Reflections on my 2024 season
As I am about to begin my third year on the professional golf circuit, I thought I would share some of the highlights (and lowlights) of my 2024 season. You can also read a summary of my tournament results for the full season here.
A new experience on the WAPT
Without status on the Epson Tour in 2024, I chose to play on the Annika Women’s All Pro Tour, which is a mini-tour for professional women golfers based mostly in the Southeast. Tournaments are held in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kansas and, for the first time in 2024, Illinois. The tournaments are really well organized and they’re a lot of fun. The WAPT team does a fantastic job helping players find host housing, offering junior clinics and partnering with local groups to raise money for charity through pro-ams for the host club and sponsors.
The tour exceeded my expectations and I really enjoyed the season. After a challenging rookie season trying to adjust to life on the road, it was great to get to travel in 2024 with my former teammates Susie Cavanagh and Olivia Armstrong.
It’s different in the South – adjusting to difficult conditions
It wasn’t all fun and games. I didn’t have a ton of experience playing in the south. In junior and college golf, I played in a few tournaments in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana (well, actually not Louisiana.) The conditions are quite different – the greens are usually Bermuda grass, which is really grainy and can be tricky to read for someone who is accustomed to Bent or Poa annua grass. The weather is different too, and in 2024, it seemed to be especially bad, with storms following us everywhere we went.
Weather and more weather
A tornado hit in Lake Charles, Louisiana when my parents were visiting. We watched it go right by our Air BNB. Later in the season, we were pulled off the course in Abilene for another tornado and had to shelter in place until it passed. Stage 2 of Q-School was postponed (for the second year in the last three) due to Hurricane Milton. But to be fair, the weather wasn’t just bad in the south. In Illinois, our tournament coincided with the first heat wave of the summer and the Colorado Women’s Open cancelled its final round due to a hail storm that damaged the course and totaled my rental car. Tornados, heat waves, hurricanes, wind and hail storms – it was as much a part of the season as “Caution” signs for snakes and alligators, something you rarely see at Oregon golf courses.
Nothing beats southern hospitality
I can tell you though, there’s nothing like southern hospitality. In my short time as a professional golfer, I have met more nice people than I ever dreamed existed. They have stocked their refrigerators; done my laundry; loaned a vehicle when the rental car wouldn’t start or the tee times didn’t match up for players sharing a car; picked me up and dropped me off at the airport; come out to cheer for me during tournament play; bought me gifts; made me gourmet meals, and in some cases, contributed financially to my career. I know I go on and on about how great the host families are, but it really is amazing. I am beyond grateful for everything my host families have done for me. And of course, it’s not just in the south! There are generous and kind people everywhere who want to see me succeed. I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported me. It means so much!
I’m looking forward to another great season in 2025. I’m just hoping the weather is better!
