets paid by percentage of how you do okay,
and so there's a percentage of that just gone. It's
not like a set fixed salary.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
But what if they make a cut, they do get that.
Speaker 9 (32:44):
So then so then my next thing is that each
week they get a percentage. If we don't do well,
they still are guaranteed money.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
So it could be a loss.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
Like if you don't play well.
Speaker 9 (32:53):
You can you can probably lose around conservatively saying three
and a half.
Speaker 2 (32:58):
Grand to four in one week. Yeah, without like much.
Speaker 9 (33:01):
Because if you're travel and you have to stay at
a hotel or airing, be now, if you stay at
a host family, you can probably cut the costs down
to like true grand, but if you have a physio
with you, that also goes up because a physio, a
private physio is also quite costly, so you can you
can be looking at around in like six grand.
Speaker 4 (33:18):
Okay, now I know that.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
On the PGA Tour, when guys qualify and they get
their tour stetus, they're gifted a lot of money. I
think it's like three hundred to five hundred thousand dollars
just to go live, like really go do your Yeah. Yeah,
that became a new thing after like you know, Live
scared everybody and now everyone now the guys just like
they just pissed money.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
Basically it feels like, oh.
Speaker 1 (33:39):
That's nice, I know, right right, And so you guys
don't get that. And is there ever tournaments where like
they cover your like hotel and things like that.
Speaker 9 (33:49):
There is so in the recent years it has been
really like kind sponsors that have supported us and have
covered our accommodation. One of them is Michelle's Tournament of
the Mizuho. The Mizuho is great, and then the new
sponsor that's come in is FM.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
So literally you're someone that performs, so in my opinion,
you perform so well on the tour and you're out
here literally contemplating quitting because the costs and everything is
just too stressful.
Speaker 9 (34:15):
I mean, there are some girls who play on tour
that don't have that much of a high status.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
Do work, I mean, like work outside of professional golf heeping.
Speaker 9 (34:24):
Do work on the off season, because their off season
actually starts in October.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
I mean, and this is why we need more money
on the on the Women's.
Speaker 9 (34:30):
Golf tourg I mean, I feel like our persons have
really grown son. I cannot say like, oh, we need
more money. I think it's more how we distribute it, right. Obviously,
like the person who won should get paid the most
for that event, for sure, But if the wall can
be a little bit fairly distributed, or just other ideas
of how the sponsors can be brought in, then that
(34:51):
would be different. Because I can't sit here and say like, oh,
we're not getting enough money for our tournaments, because I
don't want any organization or more market to be overvalued. Sure,
and if we continue to inflate our values and we're
not like showing up like results like ours, our TV
numbers up is our engagements of fans, then we're just
(35:13):
you know, inflating our own numbers and then we're over
valuing ourselves. And I don't stand for that, and I
don't like that. And I know that like the PGA
Tour gets more because they bring in more. You know,
my thing which LPGA is doing from speaking to our
elected people is that governing bodies, Yeah, our governing bodies
(35:33):
that's not golfing. Is that they are doing that trying
to boost engagement everything all around, right, and not just
like hey, we need more tournament money for the tournaments
right right. The main issue is to be able to
spread the name out to hey, what is LPGA? Like,
how can we get the common folks and the households
to know more about LPGA? So I think that's more
(35:54):
important and I think that's.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
Hopefully that's what they're doing. Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
Okay, Well, now that actually perfectly leads to my next
question is like, if you had a recommendation that can
help the LPGA tour from your point of view, what
do you think that you could say?
Speaker 9 (36:11):
Gosh, okay, So so I mean this goes back on
what I think is men and women are different. So
men are just more performance bace like, you know, more
powerful and all that stuff. So they're the performance side girls,
or we're naturally born mothers so we have more nurturing.
Our characteristics are different. Yeah, and if we can probably
(36:33):
go more engagement side, be able to be more personable,
because every time a person plays a program and I'm
speaking to them, they go, I love playing on the
LPGA programs because the girls are more engaging. Yeah, and
all the time, they're much kinder and they actually have
a conversation with us. Yeah, And so if we can
just explore more in that route to get our name out,
(36:53):
I think that'd be really cool. But that's just my opinion.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
No, I No, I think I think that your opinion
is very valid.
Speaker 7 (37:00):
No.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
I actually think that's a very safe response, and I
appreciate that response. I would I would sit here and
yell at everyone just to be like, watch the LPGA
tour because these players are actually really cool. Like I
will say that the Solheim Cup. I attended my first one,
and I thought it was actually the most exciting thing,
and like everyone was so pumped and all the fans
were engaged and they were saying too that like, oh,
(37:20):
I had way more fun being around the girls, because
not only were their personalities out, but it's like they're
a lot more relatable and like you can actually talk
to them. Like I've played in quite a few proms
with the guys on tour, like if they with John
Rahm and all these people, and I'm like, you barely
get a sentence out of them. And I feel like
like these people like they really get to know you, guys,
especially someone like you.
Speaker 9 (37:41):
Yeah, that's why I think that we're different. Right, So
if if we go keep going down on that route,
I mean obviously not too much because we're still golfing,
but yeah, we can just kind of explore more in
that realm.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
I think it would help.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
Okay, So then in twenty twenty three, you clearly perform
the best amongst all those holes. And then and then
how much did you win?
Speaker 2 (38:01):
I want a million dollars?
Speaker 1 (38:02):
That's freaking crazy, Yeah, but what is the.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
Text on that a lot?
Speaker 9 (38:07):
I was like, oh, no, numbers just gone damn okay.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
But when you won, did that like provide so much
relief for you as well? I did.
Speaker 9 (38:16):
I was like, everyone's like, what are you gonna do
with it? I'm like, put it in my vault. So
that I can support my future endeavors like golfing. If
I don't golf that well that.
Speaker 2 (38:24):
Week, Oh my gosh, that's so gay.
Speaker 3 (38:28):
People.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
I did pay my manager, I did hire someone.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
Did you not have like a first big purchase after that?
Speaker 9 (38:33):
I was like that when I first got on tour, Okay,
I was like, oh, let me buy myself with Gucci glasses.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
Is really cool.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
That's what you chose to give yourself Gucci glasses.
Speaker 9 (38:41):
It was my first purchase, like when I first turned
pro and I got my first paycheck.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
Yeah, my first paycheck on the l E T. I
got my mom car. Oh that's very sweet.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
Obviously, this pod is all about, you know, getting to
know people like you who are on tour, providing better platforms,
especially for the girls that I feel like really deserve it,
but also welcoming new golfers into the game. Especially there's
like a lot of girls getting into it. What is
your best advice for girls just trying to get into
the game, Like your honest advice.
Speaker 9 (39:07):
Swing it if you like it, keep going, have fun.
If not, have a have a beer and maybe.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
You'll like it. Million friend. Yeah that bring your friend
to friend. It's a friend activity.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
It is just like how you started. You learned by
what's having two of you and then one will eventually
quit because you just are way better.
Speaker 2 (39:28):
And that's a wrap, y'all.
Speaker 1 (39:29):
On Season one of Welcome to the Party, I had
an absolute blast making this show, and I hope you
enjoyed listening just as much as I.
Speaker 4 (39:37):
Did recording it.
Speaker 1 (39:38):
My goal was to leave you while feeling inspired, whether
that means picking up a club for the first time
or finding new ways to level up your game. Thank
you so much for tuning in and supporting from the
beginning to the very end. It truly means the world
to me. If you'd like to follow my journey off
the mic, you can find me on Instagram at Tisha
Allin and on TikTok at Tisha Underscore all In course
(40:00):
at all In Golf. I'll see y'all next time. Welcome
to the Party with Tisha 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
(40:23):
Jess McCallister and the teams at GERSH and Catalyst nine.
Listen to Welcome to the Party with Tisha Allen on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.