There are many people, some out front and many behind the scenes, who play a part in conducting every LPGA Tour event. Those include a lot of set-up staff who get the course ready both inside and outside the ropes, scores of people on the broadcast team, caddies, players and volunteers just to name a few. I’ve always seen myself inside the ropes as one of the tour's players. I made it my goal to be there by the end of 2021. The facts are I didn’t quite make it. Or I guess, in one way, I sort of did.
I never saw myself being anything but a player on the LPGA Tour. When I was younger, I entertained being a sports broadcaster. But when golf got hold of me, I tucked that away for a while.
Then, in my senior year of college, an advertising class forced me to start a blog and post twice a week. Through that process, I found a way to blend three of my passions - golf, writing, and inspiration. After college, I wrote less frequently but continued to document my journey and point out the ways in which it paralleled all walks of life.
During my first year on the Epson Tour, my writing started to get some attention. That encouraged me. It’s one thing to write for yourself or your family. Having others take the time to read and comment on your work led me to dive deeper into the craft. For me, writing is a distraction, a form of meditation, a skill to improve, and a way to connect with others when the road appears so lonesome.
When I was hit with disappointment at the end of last season after not advancing to the LPGA Tour, I took to the pen to turn my mindset around. I wrote a blog, “Lessons from Q-School.” It was my way of flipping the script on my shortcomings and turning that moment into a learning moment. The blog reached a lot of people and eventually led to numerous opportunities. One of them was a different way to play on the LPGA Tour.
A different form of playing that is. Not one with a vast amount of manicured acreage, 14 clubs, and a tiny hole that you’d like the dimpled ball to find its way into sooner rather than later. Instead, it’s one with one blank piece of paper, a pen, and my creative mind to write a story.
Throughout the year, you’ll find my stories published on my own site, but also on LPGA.com.
I have shared what it feels like to struggle to tee the ball up in your first LPGA Tour event because your hands are shaking so much. I have poured out the sweet feelings of success when that final putt drops, and you are the one on top. I have written about those moments of torment when defeat shows its darkest side. I have tied to take you on the journey with me, feeling the excitement of watching your role models play and then eventually getting to play alongside them. I hope that I have conveyed the sense of gratitude that I feel knowing that this is just a game, but one that has taught me about all aspects of life.
I am excited to bring to many more personal perspectives in the future. While I planned to be playing on the LPGA Tour in 2022, in some ways I still will. I won’t be just inside the ropes or out. Instead, I’ll be walking the tight rope in between. When I arrive on the other side, I hope you will have enjoyed walking there with me.
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