There is an NCAA record by my name that I'm beyond proud of — a four-time National Player of the Year.
No other NCAA golfer has ever accomplished this feat.
When I won the award for the first time after my freshman year at Nova Southeastern, it was my dream to earn it all four years.
Not qualifying for the LPGA Tour in my junior year wasn't the plan when I decided to hit up Q School, obviously, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It allowed me to return to school for my senior year and turn this dream into a reality.
Aside from the record itself, the confidence it instilled in me truly defines its value. Particularly my last two seasons at Nova Southeastern made me feel like I could really do this on the professional level. Earning those prestigious titles and winning national championships with my teammates gave me the belief and extra push that I needed to fully buy into becoming a professional golfer.
My time as a collegiate athlete set me on my future path. Without Nova Southeastern, who knows where I would have ended up?
I absolutely loved my time as a professional golfer. 100%. But when we talk about professional golf, we rarely discuss the costs of playing professionally, particularly in those early years. More importantly, the impact of those costs.
It demands a lot. Physically, emotionally, and financially. You must have every aspect of your life and game working together to make it happen.
And from 2012 to 2019, I made it happen. I was all-in and fully dedicated. But the lifestyle takes a toll. At some point, you must decide.
Don't get me wrong, again, I absolutely loved playing. Traveling all over the East Coast with my dad, grinding to make the cuts — playing at the highest level is taxing, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. But, at some point, you have to re-evaluate.
Priorities shift. Life changes. There were times when I had to carefully research which hotels to stay at just to stretch the dollars as far as possible.
For some time, it's just part of the process. But after eight years, near the end of 2019, I was ready for a change. And so, I decided not to return to Tour life for 2020.
It was a tough decision, and I didn't take it lightly. But I knew it was the right time.
I'm so proud of everything I accomplished. I did things my way, and I found success and life enrichment in all phases of my career.
It was time for my next chapter.
My transition from playing to teaching was a relatively smooth one. I've had experience on the coaching side as I was a volunteer assistant for Rollins College in 2014. I felt like I had a really good grasp on what to expect, so it seemed like a perfect fit.
When you play at the highest level for so long and try to be the best you can be ever since you were a little girl, it's hard to shake your competitive nature. So, I carried it with me into my teaching profession.
I not only became an LPGA Professional, but I also got my PGA membership, putting me on what I believe is the best path forward. Stephanie Connelly, who is also going to compete at this year's KPMG PGA Women's Amateur Championship, encouraged me to look into this. And she couldn't have been more right.
I'm uber excited to get back into competition mode here in a couple of weeks and hopefully have a strong showing.
I'll see you on the golf course soon.
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