00:00 – Introducing LPGA Professional Dana Fall
01:08 – Growing Up With Golf
03:14 – Junior Golf and College Recruiting
05:32 – Why Dana Chose UNLV
06:59 – Becoming an Elite College Golfer
09:40 – Turning Professional and the Cactus Tour
12:02 – Moving Up to the Symetra Tour
13:16 – The Jump to the LPGA Tour
15:28 – Losing and Regaining LPGA Status
18:14 – Returning to the LPGA With More Experience
21:27 – Having Henry on the Bag
24:42 – Transforming Her Putting
29:33 – Building an LPGA Schedule
31:17 – Las Vegas and the U.S. Women’s Open
32:15 – Playing Major Championship Golf in Europe
34:21 – American Golf vs. European Golf
38:04 – Increasing Swing Speed With The Stack System
40:06 – The Equipment Change That Changed Her Swing
44:32 – Shorter Clubs, Hybrids and Equipment Optimization
46:21 – Dana’s Tour-Only Pro V1 Golf Ball
49:12 – Dana’s Favorite Las Vegas Golf Courses
51:07 – Why Golf Fans Should Watch the LPGA
54:03 – Final Thoughts

Matt 0:00

Thank you everybody for tuning into this episode of the Chasing Daylight Podcast. Got a special interview series for you today. Dana Fingelstein, LPGA professional, former UNLV golfer, three-time Mountain West Player of the Year, first team all-American. She a wildly talented individual. She’s grinding it out there on the LPGA tour. I’ve been wanting to get her on the show for a while, and I’m glad that she decided to hop on with us. So kick back and uh find out what it’s like for an LPGA player in 2022 out on tour. Thanks a lot for listening. Dana, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_00 0:50

Yeah, thanks for having me.

Matt 0:52

So you have had a kind of an up and down roller coaster career so far in professional golf, but before we get into that, let’s let’s go back to the beginning. Where where did your passion for golf start and when did you start playing the game?

SPEAKER_00 1:08

Um, yeah, so I played a bunch of other sports when I was a kid, but golf has kind of always been a part of my life. Um, my dad, uh, we actually were going through family photos like during COVID, and we came across like my first birthday, and I got a set of like plastic golf clubs. So I guess you could say when I was like one, but um my dad has always played and I’ve always kind of been involved in golf um since I was a like a little kid, but I really kind of stopped other sports and only stuck to golf when I was like 11, 12 years old.

Matt 1:48

Did you play high school?

SPEAKER_00 1:50

Yeah, yeah. So high school I would say is kind of when I really started getting serious about golf and you know wanting to get to that next level of like getting a college scholarship and um just improving um like that.

Matt 2:04

So what uh what was it that like got you on the golf path versus the other sports? It’s such a golf is such a unique sport, it’s it’s uh you know, unlike any other sport that there is. Um and so when was it that you went, Oh, oh wow, I’m I’m good at this and I could do something with this?

SPEAKER_00 2:26

Um yeah, so I was I was actually really good at basketball and a couple other sports too, but when I really decided golf was my thing was when I didn’t grow. I’m you know five foot one and I knew golf was like that one sport where you watch it on TV and not everyone was like this, you know, six-foot built athlete. And so I knew it was something that I could take to that next level. Um and you know, it’s worked out really well so far.

Matt 2:57

Yeah, short people unite. Yes, yes. Um how was your junior career? Did you did you participate in many events or or was it high school and then you started getting some recognition and and the scholarship started coming in?

SPEAKER_00 3:14

Yeah, so I started um locally with um LPJ, USJ, Girls Golf of Phoenix. So that was just kind of really on a like low level where you know you’d go out on a a Sunday and compete against you know, like nine holes with some other girls, you know. It was really just laid back, they didn’t care what you were shooting. Um, but that kind of just got me rolling, and then I went into our other local league in Arizona JGAA and started competing in a lot more of those throughout the summer because they had a lot more like events, you know, every week during summer break. Um and then once I started kind of winning locally, my parents thought maybe we should branch out and start doing some AJGA stuff and a little bit more into like California, because that’s where a lot of you know the good kids at the time were, and you kind of had to play against them to get your name recognized in like the college coaching uh pool type of thing. Um so I kind of branched out I I would say nationally when I was I think I was like 15 or 16. Um because that’s kind of when college coaches need to see your name so you can kind of get an idea of like where you might be able to go and how you stack up like with other girls nationally, um like ranking-wise essentially.

Matt 4:40

Where was do you know what your highest junior ranking was?

SPEAKER_00 4:44

Ooh, that’s a good question. Um I know I was probably like top five in the state of Arizona for my graduating class, but nationally, um I don’t know. I was probably in the top 50, I would think. I mean, I was okay, I wasn’t great. I mean, I won a fair share of tournaments, but there were definitely a lot of kids that were way better than me at the time.

Matt 5:11

So, uh how did UNLV come into the mix? So that that’s how I I met Dana is through UNLV. Um, I’m a UNLV fanboy and and love all sports UNLV, and so I started following you there, but how did you get to UNLV with I mean there’s some good schools in Arizona?

SPEAKER_00 5:31

Right, yeah. Um I really I did really want to go to ASU um because that’s just where my entire family has gone over the years. Um, so I’m one of the only people of my family that didn’t go to ASU. Um, but I wasn’t good enough. Like I wasn’t good enough to get into ASU, I wasn’t good enough to go to U of A. Um, the coaches had offered me walk-on, um, which I didn’t want to do. Um, but then I was also looking at a couple schools in California. I was looking in Oregon. I wanted to stay somewhere where like on the West Coast where the weather was decent. And I think I had reached out to um it was Missy at the time, was the coach, and Amy was the assistant. Um they actually might have reached out to me, and that’s kind of what sparked my interest. Um knew it like I it fit a lot of my boxes because it was it was close to home and they had good golf and warm weather, and um I think they were like my second or third trip, and once I got there and met them, I that’s kind of I I knew where I wanted to go. That was it just it felt right.

Matt 6:44

And you had a stellar college career, not just good, you had a fantastic college career. Were was that unexpected, or or did you have the mindset like I’m gonna go up there and just kick ass?

SPEAKER_00 6:59

Um, it was kind of unexpected to be honest. Like I went up there like I was just an okay junior golfer. Like I didn’t know I was gonna like blossom into this, you know, top college athlete that you know graduated, you know. I think I finished second in the nation when I was a senior. But I I just I think having structured schedules and like practicing every day and playing every day, like it’s hard not to get better if that’s what you want. And that’s what I wanted. So I worked really hard at it. I, you know, I was in the gym ready to go when I was at at practice, I was ready to go, and I just progressed every year in college, and um I had an okay freshman year, an okay sophomore year, and then kind of something clicked, and my junior and senior years in college, you know, I won a handful of tournaments, and our team was really good too, which I think helped really push me because I wanted to do well for everyone and you know, build that program and make it better. And um, I mean I had a great time and um it it helped me take my game to that next step too. Um I had no desires to turn professional when I went to college. Like I wasn’t good. Yeah, I wasn’t good enough. Like I knew that. I knew the reality, like I was going to school to get an education to I wanted to be a physical therapist. Um but then I, you know, it’s hard not to try that next level when you’re one of the best in the country as an amateur. Um, you see everyone succeeding around you ha who were good amateurs in the pro rank, so you just I I felt like I needed to give it a shot, and I’m I’m really glad I did.

Matt 8:49

Yeah. Uh do you still stay in touch with a lot of girls from the team?

SPEAKER_00 8:53

Um from my class, yes, a few. Um, I don’t know any of the the new the new ones. They’re they’re too they’re too young. Yeah, I’ve been gone. I feel old. Um but the team actually was in Arizona um this week, and I went to watch them play yesterday, and so it was good to see Amy and they have a new assistant that I met, and I don’t know any of the kids, but um they seem like they’re they’re pretty legit this year, so it’s good to see.

Matt 9:22

Yeah, they’re they’re playing pretty well. So from college, you you had this is where I talked about the little roller coaster because you like blew up on the cactus tour, did great on the Symmetra tour, which I just looking at stuff today, it’s now called the Epson Tour. Did it okay?

SPEAKER_00 9:38

Yeah, new sponsor.

Matt 9:39

Yeah, so you blew up on that, went to the LPGA, and I’ve talked with you a little bit about this when we played out at Revere a couple years ago. Um, a little bit of a shock going from college cactus Symmetra to LPGA. Um so let’s let’s first talk about the cactus tour. Because you weren’t there long because it was the level of competition just was beneath you. I didn’t know you you like kicked ass, literally, and and quickly got promoted to the Symmetra tour. So what was it like going from cactus to Symmetra?

SPEAKER_00 10:14

Um yeah, so cactus, I think I just came out really hot as a professional because I was I was on such a hot streak in college that I just I thinking back on it, like I was probably really cocky because I just I I just felt like I could be anyone at any point. And I mean I kind of did. I think I won like three out of my six cactus tour events, and I think I lost in a playoff in two of them. So um, I mean, it was it was a good run, and that act that run actually kind of funded Q School for me, um, because Q school is expensive for anyone starting their professional career. It’s you know, the entrance alone’s five grand, and then you know, you’d have to travel to those places and pay caddy and a week in a hotel. I mean, it gets it gets pricey. So um I got through all three stages, and that’s how I got my Symmetra status. Um, and then yeah, right right after that, I mean I I went straight out there and um I can’t quite remember how I started, but I think I started pretty hot out there too. I want to say like my second tournament um in Florida, I finished I want to say top five or something.

Matt 11:31

It was like midseason too, wasn’t it?

SPEAKER_00 11:33

It was it was it’s because Sumetra has a weird kind of start where I think we had one in in California and then we had like a month off and then we went to Florida and um and then I think we really kind of started playing in like May. Um But yeah, it was a it was a good transition from college to Symmetra.

Matt 11:53

Um but then like you What was the big difference with with Symmetra compared to Cactus? What did you what did you see? What did you notice?

SPEAKER_00 12:02

Um well it was just it was a lot bigger stage. I mean, you’re going from cactus being in my home state where I can sleep in my bed, and I, you know, I drive, I don’t know, 45 minutes to an hour to wherever the course is and drive back home, and it’s like it’s easy. Like there’s no getting on an airplane and there’s no running cars and playing practice rounds, because I, you know, I know most of the courses in Arizona. But yeah, going to that next level, it’s it’s a big change, like booking all your travel and um finding a place to stay, rental cars, flights, you know, feeding yourself during the week. I mean, it’s it’s there’s a lot of things that then all of a sudden you have to be accountable for. Whereas like in college, I mean coach does everything for you, and you just show up and you know you play.

Matt 12:51

So did you see the the more skilled players was because you you said you were cocky, and rightfully so. I mean, dominating in college, you go to cactus, you’re dominating there, you’re at Symmetra. Was it that skill level that you went, oh wow, these girls can play, or was it until you got to the LPGA when you went, Whoa, this is this is golf.

SPEAKER_00 13:16

Yeah, I think it was kind of LPJ when I was like, Whoa, this is like another level up. I need to get a lot better. Um nothing against Symmetra, like they have a lot of really good players, but I also like I said, I was still kind of in that mindset. Like I knew a lot of the girls out there that were in college when I was, and I, you know, would I win against them essentially, and I just knew that I I could keep doing that out there. Um, and so I think that’s I think I had a really good mindset out there um that I can just go out and win like every week, like I knew I could. Um but then when I got to the LPGA, I kind of I kind of lost a little that spunk in me. Like I was playing against people I looked up to my whole life, and you know, there’s just so many like it cameras and media, there’s just so much more to it, and I had never competed against like any of those girls, like I hardly knew any of the names, um, other than like you know, the greats and stuff, like you know, Paula Creamer and Natalie and Yanni and all those people that were dominating at the time. Um But I think slowly right now, like I’m starting to get that like spunk back in me where like I know I can like I’ve been playing against these girls for the last four years, and I definitely know my game’s starting to get to that level where like I’m gonna win and that’s gonna be soon.

Matt 14:47

So So a lot of athletes when they they have peaks and then they kind of get knocked back a little bit, a lot of them struggle with that, and a lot of them take, hey, this is some adversity, I gotta get through it. You you know didn’t retain your card, you got went back down to Symmetra, stepped your game back up again, and got back to the LPGA. How what was that like going through that? Because is as somebody who had a great college career, graded on cactus, great on Symmetra, like we said, to get you know smacked back a little bit on on what you’re good at, what was that like going through that?

SPEAKER_00 15:28

Yeah, I think it was a good kind of like punch to the gut, I guess, like to wake me up and like, hey, like I that’s where I wanted to be. Like, I want to be on the LPJ, and I knew I had to like just dig deep and uh get it done again. Um, which I don’t think I had a very good start to my 2018 season on Sumetra, but towards the end, like I was outside of that top ten, and I knew I needed to get back inside of that top ten if I didn’t want to go to Q school. Um, because no one ever wants to go to Q school. It’s it’s a grind, it’s no fun.

Matt 16:04

That’s a lot of golf with a lot of talent.

SPEAKER_00 16:07

Yeah, so I can’t quite remember that year perfectly, but I know like the last three or four tournaments, I finished like runner up and maybe fifth and and then runner-up again, and that snuck me into that 10 that 10th spot right on the number at tour finals, and I got my card back that year.

Matt 16:28

So was that the first time you because in college you of course you want to win, and you you know you’re playing for a team and the school. Um but was that like the first time you had to experience I have to play well if I’m gonna go forward? Because it yeah, money is great and you know, titles are great, but if I don’t play well here, I’m not going to the LPGA tour. Was that was that the first time you experienced that type of pressure in golf?

SPEAKER_00 16:58

Oh probably, yeah. It was definitely kind of like a high pressure situation. But I also knew that if I didn’t get it done, I had a fallback. Like I could go to Q school. Um, there’s always that avenue, but like I said, like Q school is like the one place you don’t want to go. It’s just it’s so high stress and it’s you know, like it’s like a make it or break it week. Um, but I kind of treated the end of Symmetra season in 18 as a make it or break it. And I think I perform really well when I’m under pressure and like when I know I need to get something done. Um like Amy could she could definitely agree with like in college, I always wanted to know like what I needed to do for the team to like win or what I needed to do for myself. Like if I needed a birdie the last, and a lot of people don’t like knowing, but I like knowing and I like looking at leaderboards, and I feel like I do a pretty good job of getting it done.

Matt 17:56

So I’m the exact opposite. As soon as I know where I’m at, if I’m doing well, gone, gone. I would not I would not be a good good person on that. No, it’s terrible, terrible. Okay, so you get back on the tour, second time. How was it different this time?

SPEAKER_00 18:13

Yeah, um, in 2019, I felt a lot more comfortable. Like I knew a lot of the girls, I knew the staff, I knew the golf courses, which I think is huge. Like not having to show up as a rookie and play 18 holes on Monday and Tuesday to learn the golf course, whereas you can, you know, save your legs a little bit and play nine holes, and um you’re just not as tired. Like it’s being a rookie is really tough. Um they don’t you think going into it like, oh, like I play 18 holes all the time, no big deal. But when you play 18 holes, you know, essentially you make the cut. It’s like six eighteen hole rounds a week times so many weeks in a row, and then you know, yeah, they don’t tell you to take a week off, and because you feel like you have to play every week, and it just it’s a lot. Um, but yeah, 2019 I was just a lot more comfortable. I had a good caddy that year.

Matt 19:07

Um today’s episode of the Chasing Daylight Podcast is sponsored by Chasing Aces Golf. Golf comes with pressures and expectations, and that includes what you wear. Chasing Aces hats, performance polos, and t-shirts keep you looking sharp from the clubhouse to the tea box. Visit chasingacesgolf.com and you can find them on Instagram as well at Chasing Aces Golf. Even the best are Chasing Aces. So, what would be a podcast without technical difficulties, right?

SPEAKER_00 19:36

Yeah.

Matt 19:36

Blame the Arizona Wi-Fi network. So welcome back. So we we were uh talking about um your life on the LPGA tour now, or when you got back, and what what I don’t I don’t remember exactly where we were.

SPEAKER_00 19:52

Yeah, I’m not sure when my Wi-Fi cut out there.

Matt 19:55

So let’s go, let’s talk about your last season leading up into this season. What you’ve had some changes uh with your staff, personally, your your caddy, right? So let’s talk about that.

SPEAKER_00 20:09

Yeah, I think that’s where we kind of left off was I was talking about my 2019 season, and I had a pretty good caddy that year, and I think that’s kind of what helped me have a good year that year. Um, but then once we finished that year, he he just it was too much travel for him, and he wanted to stick home and stay with his family and whatnot, which I totally get. It’s it’s a tough lifestyle, it’s not for everyone. Um, but yeah, so my boyfriend Henry.

SPEAKER_01 20:38

Hey, I’m Bob West, your Vegas golfing real estate agent. Over the course of a four-hour round, I can help you with some tips to lower your scores. I can also help you with your goals when it comes to buying or selling a home anywhere in Las Vegas or Henderson. Reach out to me on Instagram at the Bob West or just send me a text at 605-881-5481. Give me a call. Let’s play around.

Matt 21:06

Okay, so um everybody apologize about the technical difficulties. Stuff like this happens. It’s it’s real life, you know. Um, so you were talking about Harry and how he’s Henry, sorry. It’s Henry, right?

SPEAKER_00 21:18

Henry, yeah.

Matt 21:19

Okay, yeah. Talk about how Henry, um, your boyfriend is caddying for you now. How is that how’s that working out for you?

SPEAKER_00 21:27

Yeah, it works out really well. I think having trust in who’s with you. You know, we’re on the golf course 24-7 at the you know, I think you really have to have someone that you trust their opinions and their thoughts, and he knows my game so well now that it just it works really well. Like, there’s a lot of people that are like, Oh, I don’t I don’t know how you do it. Like, I would I could never have my boyfriend or my husband work for me, but um, yeah, our relationship is. It’s just it’s really good and like we know to keep the golf stuff on the golf course and then when we’re done for the day and we you know we go home we we’re really good about separating like golf and you know then our other life, you know, essentially.

Matt 22:16

So are you guys like golf geeks to where you obsess about I mean I like with me I’m 24-7 golf. I whether it’s TikTok, Instagram, the podcast, the blog, playing, recording content, building c I gotta build garage, build shop now, got my swing studio out there, putting green in the backyard. I I live it. So are you guys nuts like that?

SPEAKER_00 22:39

Yeah, I’d say he is more so than I am. Um he’s always even just like when we’re in the bedroom, like he’ll have a golf club in his hand, always working on a swing or giving a lesson or trying to figure something out. But yeah, I mean it’s it’s our life, like we love it, and I don’t think we’d want it any other way. So yeah, we’re we’re golf junkies, basically.

Matt 23:04

That’s awesome. I love it. What is what’s your home course in in Arizona?

SPEAKER_00 23:08

Um, I’m out at Superstition Mountain, um, which is out in Gold Canyon, Arizona.

Matt 23:14

Is do you know is I’ve heard from a couple different people. There was uh a Tom Doak course that it was his first one of his first American courses out in Globe on the Indian Reservation. Do you know if and because it’s not crazy far from the Superstition Mountains, so do you know is that open and running or is it I have no idea actually.

SPEAKER_00 23:36

Like I know I know where Globe is. I didn’t even know they had a golf course over there.

Matt 23:40

So yeah, the he actually pulled his name from it, Tom Doak did, because it kind of got ran into the ground by the tribe. Um so I I I don’t know if it’s true, if it’s open. I heard it opened up again, but I I just don’t know.

SPEAKER_00 23:56

I was curious if you Yeah, I have no idea on that one.

Matt 24:00

It was his first American golf course. I’m I’m a Tom Doak nut. I I played Streamsong Blue and just fell in love with his design. And then uh Packadoons and Old Mac Abandon are just two of my favorite courses. So um so what uh this this season you’ve played two events, right? And you made a post the other day that uh got me inspired to uh improve my putting. Uh you’ve really made some like effort to to get better, and I I love seeing it. Uh your putting, you went from what was your what was it, third or fourth in Strokes Game Putting?

SPEAKER_00 24:42

Um I think in Boca I was third. And then the second tournament, I think I was like forty something-ish, which is still like way better than my average. So um after two events, I mean it’s that’s some good signs.

Matt 24:59

So what what is it that’s made that that you’ve done for the changes?

SPEAKER_00 25:04

I just think a lot of it’s like consistency. Um we work really, really hard, like I like you asked with the the tools that I use, that that mirror and the the gate, that if you can consistently set up the same exact way every time and that face is pointing where you need it to, and the ball’s starting online or on your intended line of where you’re aiming, like the only other factor that comes into play is green reading, um, because I feel like my speed’s always pretty good. So if you can kind of eliminate the amount of variables you have, it’s kind of nice to step up to a putt, and if you think you’ve got a good read on it and you’re set up correctly, like I know I’m gonna start the ball online and I know it’s gonna go in, so it’s kind of that’s kind of what we um worked on this whole last offseason.

Matt 25:59

And you’re s you’re I mean it’s showing, it’s showing, right? Have you always thought yourself as a good putter or did you know that’s an area that you could improve on?

SPEAKER_00 26:09

Um everyone around me has always told me I’m a good putter, but I didn’t really believe it until recently. Um there just wasn’t a really good way to like keep stats on it, and I I just never really kind of like had a deep picture of of of my putting game, and now being able to see some of the stuff with like the new stuff the LPJ’s doing and some of the stuff I keep in um decade, I’ve been able to kind of get a a clearer image of what my weak part of putting was and I worked really, really hard on it this off season, and I th it it’s definitely paying off so far.

Matt 26:50

What was the weak part?

SPEAKER_00 26:52

Um for me it was like eight to ten feet was kind of the you know, stat or Mark Brody’s percentages say uh eight feet each make fifty percent, and I think my percentage was like below thirty or something, so it was it was pretty far off. Um so we worked really hard on that range and I c I can’t remember what it is now at this point, but I know it was it was significantly better.

Matt 27:22

How difficult is it going from different golf courses with different green complexes with different grass and and each week? I mean you go from or not necessarily each week, but you know, you’re traveling to different courses, you play different regions, and the grass is it is it does it how long does it take you to get used to it for that way?

SPEAKER_00 27:43

Um, I feel like I’ve adjusted pretty well. Um I because I know how many different types of grasses we get through the year. Like even those first two weeks in Florida, you’d think, oh, you’re in Florida, like, oh Bermuda, like that’s all you need to get used to. But we actually had Paspalum that second week. So we had a really strong grain, Bermuda and Boca, and then we went to Fort Myers and had Paspalom. So two totally different kind of grasses, even though we’re in the same state. Um Henry’s really, really good at like reading grain and reading greens, and I think that’s kind of helped me adjust better to learning like the different conditions. Um but it’s still kind of tough. It usually takes like a day or so.

Matt 28:29

That I I it it sucks for me. I because the my putting green in the backyard is really fast. I mean it it rolls at like a 14. It’s crazy fast. And you know, you know the the courses in Vegas. The in unless you’re playing some of the premier courses, the greens are so inconsistent out here. The summer sometimes are slow, sometimes they’re fast, sometimes are long. So it it doesn’t I don’t think uh me practicing on that green actually helps me as much as I would like it to. Um but I I picked up that mirror. Uh I’m gonna give that a shot and see. Um I I’ve always thought of myself as a good putter, but stats don’t say that’s the truth. So uh so now that you’ve been on the PGA or the LBGA for a couple years, uh your schedule, you get a little bit more freedom for creating your schedule, right? It’s not so much pressure of you have to get in every event to get as much points as you can, have a little bit more freedom. So how how are you guys deciding what events to play in?

SPEAKER_00 29:33

Um well there’s still a few on this schedule this year that I have to qualify into, like, especially the one here in the one in Vegas, the match play one. Um I probably need a a couple more good tournaments to get into, or you know, I’m trying to work that sponsor’s exemption, but we’ll see what happens with the politics of the LPGA. Um that was a great event last year. I know. I I wanted to play in it so badly, I was like I was second alternate and I was like, oh, I’m so close.

Matt 30:08

But um yeah, there’s not too many people that are going, no, I don’t want to go to Vegas and play Shadow Creek.

SPEAKER_00 30:14

So Right. Yeah. The only the only problem with where it falls in the schedule, it’s the week before the US Open. So I think that’s why they don’t get all the top girls into that event, but they still last year. I mean, it pulled a great field. I mean, it was really fun to watch. Like, I mean, we watched it on TV, and um I think Allie who did Allie win? Yeah, yeah. Um, but I mean she played great, and I had a couple other friends that played really great, and you know, they loved the venue, so it was a blast. Yeah, that’s when I had so much fun this year. I really want to play that event.

Matt 30:49

So other than that get media passes to it, and so we spent a couple days out there, and and the the people that put it on, I mean it was it was amazing.

SPEAKER_00 30:56

Yeah, uh yeah. Um I think it was sponsored by Bank of Hope and MGM. So they yeah, they did they did a really good job.

Matt 31:06

So what event are you most looking forward to this season?

SPEAKER_00 31:12

Ooh, that’s a good question.

Matt 31:14

Uh the one that’s circled on the calendar.

SPEAKER_00 31:16

Honestly, probably Vegas. Like that’s the big one I want to get into. Uh that and the US Open. Um I’ve US Open’s the one major I haven’t played in yet. Um so I’d like to I’d like to get that on my on my schedule this year.

Matt 31:35

How far away are you from claiming a spot?

SPEAKER_00 31:37

Um, I probably have to qualify. Um there’s a way you can sneak in through world rankings, but with how little time we have in tournaments coming up, I don’t know if I can climb that quickly. Um I think you have to get in the top 75. But I mean a win would go a long way, I bet. That would help bump my ranking up, so we’ll see what happens.

Matt 32:01

Where’s the open at this year? US open.

SPEAKER_00 32:03

Um, it’s in at Southern Pines.

Matt 32:07

Nice.

SPEAKER_00 32:08

Yeah.

Matt 32:09

So you’ve played you’ve played in the women’s open championship, the British Open?

SPEAKER_00 32:15

Yeah, I got an opportunity to play in during our COVID year. Um I it was at Royal Troon, which was awesome.

Matt 32:26

You guys you spent like how was it a couple weeks you spent over there? Because I remember the photos from last year.

SPEAKER_00 32:32

Um so that was in 2021 when we played like Ireland and Scotland. Um the open I played in was 2020.

Matt 32:41

Okay, two years ago, okay.

SPEAKER_00 32:42

Yeah.

Matt 32:43

What was that like?

SPEAKER_00 32:45

Oh, it was it was like Royal Troon is like a treat. Like that was such a good golf course and and the AIG and you know the the staff over there in Scotland and just the people there, like it’s such a well, and it’s a major championship. They just go above and beyond with everything, like anything you need, locker room’s great, food’s great. It’s just it’s one of those weeks that you wish every week was like that. Um it’s just you know, they it’s top-notch type stuff.

Matt 33:20

Okay, so did if you and you played in France at the Avion?

SPEAKER_00 33:25

Yes, I’ve played Avion.

Matt 33:26

What is that place like? Because we played uh at Five Iron, we have the indoor golf league, and so we play uh they differ do a different course every week, and we played that course, and it’s like like built on the side of a hill, isn’t it?

SPEAKER_00 33:38

It’s built on like the side of a mountain.

Matt 33:42

It is crazy some of the shots he had. What was it like playing that one?

SPEAKER_00 33:47

Oh, that golf course is a bear. It’s you never have a flat lie, and they grow some really deep rough there, and the greens are firm and small because it’s Europe. It’s it’s a challenging venue.

Matt 34:03

Yeah. Yeah. Do you do you think that that the way that the European course is set up is more beneficial to the European players overall, or do you think the American players have a better advantage because of how vast and different the courses are out here?

SPEAKER_00 34:21

No, I’d say those European girls seem to have a better advantage over there. It’s just different golf. Like over here in America, usually things are so soft you can fly to the hole, you don’t have to worry about rollouts and but then over there it’s you know they play in wind a lot, um, which it tends to always be windy, like for the opens and Scottish and even in Evian it gets pretty windy there. Um but I feel like I’m finally starting to kind of figure out European golf, like knowing that you can’t always just fly to the hole and um especially some of the short game shots around the green, like you have to learn to you know bump and run things, and you can’t always just pull lobwage out of your bag.

Matt 35:07

Do you think that hurts those players coming over here to where they it’s opposite? Like you can flag hunt or do you think they they just adapt, no problem?

SPEAKER_00 35:18

Um, I think they’ve adapted somewhat, but um, I do think like the Europeans tend to play better when we have courses that are firm and fast. Um when things are soft, I think it plays more into the Americans’ hands, but um, because you kind of I don’t know, you kind of saw that at Solheim this year where the course um it played really firm and fast and the Europeans ended up winning. So I just I don’t feel like that plays into into the US US uh type of golf very well.

Matt 35:54

So how many countries have you been to? Are you keeping track?

SPEAKER_00 35:58

Um not really. I mean I’ve been to Australia Europe. Um I haven’t been Asia is still one of those places that I need to get to. Um but I I think Asia is the only one on our schedule that I haven’t been to. Um because we don’t like we don’t go into like any other countries really other than Australia, Asia, and Europe and then Canada.

Matt 36:24

So you know how the the PGA and the DP World Tour, they kind of swap back and forth. Players go over there, some players come over here, back and forth. Can you guys do that with the the LET?

SPEAKER_00 36:36

Um, yes. Uh you usually have to get like a sponsor’s invite unless you’re like an LET member, which a lot of our LPJ players are like dual members um of LPG and LET. Um so a lot of times they’ll go over um and play a few events throughout the year, um, like maybe some of the ones that are like a a bigger purse. But yeah, we um we don’t like I think our tour is totally okay with girls going over. Um because that I mean that tour needs to be strong too for ours to succeed.

Matt 37:11

So have you thought about going over there to play any events?

SPEAKER_00 37:15

Um not really.

Matt 37:17

Um maybe a sure it’s it’s a big nut to you know go over there flights and lodging.

SPEAKER_00 37:24

Yeah, especially there and back. I mean I play technically they’re co-sanctioned. The um the one in Ireland and the one in or Scottish Open are co-sanctioned events, so they’re technically LET events also. So I’ll play in those, but um as far as like any other tournament, I probably I probably won’t just make a special trip over unless it’s you know, unless there’s some sort of reason to.

Matt 37:50

Okay, so one other thing that you’ve been working on was your swing speed. Your um you’ve been using the stack system, is that what it’s called, right? Stack?

SPEAKER_00 37:59

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Matt 38:01

And what how is that going for you?

SPEAKER_00 38:04

Um, it’s going well. We’re still trying to like tweak driver and get the length and the loft and the lie to where it’s like most optimal, which I think we’ve come to a better solution. Um, like those first two events in Florida, we were trying something and it did not work well. Um it was some of like my worst driving I’ve ever had in my career, which is like super strange because it’s like the best part of my game. Um like if you look at my fairway percentage that those two weeks, it was Yeah.

Matt 38:38

Well I I was stat w I know I know you’re a stat junkie because you’ve shared spreadsheets with me before. So um I was gonna ask you, see how well you know your stats. Uh so I did a little research. Your what was your best ranking stat of 2021?

SPEAKER_00 38:56

Of 2021? Oh gosh.

Matt 38:59

The stat you ranked the highest in the right.

SPEAKER_00 39:01

On LPJ’s website?

Matt 39:03

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 39:06

Oh. Oh, it’s probably driving accuracy.

unknown 39:09

Yeah.

Matt 39:09

You were third. Yeah. At 83%.

SPEAKER_00 39:12

Yeah.

Matt 39:13

So there’s only been two events this year. But what’s your highest ranking stat this year?

SPEAKER_00 39:21

I would imagine it’s probably like putting, some sort of putting category.

Matt 39:26

Yeah, putting average.

SPEAKER_00 39:28

Yeah.

Matt 39:28

29.0. Yeah. Which is 22nd. Which you know, I I get mad when I have 3031 putts, and I’m like, you need to be at 26. You need to be at 26 putts if you want to play better. Um being 22nd on the LPGA with 29 is that’s pretty good. You know, 29 is it’s more realistic expectations, Matt. More realistic expectations.

SPEAKER_00 39:53

Yeah. 29, that’ll that’ll make you a lot of money throughout the year.

Matt 39:57

Yeah, yeah. Um, so do you so you like all the changes that you’re going through with the the the stack, the swing speed, the putting?

SPEAKER_00 40:06

Yeah, yeah, things are good in my game. Um, I also went through a whole bag change uh last year. We all my clubs were with have you heard of the gears, the like 3D analysis where they throw all the dots on you and stuff. Yeah. So I was on gears um about a year ago, or two years ago now, I I suppose. Um, because we kept getting my swing into this position that we wanted to, and I would just hit it left, left, left, left. Couldn’t figure out why. Turns out my golf clubs were way too long, way too upright. And so me trying to get into those positions and my coach wanted to, we went on gears, and club was coming in like six, seven degrees too upright, handle was raising, was the only way I could get the ball in the center of the face. So I was doing all these things to like compensate. So basically, we chopped my clubs down I think three quarters of an inch and then flattened them.

Matt 41:05

So that’s a big change.

SPEAKER_00 41:06

It’s a big change, and then we flattened them an additional two degrees, so like effectively they went another four degrees flat. Wow. Um they were at like I think they were at one and a half flat, so now like effectively they’re like almost six degrees flat. Um and we saw showing people rock. I know we saw um an immediate change on gears, center contact didn’t have to raise the handle at impact, and the club was like impact was like it was like almost dead zero, so no more like six degrees with like the heel catching on the ground. So no more left shots for me, which is nice.

Matt 41:45

That’s very interesting. I’m I’m struggling right now with an early release, and my left arm is bending at impact, and so now that’s gonna make me look at that. So thank you.

SPEAKER_00 41:56

It’s honestly it’s like I just think nothing against club fitters and stuff, but I think there’s like this like perfect like five foot nine person that they put everyone into, and you’re like, oh, this is This is what you need. Yeah, this is what you need. You need two degrees upright, and also like the whole upright thing with all these people in long clubs is a fix to like fix slices, but all it does is make you like raise the handle even more instead of actually fixing the golf swing with flatter clubs to then get your golf swing into a position instead of just throwing long clubs, long and upright clubs into people’s hands. It’s something that me and my coach and my boyfriend we’re we’re pretty passionate about now because Let’s start a movement, yes. I know. People need people need flatter clubs, flatter and shorter clubs. It it makes so much sense.

Matt 42:49

I was just talking with my buddy Joe. Uh because I I’m this early release is probably the hardest thing that I’ve ever tried to deal with. I coming over the top, I was able to fix that, you know, and other swing flaws I’ve been able to get correct to corrected and and play better. But this early release has been killing me. So for two weeks I’ve just been grinding at it, grinding at it, grinding at it. And so I I have a really good close friend of mine that helps me a lot, but he’s just like burnt out on golf right now. So he’s like, let’s we can talk about anything else but golf right now. And I’m like, okay, I’ll talk in a couple weeks because I I’m like obsessed with this. I gotta figure it out. So James Feites, who you know down there in Arizona, um, yeah, I’ve been chatting with him and a couple other people around here, and a couple of my friends are fitters. And so I told Joe, I said, I’m gonna put together a a TikTok story about screenshots about what fitters say compared to what coaches say. It is it is night and day the information that you know comes back with from a player, a coach, and a fitter. And it’s like, no wonder everybody’s so damn confused in this game because nobody’s on the same page. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:01

Yeah, and that’s where I think a lot of it’s like trial and error too. Like just because impact tape or a LIBORD tells you this is what you need, it I don’t know. I think it’s just you have to work with your coach to see what you’re trying to accomplish in your golf swing and then build clubs around that.

Matt 44:25

So what do you did you change e equipment or did you just change the the settings on how they’re built?

SPEAKER_00 44:32

Um basically just the settings on how they’re built. I’m still with ping. Um we changed shafts. I went from uh the steel fibers to a KBS um just to get some more those steel fibers are such a hot like launching club. I needed some something with a little more launch and spin. Um so that was that was like as far as like uh shafts go, that was like a change, but heads are the same. I play the I-210s, um Fairywood’s all the same. I did also ditch my hybrids for a seven wood and a nine wood for again more launch and more spin, and then I ditched my um six iron and seven iron for a six hybrid and seven hybrid, which those things just like they launch so high and spin so much, it’s like I have no problems holding firm championship greens anymore, which is nice. Nice. Yeah.

Matt 45:32

Was that did you have difficulty was there an ego thing involved with that that was wasn’t why you didn’t do a student? Because I mean I mean everybody’s gonna go hybrids. What are you doing playing hybrids? Six, seven hybrids, but yeah, I I’m all for whatever’s gonna get you the best score. Um, did was there a little bit of ego check involved in doing that?

SPEAKER_00 45:51

I mean the seven iron a little bit, because I was like, I can still hit a seven iron. It was still somewhat decent, but once you see the numbers on paper and like I was hitting it closer than a lot of girls were with their wedges on tour, it’s like I have no problem whipping this thing out and hitting it to ten feet when they throw their pitching wedge to like twenty. It’s like, alright, this thing’s this thing’s a moneymaker.

Matt 46:18

That’s awesome. So what what golf ball are you playing?

SPEAKER_00 46:21

Um I am actually playing the Pro V1 Star. It is a What? Yeah, it is a tour only special ball for for tour players. It’s it’s the Pro V1 from 20 What the when did the they changed over in like 2018, so it’s like it’s got the the high spin, soft feel of a pro v1 and high launch. Um because then when they they switched balls a few years ago, they like flipped the characteristics. Yeah, so like the Pro V1 was soft, but it didn’t spin enough for me, and it launched lower, so um the Starball they make is a really good option for me.

Matt 47:11

The Starball. I’ve never heard of the title of Starball.

SPEAKER_00 47:15

Yeah, it’s one of those secret ones. Like I know they finally offer like the left dash to the public now, but and people went nuts. Yeah.

Matt 47:23

And I I mean I’ve played the left ash, and because you know, being a low spin ball helped me because uh you know I put a lot of spin on the ball. So I I liked the character characteristics of it, but when people were selling, you know, a sleeve for $75, I was like, okay. We can wait for that to come back to earth a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 47:44

Yeah, yeah, people would probably go crazy over this ball, but it’s also a ball that like a lot of people don’t need to be playing. Um, I don’t make I don’t produce a whole lot of spin in my off swing, so it’s something that really helps me. But as far as as like the general public goes, like they would never put this ball into production because it just would never sell, I don’t think.

Matt 48:06

What would you r say it’s similar to?

SPEAKER_00 48:10

I would say it’s really similar to the Pro V one from it was like 2017-2016 season.

Matt 48:18

Interesting.

SPEAKER_00 48:19

So a couple yeah, before they switched the characteristics of the ball, so so and you still are 14 clubs with ping? Yeah, yep, all 14 ping, yep.

Matt 48:33

So how often do you want to tinker and try out other stuff?

SPEAKER_00 48:38

Um right. I used to be a tinker. Like I used to love trying new things, but I think my bag is really good right now. I think we put together a really good set and my golf swing’s in a good place that I don’t think I’m gonna do any tinkering. Um not especially not during season, um, maybe this coming off season. I think Pink’s got a pretty good launch of stuff coming out this summer. Um, but yeah, I’m I’m not gonna touch my bag until probably next November.

Matt 49:11

Nice. Okay, so Vegas question. Uh I always try to ask this if anybody that’s been to Vegas or played in Vegas, uh, favorite course in Vegas that you’ve played.

SPEAKER_00 49:21

Okay. Um that’s such a hard question. I have a few.

Matt 49:29

Okay, rattle them off.

SPEAKER_00 49:30

Okay, I really like Cascada. I really like South Shore. I think I have one of my best rounds in Vegas out of South Shore.

Matt 49:40

That’s a fun course.

SPEAKER_00 49:41

Yeah. Um and then I also really like um Southern Highlands.

Matt 49:49

Yeah, the Collegiate Masters is going on right now.

SPEAKER_00 49:52

Yeah.

Matt 49:53

That’s some amazing golf. I’m going out there tomorrow. So uh have you played Shadow?

SPEAKER_00 50:01

Uh once. Yeah.

Matt 50:03

So what did what did you think?

SPEAKER_00 50:05

I mean, it was like flawless.

Matt 50:07

It was Well, yeah, of course everybody knows that. Yeah, yeah. What what did what did you think about playing that golf course?

SPEAKER_00 50:12

Um, it was pretty fun. I think we were out there when it was like a pretty miserably windy day. You know how we get those in Vegas?

SPEAKER_03 50:19

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:20

But I honestly call that January through March. Yeah, I don’t remember much of it. Like I remember the part three towards the end and like the first hole and a couple others, but like some of those like in-between holes, I just can’t quite they’re kind of lost in my memory. Um, but yeah, I hope I I get another opportunity to play it sometime soon.

Matt 50:41

Yeah, hopefully for the the match play.

SPEAKER_00 50:43

Yeah, that’s yeah.

Matt 50:46

Well, hey, thank you so much for coming on. I really appreciate it. Um you know what? I let’s ask one more question. Let’s let’s let’s get a deep question, deep thoughts kind of question. If you could tell anybody out there listening that doesn’t watch the LPGA, what is something that you would tell them why they should watch?

SPEAKER_00 51:07

Um, well, I think if you ever have an opportunity to come watch us play in person, that’s where you’ll see like the really big difference. Like we engage with our fans. Like people can talk to us, we’re gonna talk back. If you ask for an autograph mid-round, we’re gonna give you an autograph. Like, I think we just really engage well with our fans. It’s kind of hard to grasp that on TV.

Matt 51:30

But even yeah, I didn’t even know that.

SPEAKER_00 51:33

Yeah, um, because I’ve been to plenty of PJ tour events and there’s just there’s so many people and there’s there’s so many ropes in between them, and and then the fans, whereas like in on the LPJ you can get really close to us. Like we have plenty of events where like the ropes on the driving range are like right there, you can see in our bags, like you could ask us a question. Um so I think I think it’s just like there’s a big difference there. It’s hard to see it on TV, but I think we’re a lot more sociable and engaging with our fans, and I think that’s why once people get to know us and get to know like what we’re about, that’s they’re instantly fans, and I think that’s really cool.

Matt 52:14

Do you like the engagement with the fans? Or because I know some people could be annoyed by that, but and some people, you know, I gotta put on the face to make sure that you know everything goes well and nobody puts out a TikTok video about me doing something stupid. But do you do you enjoy it or is it work?

SPEAKER_00 52:30

Yeah, I enjoy it when it’s not during competition. Like there are plenty of times where kids ask during a round and like I’m never gonna turn a kid down. Um, but like if I’m you know round four and you know someone asks for an autograph that’s not a kid, like I’ll probably say, hey, like after the round, come find me. Um but like Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, yeah, I’m all about it. Like, ask me as many questions as you want, I’ll sign as many things as you want. Like, it’s uh I love it. So yeah.

Matt 53:00

One of the most amazing things that I’ve seen in the last 12 months is another Vegas golfer, Daniel King, was signing the covers of the golf magazines in the airport. Did you see that?

SPEAKER_00 53:14

Yeah, that was that’s pretty funny. That made me laugh.

Matt 53:17

That was amazing because you know, some people aren’t even gonna know. And then like they’re all the people that that do know. And I mean, it’s that level of of you know character that you guys have out there that I I wish more people could get involved and see because it it’s it’s amazing. There’s some absolutely amazing people on the LBGA, and and uh I’m glad things are tanking upwards for the tour. Um, I think it’s it’s kind of been a rough going the last couple years, but I think you guys are are on the right path and and uh I’m and happy to see the the payouts are increasing and uh more television coverage. So it’s trending in the right direction.

SPEAKER_00 53:57

Yeah, definitely agree. I think some some good years are ahead for the LPGA.

Matt 54:03

I agree, I agree. Well, good luck in your next when’s your next event?

SPEAKER_00 54:06

Um not till I think we start March 24th. We’ll play we’ll go down to Aviara for that one.

Matt 54:13

Nice. All right, well, good luck with that. Uh tell Henry we said hello, and um, you know, he he’s more than welcome to join us next time if you guys want to come back on.

SPEAKER_00 54:21

Okay, yeah.

Matt 54:22

I I I love the the golf teachers too. Yeah, definitely. Yeah, good luck, have a great season. Um, we look forward to watching you out there, and uh thanks for coming on.

SPEAKER_00 54:33

Cool. Thanks, yeah, thanks for having me.