I turned pro in 2016 with zero idea of what the future would hold or where to even begin.
I had heard great things about the Cactus Tour from my friend Clariss Guce, so I began looking there. A week later I packed my things into Clariss’ car and off we drove to Arizona for my very first professional event. I took third place, and it was the beginning of a passion I was so happy to finally discover. I loved the travel, the camaraderie and the competition. It was the perfect job!
But, if you’re a rookie fresh out of college who got used to a coach taking care of all travel arrangements and finances, you quickly learn you need help.
Winning tournaments was my priority, and I desperately needed assistance on the admin side of things. Insert Mom to save the season. She started traveling with me early in 2016 and quickly took on the role of “momager.”
She booked the flights, made the hotel reservations, rented the cars and found the restaurants. She was a natural, and she had her routine down. In addition to being my Chief of Staff, she soon doubled as my caddie. She started as most new caddies do – observing, trying to stay out of the way and hoping someone else would grab the pin.
But It wasn’t long before she got the hang of things, and her confidence and our teamwork soared! This woman knows her way around a golf course, and she knows how to keep things simple.
To this day, I have won more tournaments with my mom on the bag than any other caddie I’ve worked with. Together we have four Cactus Tour wins, a victory at the 2021 Colorado State Open, and most recently, we qualified for the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open at Pinnacle Peak Country Club. She has endured playoffs and 36-hole days with me, not once cowering at the prospect of a challenge.
I’m so grateful for the time my mom and I have spent together. Any professional golfer knows that this can be a lonely game, especially when things aren’t going your way. The overlap between who we are and what we do can create a nearly full eclipse, and my mom has always been there to show me a love that pries those things apart.
She has the most gentle soul of anyone you will meet, and she lives her life showing kindness to others. She is a source of light, and her acts of service are unparalleled.
From packing with me at midnight for a 5 a.m. flight, to stepping in to caddie last minute, to helping me create my social media posts, she assumes whatever role she must to see her family succeed.
I’m now in my ninth season of professional golf, and although I still have no way of seeing what the future holds, I know I have the greatest pillar of strength that God could have ever given me: my mom.
She reminds me that my struggles help create my purpose and that the best is ahead only if you choose to look there. Happy Mother’s Day to my beautiful mom, one of the most impressive women I know and love!
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