January 15, 2025 • 46 mins
Time to celebrate! LPGA star Angel Yin stops by our first-ever par-tee to talk about how she unintentionally got into golf as a kid, reveals how she REALLY feels about not getting picked for the Solheim Cup, and shares why so many pro golfers are living paycheck to paycheck. Plus, Tisha takes listeners to Golf 101 and explains how to qualify and keep your spot in golf’s top league.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Nihaw Nie, how mee? How Kylan? Do you know that show?
Speaker 2 (00:04):
I've heard of it.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
You're so much younger than me. I didn't think you'd
know that, I know? Cultured niehow Kaylan? How about Ola? Yes? Dora?
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Do you know?
Speaker 1 (00:12):
What?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Can you say?
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Do the seosa swipe for no swiping? Welcome to the party.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
My name is Tisha Allen and I'm so excited to
have you for the first ever episode of my podcast.
If the name didn't give it away, the show is
all about shining light on the fun, vibrant side of
golf while introducing you to some amazing women who are
making their mark on the game. Because let's be real,
women's golf hasn't gotten nearly as much love as it deserves,
and I think it's time we change that now. For
(00:50):
those of you who know me, welcome. I love that
you're here. And for those wondering who is this and
why she even talking about women's golf, allow me to
introduce myself. So I wouldn't say I'm obsessed with golf,
but let's just say I've never known life without it,
Like literally, I picked up a club at three, started
competing at seven, and I grew up alongside top players
like Lexi Thompson, the Court of Sisters, Allison Lee, and
(01:13):
many more. Lexi takes these just absolute massive divots and
creates a ton of spin on the ball. I played
at a high level throughout junior golf and high school
and eventually earned a full ride to calcay Fluorton, where
I played as their top player.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Last shot up day sho.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Fast forward to post college, I turned pro and earned
status on the Middle League Tour, which is something you'll
learn about.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
On the show.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Basically, you have to win a series of events to
even qualify to play professionally, and keeping your spot is
also a grind. Life on tour isn't glamorous. The entire
time I played, I also had to work at a
country club to make ends meet. I had to carry
bags so much bigger than me, and I dodged my
fair share of flying golf well really not fun. By
the way, My lifelong goal was to make it to
(02:04):
golf's largest platform, the Ladies Professional Golf Association aka the LPHA.
Along the way, though, I discovered social media and eventually
my goals changed. So three years into my pro career,
I traded my clubs to be on camera and now
here we are. What's going on? Friends, Welcome back to
Tips with Tish. So you're on the range by yourself
and you have known today I'm an entrepreneur, creator, speaker.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
And trainer.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
I think you get the point. And I'm so excited
to add podcast hosts to the list as well. Over
the years, I've walked to the fairways with some of
the best players to ever play the game.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Welcome to come play a hole of me.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
I'm standing here with world number two, met celebrities I
never imagined, gained a bit of a following, and worked
with incredible brands. It's been a wild ride and I
can't wait to bring it all to this pod. So
when I started, women's golf wasn't exactly popular. Okay, it
wasn't even seen as a real sport by some. The
community was and still as small. We all know each
(02:54):
other and let's be real, we've all had that man
explaining moment on the course. But lately women's golf has
skyrocketed every year. There are more women on the course
at tournaments, at places like Top Golf, or just looking
for ways to dip their toes into the game, and
that's why I'm here to shed light on what happens
behind the scenes, the incredible careers you can have in
golf and the badass women who do with best. What
(03:17):
you see on TV is not what you're gonna get here.
I can promise you that. So, whether you've been playing
for years or don't even know what par means yet,
golf is a party and you're absolutely invited back out to.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
The tee at the elevel, Andulian's t shut.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
My first guest embodies the party side of pro golf.
Angelian is one of the most fun players that I
know and hands down one of the most entertaining on
the LPGA. Angels started playing professionally as a teenager and
has gone on to have an amazing career. She's popular
for her powerful swing, her wins on both the LPGA
and European Tour, playing in the Solhem Cup, which is
(03:55):
golf's most prestigious event, but most of all for her
Riz that's what the kiss me to say, by the way,
and her personality. So when I set out to make
this podcast, I knew from day one that I want
an angel to be my first guest, not only because
we were paired together in one of my first ever
professional golf events. Spoiler alert, she kicked my ass, but
(04:15):
because I'm a proud friend who's watched her continuously kill
it in the big leagues. So, without further ado, here's
your new favorite golfer, angel Yann angel Welcome to the party.
I don't even know if you knew that that's the
name of the podcast party. Welcome to the party.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Yeah, I did read a little bit. Okay, whatever you
sent me, why.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
I appreciate that. Okay, so you know what, I actually
never thought in a million years that'll actually be hosting
a podcast, but I knew that in the off chance
that I would, I wanted you to be one of
my first guests.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
A thank you? Yeah, Like, no, I can't believe I'm
on here either. What?
Speaker 1 (04:50):
No? Okay, Well, let me give a proper intro for
anyone who is listening or tuning in. Angelienne is not
only a friend of mine, but she is a player
on the LPGA Tour. She's had one win on the tour,
which was back in twenty twenty three. Eve been on
the tour since twenty seventeen.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Ye right, well, no, twenty sixteen on the European Tour.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Yeah, and then on the LPGA twenty seventeen, and in
my opinion, you are the most charismatic player on the
LPGA Tour. That's what I think. Anyways, thanks, yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
I think. Yeah, this is a pretty good intro. Okay, cool,
it's a good intro.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Cool cool cool.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
So before before we jump into like your story, I
wanted to share how we met and you. I would
love to hear it from you.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
It was when I first turned pro. I was twenty sixteen. Yeah,
I got my card on the European Tour, but getting
full status there doesn't mean that you get to play
the first few events, and so it was actually really
tough to get into events. So I just played some
mini tour in the beginning, and then you were playing
mini tour events. Then it was a Cactus Tour. Yeah,
we played against each other because you were pretty good,
so we were in the last few groups all the time.
(05:53):
It was like two tournaments back to back.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Okay, So I'm gonna I'm gonna share it from my
planet view. So it was my first tournament of twenty sixteen,
and I knew that I really wanted to like play
like twenty something events, like I was gonna really try,
but I had to go the mini tour route because
I was not like you, and I did not get
on the European Tour. And I think I was leading
after the first two days by like one shot to you.
(06:15):
And we played together in the last day and you
completely like you kicked my ass, like you you wipe
me clean.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Do you remember this can here? It was a Oak
Valley A shot under. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Yeah, she shot eight under. Bro Okay, So first nine
we are both like three under.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Yes, yes, it was like really competitive. Yeah, those competitive
eyes were like dogging me. My mom was just sitting
in the cart next to me because she was like, oh,
I don't want to walk this because everybody who's played
Oak Valley knows it's really hilly mmm. And so she
was just sitting next to me, and you were like
super serious, super intoate. I was like, okay, I like
(06:51):
competitive people.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
So funny because she was very unseerious and I didn't
know what to expect. And then we go into the
back nine and you just go lights out. You go
like four under or five under, and then I just
kind of like go even par and on one of
the holes. It's like a dog like right or whatever.
And I think I was only like ten yards away
from you, and you come up to me. You don't
(07:14):
even know what I'm about to say. You come up
to me and you put your hand on your toe
at me, and you put your hand on my shoulder
and you go, oh, you almost hit it as far
with me. Mind you, I'm like five years older than her,
so I'm like sick cool. So that was like cool, cool, cool.
But anyways, that was how we first met. And I
(07:36):
wanted to ask you, what was your first impression of me?
Speaker 2 (07:39):
That you were a competitor, and so I really I
really respect that. And then like after that, I just
like saw your social media and then I know that
you were always venturing into different things with Paget and
then you got into I'm gonna talk about those temps,
and then you really got into influencing, so golf influencing,
and obviously it's some thing that you're familiar with, so
(08:01):
it was cool that you to see you do new things.
And then you did some trick shots, some tips, so
you dabbled into everything, and I was I respected. I
always respect a hustle with people. Maybe it's my LA mindset.
But I hate it when people just lay around, and
then you never laid around, so I really really respected that.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
I appreciate that. Like I obviously always heard your name
like growing up because you're really yeah, because you're like
a top player. It was like it was always Angelianne
and Lilieville. Those were the two names, like from like
the younger generation that was coming up. And then obviously
we never played together until it came to professionally because
now age doesn't matter. And I remember thinking when I
was gonna play with you, I thought for sure you
(08:39):
were going to be like super serious, like that kind
of player that would like slam the club and stuff
like that, or like hit yourself if you got pissed.
And you were like so not like you were. You
were so funny, And I remember looking over and I'm like,
what the fuck.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
She's she's not what I do. We sat like wackos.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
But no, that was actually yourself. Okay, but that's like golfing,
I mean that's what. Yeah, it's very frustrating. It can
be frustrating, Okay, so let's get into it. I would,
I mean, I'm here to share your story and I
don't even think I know the answer to this question.
But how did you get into golf?
Speaker 2 (09:12):
So it was my mom's friend. She wanted her son
to get into golf because his dad was in Macau
and when he comes back to visit his son, he's
mostly golfing because golf here is much better than Macau. Okay,
she wanted her son to bond with him. You know,
when you learn anything, it's always better to do it
(09:32):
in pair. So I was that pair.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
I was dragged into this.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
It was that side character.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Yeah, okay. And then but then ever since obviously you
stuck with it.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Yeah, he quit because he didn't like the sun on
his skin. It's too much for him.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
That sounds just about Asian.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
It was actually really hard because my mom always was
against me getting into golf because she didn't think that
was girly enough, and it's like what a girl should do.
She's a Chinese mom, right, so it's just like the
traditional thinking. And then my mom's friend was like, well,
I paid for the first month, so you gotta go.
She's like, oh my god, I can't waste money. Wait, okay,
so revolving around money, that entire story.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
How old were you when you started six years old.
Oh okay, so you're you're you're really young. And so
then did you just like have like a natural knack
for it?
Speaker 2 (10:19):
No, I really liked it. I think I was. I
remember this very clearly. When I was six. I mean
this sounds crazy. I told my mom I want to
play professional golf. Yeah, we didn't. We didn't know anybody.
So I learned, Like my first two people that I
learned about is Jack Nicholas and Tiger Okay, and so
like I hover my driver because of that. Really yeah, wait,
does Tiger hover the driver? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (10:39):
Oh I didn't know that.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Maybe he doesn't do it anymore. I don't know, maybe not.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Now it's actually a really cute fun fact. Okay. So then,
so at six years old you know that you want
to turn professional. At what point did you realize like, oh,
I'm actually like pretty good at this.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
I don't know if I was good at it right away,
but I know I got it right away. Yeah, and
I do get things pretty fast. We did try other
sports before golf because like him and I we were
just like do everything together. And my mom wanted me
to like move around. She didn't want me to be fat.
My mom's fat phobic, so she just wanted me to
always be fit. I mean, I look at how it
turned out. But anyways, Angel you said I can say
(11:16):
anything you can, and so we tried tennis. I did
not like it because we could have hit it as
a kid. So all I did was just go around
the court and just pick up balls. And I was like,
this is terrible, this is stupid. Let's go play, going
here and there, and I'm not doing anything. There's no results.
I'm not going forward, I'm not going backwards. It's just stupid.
(11:37):
And so I hated tennis.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
And so that's why, okay, and then golf was just.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Really calming for me. She had a time me to
send in front of the piano because I was like
two minutes and I'm like, oh I'm done. I'm like no, no, no, no,
I'm done.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Okay, so she made you play the piano too.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Yes, I did everything pretty much an Asian mom would
want them to do.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
So what else besides ballet?
Speaker 2 (11:59):
You did that. But I was like a really big child.
So everybody that was the same age as me, it
was literally half a head to head shorter than me.
And I'm like two times their size. It was always
the most awkward thing. And for me, the only thing
that was on my side was my flexibility. It was
really flexible. But I just did not feel the grace
that I saw in others because I look so different
(12:21):
to other people. I mean, I have like kindergarten pictures
where I'm just absolutely towering over these people. That's crazy.
And I'm only like because I just came back from China.
My mom. I was born here, and then my mom
had to send me backcause she wanted to go to
school here, so she wanted to focus on, like and
learn English and integrating her life into America, and so
I got sent back just too much.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
I'm learning so much, okay, all right.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
And then so I just came back averaged four to
six months older than the kids. Okay, but I was
like freaking massive over them, okay. And it was really
like weird because you're just like, oh, they're so small. Okay.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
So golf worked out for you, obviously, Well we'll take it. Okay. Well, wait,
if you weren't a professional golfer, what do you think
it is that you'd be.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
I always thought I was going to be a lawyer,
really yeah, but there's sometimes a lot of documents you
have to read.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
So.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Yeah, so maybe not and maybe.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
Maybe not that. Wait, really you really thought you were
going to be a lawyer or like that's what you
would want to be. Yeah, okay, so okay, so when
you turn professional rights, I mean there's multiple routes that
you could take. Players. Either go the collegiate route and
then you turn pro after that, or you could just
go professionally straight away, and you went straight away.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
I went straight away. Not not my plan. I mean
it was like my mom was having dinner with her
friends at someone's house, and then after her dinner, she
was like, you know, I have this grand idea, you
should try out for Q School for the l ET.
Because of how high I was ranked as an amateur,
I was eligible to go into the final stage. But
I was always wanting to go to USC. I just
(14:05):
never committed because I didn't really know exactly what I
was gonna do. It was so my junior year I
was sixteen. Yeah, oh my god. And so she was like,
just just try it out because everybody's like try it out,
and the LPGA obviously has closed, and it's like too much,
too much commitment because you had to go through first stage,
the second stage, and go through third. She was like, well,
if we're just gonna like mess around with it, let's
just go to the final stage of the European tourqu
(14:27):
school since you were eligible.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Okay, and so someone sponsored you to go out. No, no,
you did it yourself.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Yeah, I just did it myself.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
So you're wait, you're sixteen or seventeen.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
When I was sixteen when this happened.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Oh my gosh, this is crazy because.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
My birthday is in October. And then I think I
played it when I was seventeen, okay, Yeah, and then
you played really well that you know, I played that well.
I think I dogged it out.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
She dogged it out.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
I was like on the sixteenth hole or going to seventeen.
I looked up the leader board. I'm like, crap, I'm
like two strokes off pretty to get in. Okay.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
So then you got in. But then you had a
win on the European Tour. That was in twenty seventeen, okay,
that was the following year. Yeah, and so then you
came back and then as that when you kicked my ass.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Uh yeah, so that twenty sixteen year, I guess. I
guess I did my Q school in twenty fifteen. That
makes more sense. Okay, man, my math is not math.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Ok I mean that's like I know, this is crazy. Okay.
So now now you you had a win on the
European Tour, which was that was a big win.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
That was that was a big ye in Dubai. It
was really fun.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Yeah, and then eventually on the LPGA Tour you successfully
had your first win just in twenty twenty three and Shanghai. Yes,
and how was that win for you?
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Like?
Speaker 1 (15:39):
How what like this because you're now on the tour
for like what six seven years and you're waiting for
that breakthrough and now you finally have this win.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Yeah. I mean it was really special to do in
Shae High because it's always a city I really really
connected with and I liked it was just really cool.
Well yeah, I just because like during that time when
we played so High, I was picked because I didn't
get it on points. I got in on points, but
then at the last second, because Andrew got in, I
didn't get it on points. Okay. The Golf Channel introduced
(16:08):
me as like the only person on the team that
hasn't won.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
So that's one way to do it Golf Channel.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
But anyway, so I was like, okay, cool, because at
that stage I didn't realize how big of an issue
it is, and I just couldn't kind of forgot about
it because I had I gone through a lot in
the last few years with injuries and such, so I
was like, oh, yeah, I guess it's still a really
big deal to win.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
And then when you won that, what was funny is
that you was that a playoff. It was a it
was a playoff, and it was against Lily Lily, and
it was like just during one of the majors, you
were in the same predicaments Chevron and you guys were
in a playoff and then she got you in this
time you got her. Yeah, and so how how was
that being able to win? But also in a playoff?
Speaker 2 (16:49):
It was special? I mean, everybody really liked it because
it happened all in the same year. Yeah, I thought
it was special. I do still think she wanted that
bargain in that trade off. She got a major and
I got a tournament. But I really, like Shanehi said,
I can't complain and I'm not going to be greedy
about anything. Yeah, I'm really happy, and I really like
how it turned out. Maybe not on Lily's sid because
(17:11):
she lost it lay, but but you know, it was
like a fairy tale. It was really it was really awesome.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
I think what was really wild. And I don't even
know if you remember talking to me through this is
before that win, you were telling me how difficult it
was for you to even want to be on tour,
and that you were kind of going in and out.
You're like, I don't even know if I want to, Like.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Yeah, I want to do it, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
But like at the but you're someone who's actually very
well and you've been well ranked throughout all your years
on tour. You've made what I consider great money on tour.
Why would you want to walk away? Like what's going
through your head.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
When you go through periods of time of extreme injury,
Like I couldn't like lift a water bottle or sleep
at night because my shoulder injury was so bad, And
then the expectation of you playing well and a lot
was always there, and then you have to like support
a team, you have to do a support a living.
Our income is so volatile if I don't play well
(18:29):
for a certain stretch of period. Now I'm losing money.
Even if you make the cut on the LPGA, if
you finish towards the end, you're barely making the cut.
And it's like paycheck to paycheck, and it's like you
want to hire the best people on your team, but
they're also expensive because they need to eat.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
Yeah, so everyone needs to eat every table.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Right, So it just piles up. And then I couldn't
see my golf ball fly straight. It was just going
left and right, and I know all I'm doing is
duct taping it. I really just sat myself down at
the end of twenty twenty two and I was like, look,
either we make it or we quit, because if we
keep going like this, our bank account's going to run dry.
Technically we're ten to eighty nines, so we get taxed
(19:10):
a lot, okay, and we have to spend all that.
We have to spend a lot. We're all independent contractors.
We're not associated with any you know, organization, right, which
is quite funny because we get restricted to do things
that we cannot do.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
We'll get there. We're going to talk about this. No,
this is interesting to me.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
But yeah, so so it's always been interesting. No, one's
really going to be out there like, hey, like you're
not doing well, let me support you, right, and our
status works with how well you play each year, right,
and so it washes completely in the beginning of the
next year. Every single year, okay single I mean, so
it's just gets so stressful. Right. Some people who's been
(19:49):
out tour for like a decade and play consistent golf,
all of a sudden on the tenth year, gets an injury,
and all of a sudden, now they have to like
fight for their status of good play when people already
know who are. You're like kind of almost losing an
icon in your own organization because you can't always like
build up new fandom or fan bases for these people
(20:10):
because they've been out here like they earned it, right.
My issue was that it was just like so hard
I had to upkeep it and I couldn't hit the
ball straight. So then twenty twenty two, I was like, Okay,
I need to fix it or we're gonna quit because
that's just a rat We're gonna lead and then I'm
gonna have to I don't know, figure out my life
right from there, maybe lawyer.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
Finally, now it's.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Time to actually go to maybe yeah, maybe in the court,
maybe needs me.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Yeah, okay, okay, So so for the for those that
are listening, the reason why I'm so mind boggled is
because when you look at angel stats the year by year, like,
you've always been essentially top fifty in rankings your career earnings.
By the way, this is google able. I'm not trying
to be a stalker or anything. No, but all our
stuff is it's all yeah, on the LPGA tour you
(20:52):
can see all this and every single year you've essentially
made at least half a million. Obviously, twenty twenty three
was an amazing year. So excluding twenty twenty three, you've
made half a million in your earnings. But let's go
back to what you were saying in terms of everything
costs a lot. So let's say you make your half
a million, how much money are you actually spending on
(21:12):
like the travel, the caddy, the training, like you know,
all the all the stuff.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
So caddy gets paid by percentage of how you do, okay,
and so there's a percentage of that just gone. It's
not like a set fixed salary. But what if they
make the cut, they do get that, So then so
then My next thing is that each week they get
a percentage. If we don't do well, they still are
guaranteed money.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
So it could be a loss. Like if you don't
play well.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
You can you can probably lose around conservatively saying three
and a half grand to four in one week. Yeah,
without like much because if you're traveling, you have to
stay at a hotel or airing. Be Now, if you
stay at a host family, you can probably cut the
costs down to like true grand. But if you have
a physio with you, that also goes up because a physio,
a private physio is also quite costly. So you can
(22:00):
be looking at around like six grand.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
Okay, now I know that on the PGA tour, when
guys qualify and they get their tour setus, they're gifted
a lot of money. I think it's like three hundred
to five hundred thousand dollars just to go live, like.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
Really go do your Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
Yeah, that became a new thing after like you know,
live scared everybody and now everyone now the guys just
like they just pissed money.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Basically it feels like.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
Oh that's nice, I know, right right, And so you
guys don't get that and is there every tournaments where
like they cover your like hotel and there is.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
So in the recent years there has been really like
kind sponsors that have supported us and have covered our accommodation.
One of them is Michelle's Tournament of the Mizu and
then the new sponsor that's come in is FM.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
So literally, you're someone that performs so in my opinion,
you perform so well on the tour and you're out
here literally contemplating quitting because the costs and everything is
just too stressful, Like how much more player that's like
trying to hold on to their tour card.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
I mean, there are some girls who play on tour
that don't have that much of a high status.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Do work, I mean, like work outside of professional golf, heeping.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
Do work on the off season because their off season
actually starts in October.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
I mean, and this is why we need more money
on the on the women's golf targe.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
I mean, I feel like our persons have really grown,
so I cannot say, like, oh, we need more money.
I think it's more how we distribute it, right Obviously,
like the person who won should get paid the most
for that event, for sure, But if the wall can
be a little bit fairly distributed or just other ideas
of how the sponsors can be brought in. Then that
(23:40):
would be different because I can't sit here and say like, oh,
we're not getting enough money for our tournaments, because I
don't want any organization or market to be overvalued. Sure,
and if we continue to inflate our values and we're
not like showing up like results like ours, our TV
numbers up is our engagements of answer right right, then
(24:01):
we're just you know, inflating our own numbers. And then
we're over valuing ourselves. And I don't stand for that,
and I don't like that. And I know that like
the PGA Tour gets more because they bring in more.
You know, my thing which LPGA is doing from speaking
to our elected people is that governing bodies, Yeah, our
(24:21):
governing bodies that's not golfing. Is that they are doing
that trying to boost engagement everything all around, right, and
not just like hey, we need more tournament money for
the tournaments, right right right. The main issue is to
be able to spread the name out to hey, what
is LPGA, Like, how can we get the common folks
and the households to know more about LPGA so I
(24:42):
think that's more important, and I think that's hopefully that's
what they're doing.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
Yeah, I don't know. Okay, Well, now that actually perfectly
leads to my next question is like I want your
honest opinion on, like, like, how do you feel about
the LPGA as an organization, Like do you feel like
they're doing a great job? Do you think the new
leadership has been killing it or not?
Speaker 2 (25:03):
I definitely don't think they're doing bad.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Okay, that's good.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Yeah, I don't think they're doing bad. Can I say
they're doing great? I don't think as involved as some
people on the tour to be able to give that answer,
because I'm not a person that goes like Hurrah, we're
all great and happiness you comby how together? I am
mostly just go off. I'm very like to myself in
(25:26):
a way. I don't really like to put myself into
other people's businesses unless I want to be like a player,
rep or whatever. It is. Okay, right, So it seems
like to me they're doing fine.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
Okay, So then if you had a recommendation that can
help the LPGA tour from your point of view, what
do you think that you could say?
Speaker 2 (25:46):
Gosh, Okay, So so I mean this goes back on
what I think is men and women are different. So
men are just more performance bace, like yeah, you know,
more powerful and all that stuff. So they're the performance
side girls or we're naturally born mothers so we have
more nurturing. Our characteristics are different. Yeah, and if we
(26:07):
can probably go more engagement side, be able to be
more personable, because every time a person plays a program
and I'm speaking to them, they go, I love playing
on the LPGA programs because the girls are more engaging. Yeah,
and all the time, they're much kinder and they actually
have a conversation with us. Yeah, and so if we
can just explore more on that route to get our
(26:27):
name out, I think that'd be really cool. But that's
just my opinion.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
No, I know think I think that your opinion is
very valid. No, I actually think that's a very safe response,
and I appreciate that response. I would sit here and
yell at everyone just to be like, watch the LPGA
tour because these players are actually really cool. I will
say that the Solheim Cup last year, I attended my
first one, and I thought it was actually the most
exciting thing, and like everyone was so pumped, and all
(26:53):
the fans were engaged and they were saying too that like, oh,
I had way more fun being around the girls because
not only were their personality, but it's like they're a
lot more relatable and like you can actually talk to them.
Like I've played in quite a few proms with the
guys on tour with John Rahm and all these people,
and I'm like, you barely get a sentence out of them.
And I feel like like these people like they really
(27:14):
get to know you guys, especially someone like you.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
Yeah, that's why I think that we're different. Right, So
if if we go keep going down on that route,
I mean obviously not too much because we're still golfing,
but yeah, we can just kind of explore more in
that realm. I think it would help.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
Okay, So you won the is it the A On
Risk Reward Challenge AI Risk and Reward?
Speaker 2 (27:35):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (27:35):
Okay, can you please explain what that even is because
I just learned. I just learned this like last night,
because you won.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
So AI Risk and Reward is spotor by a on
There we go. I'm sorry, who know? And they have
a million dollars at the end of the year for
whoever does best on the risk and reward. Now what
the risk and reward hole is? There's a hole every
week for that tournament. Could be the thirteen hole, could
(28:04):
be the fifteen hole, whatever hole they pick, and you
get four tries or two if you don't make the
cut and they take two scores and you have to
make birdie. Okay, essentially if you don't make berdie, you
lose points. Oh really, So one hundred percent score would
be negative one point zero zero. So if you look
at the point system, Okay, I had to do this
(28:25):
last year because I was like, I'm leading, win win, Yeah, okay,
so a lot of money and so one hundred percent
score if you look at a test score is a
negative one point zero zero. And then you see a
lot of girls. Who's leading right now it's that point
eight for whatever. That means they've made out of all
the holes they've played, like thirty six holes, they've made like.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
Four pars coming into the each tournament. Do you know
which hole?
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Yeah? Okay, so there's a on boards on that hole.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
Okay that if you didn't know, you know that this
whole map, then you better go low on it.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
Yeah, So you just want to make Bertie. Obviously, it's
just say hypothetically, we say you make Brittie on every
single hole, and then one all of a sudden, you
get like an.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
Eagle because they take the two best scores right right
right amongst the round.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Okay, guess uh, you make an ego. So then your
your total will be like negative one point one. Okay,
so you can go more than one point okay, got it,
but that's just like one hundred percent. Okay.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
So then in twenty twenty three, you clearly perform the
best amongst all those holes. And then and then how
much did you win?
Speaker 2 (29:31):
I want a million dollars?
Speaker 1 (29:32):
That's freaking crazy.
Speaker 2 (29:34):
Yeah, but what is the text on that a lot?
I was like, oh, numbers just gone damn okay.
Speaker 1 (29:42):
But when you won, did that like provide so much
relief for you as well? I did?
Speaker 2 (29:47):
I was like, everyone's like, what are you going to
do with it? I'm like, put it in my vault
so that I can support my future endeavors like golfing.
If I don't golf that well that week, Oh my gosh,
that's okay, people, I did pay my manager. I had
to hire someone.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
Did you not have like a first big purchase after.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
That, I was like that. When I first got on tour,
I was like, oh, let me buy myself with Gucci glasses.
It is really cool.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
That's what you chose to give yourself Gucci glasses.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
It was my first purchase, like when I first turned
pro and I got my first paycheck, my first paycheck
on the al e T. I got my mom car.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
Oh that's very sweet.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
It is. It is very I my first check on
the got myself like big check. I got myself a
Gucci glasses.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
You didn't think to get yourself a car.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
No, because it's not practical. I just shared with her
mom a car.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
This just sounds this sounds just about Asian to me,
but this is not what this podcast is about. We
can talk about our Asian background and how we must
give back to our parents. That's why we're born, is
to give back to them.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Every We don't even belong on this earth unless we
give back.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
Unless we give back to.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Them, good days are to celebrate them.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Yeah, unless we get them out of retirement. That's what
mattered as most. And anyway, shout out to our moms
because they're also the most supportive. So there's there's that.
That's the politically answer, the most involved. That's right. Okay,
So your moment is with you. I feel like a
like every tournament.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
Yeah, she really enjoys the environment. You can ask her,
she'd be.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
Like, oh no, I don't like that's.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
How she sounds too. But she really really enjoys walking
because she thinks it keeps her healthy. She really likes
it because people compliment, oh, you look so fit. She's like, oh, yes,
I do. And then she likes the competitive side. She
likes it all. And so she always likes yeah, you go.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
Last year was a sole him up and you didn't
get chosen. Yeah, And I know we chatted about this,
but I wanted to kind of hear from you firstly,
like how is the news delivered? Like do you just
get a phone call? You're like, hey, you're in Some.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
Players get a phone call, okay, if you're not there,
I've always just been spoken to because I'm right there
with them.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
I'm basically here.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Yeah. My last time I didn't get picked, I got
a phone call.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
Yeah, and so whatever's convenient to the captain.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
Okay, So the captain gives you a call, and then
around what time do because I'm sure like a lot
of the players on the European and the USA side,
they're sitting and waiting for like, is it it's time
to get a call? Like what tournament are you expected
to know if you're in?
Speaker 2 (32:38):
So they tell us okay, most of the time, it's
always right after British So the last day of a
British Open is when we.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
Will know got it? And I feel like this last soulheim.
I mean, obviously I'm your friend, so it's like I
am always rooting for you, and I think that you
deserve to be there. Explain to the people who are
listening how that works, like how many people, how many
girls get automatically qualified into the team, and how many
are picked.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
So technically before COVID it was eight eight automatic for
so okay, got it too, Rolex ranking, World ranking plays okay,
and then two picks okay, So technically players ten who
automatically gets in. Okay, there's always only been two picks.
And then I think since COVID changed, we had to
(33:24):
have a back to back year. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah,
So I'll explain what the back to back happened is.
So we had twenty twenty three and then twenty twenty
four back to back Soulheim. So they only happened once before.
It was nine to eleven and they had a I
think stop tournaments, and so our Solheim fell under the
same year as Ryder Cup. Cannot do that, and so
(33:44):
to accommodate the Ryder Cup, we skipped the year, skip
the year, but we don't really skip a year. We
just go back to back, right, Yeah, And so they
just never changed it back to its normal vetting process
with because they wanted three picks and so was seven
points off the so High Cup points and then to
a role like shrinking and then three picks. It just
(34:07):
so happened because I broke my foot this year. I
was much higher and I played really well going into
the British and where like the points cut off was,
but I finished eighth. Yeah, on the Soheim Cup points.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
So you're right on the cusp.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
Well technically I was in if it wasn't COVID rules, Yeah,
because eight gets in before, right, that's seven.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
Got it Because in my eyes, like from people watching,
I felt like, Okay, if you weren't the automatically qualified
to play in the Solheim, you would be the next
in line. You were really you were truly right there. Yeah,
I guess, yeah, Okay, to break it down, Angel was
right there, and and so then you go.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
Well, technically I was in if it wasn't for the rule.
Speaker 1 (34:49):
Change, right right, yeah, and so but they didn't. They
didn't go with you. And I wanted to walk through
how that made you feel.
Speaker 2 (34:56):
Oh well, I can't sit here and say it made
me feel great. It made me feel like shit my
first curse word on this podcast, but absolutely fucking crap.
I was like sitting there, she was telling me about it,
and I was like, okay, okay, okay, I just wanted
to leave. Get just kept going, kept going. I was like, okay,
I really get to the point I'm not gonna be
on this team. Yeah, okay, let me just like leave.
(35:18):
And then but I was like pretty calm in the beginning.
And then I left and like five like ten minutes,
and it just like hit me hard, and I was
like bawling, and I was like really really angry. It's you.
I was just just like really angry. And then you
can't tell anybody. You can't tell anybody because it's not
(35:39):
public yet, so nobody knows and I'm just like staring
at people and.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
I'm just like everything's okay.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
Yeah. And then like because like someone came up to
me and they were like looking at me and they're like,
oh yeah, so so him, I don't even say those words.
I don't talk to me. So I just was like,
you know, I didn't get it right. Stop anyways, I
was just really I was just devastating. I mean like
I had fellow players that wasn't part of the team
like call me and they were like, oh, I hope
you're okay. I don't know, so yeah, I'm fine, Like
(36:06):
you don't need to lie. We know you're not okay.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
Oh god, yeah that's true. Okay. This is my last
question in terms of Solheim, because I'm not going to
try and like stab you. Did you feel like it
was fair?
Speaker 2 (36:21):
Did I feel like it was fair? No, but I
don't think anything in life is fair. So I think
you've worked for it. The best way I could put
it is that hashtag played better.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
So you played well. Do you think that it was
at all not good enough? So? Do you think it's favoritism?
Speaker 2 (36:38):
I don't know what it is, because this is the
way I view it as a captain. They need to
make the most difficult decision there is. They need to
think about everything right. Sometimes a captain think about personality.
I haven't played on that many, so I can't really
tell you all the captain's experiences. What I've experienced is
some value personality, some value stats.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
This one really valiant stat. This captain, really valiant stat.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
But I thought my status was great. But it doesn't.
It doesn't matter. So it goes back to like what
she thinks is best for the team and how to
win that cutback. And so we did well though this
past one with this this last year was really good,
kind of dominated until the last day got ye really tight.
So it was good TV. This one before like an Inverness,
(37:24):
but I didn't get in. I couldn't watch it. I
got really sick. Actually, I thought I was gonna go
to the ear. The only reason why I didn't go
to the er was because my Asian side came out.
It was like the cost of the ambulance was too much,
the cost of getting an IVY was too much.
Speaker 1 (37:41):
The next pot we will dive into our traumas of
being Asian. Okay, all right, anyways, and so I.
Speaker 2 (37:48):
Was like either we dive, you know, not in debt,
or we overcome and we don't even ever think about
it again. So that's what I did. I just like
couldn't get out of my sofa. I think I like
I had a like fly I can't remember. I needed
to fly somewhere. I just couldn't fly anywhere.
Speaker 1 (38:03):
Okay, so wait, what are you ill?
Speaker 2 (38:05):
Because I was really sad you were? Are you serious? Yeah?
I was. I get really emotional. I know if you
can't can tell, but I get really do. I do
get really emotional sometimes really a big whiss. But anyways,
let's not talk too much about that. I get super
emotional at times, like whenever I see a puppy.
Speaker 1 (38:23):
I'm like, okay, I mean, I get it. I will
do the same.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
Base you should know by now, Okay, got it.
Speaker 1 (38:29):
Okay, So we're not gonna talk about any says if
but I do thank you for your vulnerability.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
I appreciate it. Yeah. Anyways, I get really sad. And
then I didn't watch it at all. And then this
one I did follow up a lot as much as
I can, so while I was practicing during the day,
I couldn't really keep up with it too much. But
whenever I go back at home, I try to like
watch a few clips. And then I really liked press conferences. Yeah,
so I've always just watched. I try to watch them
as much press conference as I can. It's really hard
(38:53):
to find press conferences online.
Speaker 1 (38:55):
Wait, okay, that's another thing that we're going to work on.
It's getting more press conferences and if not, we're going
to do the press con right now.
Speaker 2 (39:00):
Okay, got it? Yeah, I mean I just couldn't find anything.
I really wanted to know what the players were going
to say, the captains were gonna say, and what the
opposing side was going to say, and I just wanted
to see what's going on.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
Well next all time, I expect to see you there, Okay,
hands down, I will literally scream. I will fly there, which,
by the way, I think I owe you an apology
because I think I told you that I was going
to be there for you on your first LPGA win.
However I missed it and I could not fly to China.
I would have loved to be there, but I will
be there at your next one. Obviously, this pod is
all about, you know, getting to know people like you
who are on tour, providing better platforms, especially for the
(39:32):
girls that I feel like really deserve it, but also
welcoming new golfers into the game especially there's like a
lot of girls getting into it. What is your best
advice for girls just trying to get into the game,
like your honest advice.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
Swing it if you like it, keep going, have fun.
If not, have have a beer and maybe you'll like it.
Really a friend, Yeah, that very your friend to friend.
It's a friend activity.
Speaker 1 (39:55):
It is just like how you started. You learn by
with having two of you and then one will eventually
quit because you just are way better. Okay, we are
ending on a quick game. Okay, do you know the
game f kill Mary?
Speaker 2 (40:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (40:07):
Okay, but we're changing it because I don't. I'm not
gonna say that word. Instead, it's called travel, kick off
the Tour or Mary.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
Okay are you ready?
Speaker 1 (40:16):
Don't look at my laptop? Okay, okay, so you're the
first choice is are okay? So travel, kick off the
Tour or Mary? It's Charlie Hall roseang Lydia Co.
Speaker 2 (40:27):
H wait, Charlie Roseanne? Who Charlie Rose.
Speaker 1 (40:31):
And Lydia Co? Who would you travel with?
Speaker 2 (40:33):
What was the second option? Like?
Speaker 1 (40:35):
No, no, no, no, like travel, kick off the tour, Oh, Mary, I.
Speaker 2 (40:39):
Don't want to kick anyone off the tour. I actually
really like all three of them.
Speaker 1 (40:43):
Someone's gotta get kicked off the island angel.
Speaker 2 (40:45):
Man, you could have picked worst players.
Speaker 1 (40:48):
Anyways.
Speaker 2 (40:50):
Yeah, travel. I'll probably travel with Charlie because I think
she's such a blast. Okay, okay, this is going to
be bad.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
Kick off the tour and Mary, you have roseang or Lydia.
Speaker 2 (40:59):
I'm gonna say off the tour with Lydia because I
think she might retire soon. So she's not doing it.
I'm not doing it. She's doing well enough, Okay, No,
because she's like since it, like she posted this cryptic
Instagram message saying she's not going to be in the
next Olympic when she was going to be in LA.
So she's doing it herself.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
Okay, okay, so that's on that. Okay, So then and
then you'd marry Rose. Yeah, okay, all right, last one
and it's same thing, travel, kick off the tour, Mary,
and these are now LPGA legends.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
Oh my god, Laura Davies, Laura Davies.
Speaker 1 (41:32):
Julie Inkster, Christy Kerr. Who would you travel with?
Speaker 2 (41:36):
I'll travel with Christy. Okay, really, yes, I'll travel Christy.
Speaker 1 (41:40):
Okay, who would you kick off the tour?
Speaker 2 (41:42):
Laura Davies or Julie. I'll do Laura Davies just because
I don't know her that well. Okay, you know Julie.
Julie's like my other mom.
Speaker 1 (41:49):
She's best, you know, Julie. Yeah, I love it. Okay, Angel,
that wraps it up. Thank you for joining the party.
I really enjoyed getting to know you more. And where
can everyone find you besides on the LPGA? Just on
that you have our phone numbers, It's at Angel. Yeah,
I'm pretty sure for.
Speaker 2 (42:06):
Everyone else, but I'm not that active, so don't get offended.
Speaker 1 (42:17):
Gosh, I s an Angel just the best. I love
her so much. She's just so outspoken and fearless in
that way. And also she doesn't just give you answers
like the media train kind, you know what I mean.
So if you enjoy this interview just as much as
I did, please go give her a follow and wish
her all the luck this season. So before I let you,
guys go, I always want to leave you with a
little nugget or a little bit of knowledge, especially if
(42:38):
you're newer to the game, so I thought, why not
explain how to even make it on the LPGA Tour.
So buckle up. It is quite the process here we go,
all right. So I like to compare it to baseball
in the sense of there's the minor leagues, of middle
leagues and the major leagues. The minor leagues of women's
golf is called the mini tour circuit. There's quite a
few different tours here. It's minimal and it's great practice
(43:01):
for the other stages. I won a couple on the
Many Tour circuit, for example. I put in six hundred
and fifty dollars to enter and I won two thousand
dollars for first place. Yeah, I didn't last very long moneywise.
I thought I was a baller totally not. Then we
have the middle leagues. This is where the Epsent Tours,
which is a middle league tour based in the States.
There's a Ladies' European Tour, and there's a few on
(43:22):
the Asian Tour as well. And then we have the
major league, which is the LPGA as you know it,
the one you see on TV that we all want
to strive to get on. Now, how do you qualify
for the LPGA. Well, I'm going to share with you
the most common way that professionals attempt to get there.
It's called Q Series or it's also called Q School.
I like to call it Hell Week. There's three different stages.
(43:44):
The first stage is called pre qualifying. This usually takes
place in August in the California Desert. When I played
in pre qualifying guys, it was literally one hundred and twenty
degrees and each year I participated, I think two to
four girls passed out from heat stroke each time. First
stage is twenty five hundred do they take the top
ninety five out of three hundred plus girls from there.
(44:05):
If you make it, you move on to second stage,
which is called the Qualifying Tournament, typically in Florida about
a couple months later, and it's around three thousand dollars, okay,
And that's if you came from stage one. They take
only thirty five and ties to go to the third stage,
and typically that's around two hundred girls here. And there's
(44:26):
also some EPSOM and LPGA players in this second stage.
If they've lost status, they have the right to get
exempt into second or final. Moving on to the final stage,
it's called the Final qualifying. It typically takes place in December.
Last year was in Alabama, and basically you're now up
against every one. So any player on the LPGA who
(44:49):
didn't finish top one hundred, they have to go back
into the final stage. So that's also who you're up
against if you came from stage one. You also have
no fees if you came back from stage one, so
that's a good thing, but it's an expensive process. And
from here, from final stage, they take top twenty five
and ties out of around ninety or so players. So
(45:10):
you have now survived talk twenty five out of three
different stages, out of some amazing LPGA players, EPSINUR players,
you name it. You've basically went up against like five
hundred plus girls. That's how you make it on the LPGA.
So there is plenty more where that came from. That
is all I have for you for today. I can't
wait to share with you all who is on episode two,
(45:30):
so stay tuned till next time. Welcome to the Party
with Tasha Allen is an iheartwomen's sports production in partnership
with Deep Blue Sports Entertainment. I'm your host, Tisha Allen.
Julia Weaver is our lead producer and showrunner. Our executive
(45:51):
producers are Christina Everett and Jesse Katz. Special thanks to
Jess McCallister and the teams at GERSH and Catalyst nine.
Listen to Welcome to the Party with Tasha Allen on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Nihaw Nie, how mee? How Kylan? Do you know that show?
Speaker 2 (00:04):
I've heard of it.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
You're so much younger than me. I didn't think you'd
know that, I know? Cultured niehow Kaylan? How about Ola? Yes? Dora?
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Do you know?
Speaker 1 (00:12):
What?
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Can you say?
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Do the seosa swipe for no swiping? Welcome to the party.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
My name is Tisha Allen and I'm so excited to
have you for the first ever episode of my podcast.
If the name didn't give it away, the show is
all about shining light on the fun, vibrant side of
golf while introducing you to some amazing women who are
making their mark on the game. Because let's be real,
women's golf hasn't gotten nearly as much love as it deserves,
and I think it's time we change that now. For
(00:50):
those of you who know me, welcome. I love that
you're here. And for those wondering who is this and
why she even talking about women's golf, allow me to
introduce myself. So I wouldn't say I'm obsessed with golf,
but let's just say I've never known life without it,
Like literally, I picked up a club at three, started
competing at seven, and I grew up alongside top players
like Lexi Thompson, the Court of Sisters, Allison Lee, and
(01:13):
many more. Lexi takes these just absolute massive divots and
creates a ton of spin on the ball. I played
at a high level throughout junior golf and high school
and eventually earned a full ride to calcay Fluorton, where
I played as their top player.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Last shot up day sho.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Fast forward to post college, I turned pro and earned
status on the Middle League Tour, which is something you'll
learn about.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
On the show.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Basically, you have to win a series of events to
even qualify to play professionally, and keeping your spot is
also a grind. Life on tour isn't glamorous. The entire
time I played, I also had to work at a
country club to make ends meet. I had to carry
bags so much bigger than me, and I dodged my
fair share of flying golf well really not fun. By
the way, My lifelong goal was to make it to
(02:04):
golf's largest platform, the Ladies Professional Golf Association aka the LPHA.
Along the way, though, I discovered social media and eventually
my goals changed. So three years into my pro career,
I traded my clubs to be on camera and now
here we are. What's going on? Friends, Welcome back to
Tips with Tish. So you're on the range by yourself
and you have known today I'm an entrepreneur, creator, speaker.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
And trainer.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
I think you get the point. And I'm so excited
to add podcast hosts to the list as well. Over
the years, I've walked to the fairways with some of
the best players to ever play the game.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Welcome to come play a hole of me.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
I'm standing here with world number two, met celebrities I
never imagined, gained a bit of a following, and worked
with incredible brands. It's been a wild ride and I
can't wait to bring it all to this pod. So
when I started, women's golf wasn't exactly popular. Okay, it
wasn't even seen as a real sport by some. The
community was and still as small. We all know each
(02:54):
other and let's be real, we've all had that man
explaining moment on the course. But lately women's golf has
skyrocketed every year. There are more women on the course
at tournaments, at places like Top Golf, or just looking
for ways to dip their toes into the game, and
that's why I'm here to shed light on what happens
behind the scenes, the incredible careers you can have in
golf and the badass women who do with best. What
(03:17):
you see on TV is not what you're gonna get here.
I can promise you that. So, whether you've been playing
for years or don't even know what par means yet,
golf is a party and you're absolutely invited back out to.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
The tee at the elevel, Andulian's t shut.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
My first guest embodies the party side of pro golf.
Angelian is one of the most fun players that I
know and hands down one of the most entertaining on
the LPGA. Angels started playing professionally as a teenager and
has gone on to have an amazing career. She's popular
for her powerful swing, her wins on both the LPGA
and European Tour, playing in the Solhem Cup, which is
(03:55):
golf's most prestigious event, but most of all for her
Riz that's what the kiss me to say, by the way,
and her personality. So when I set out to make
this podcast, I knew from day one that I want
an angel to be my first guest, not only because
we were paired together in one of my first ever
professional golf events. Spoiler alert, she kicked my ass, but
(04:15):
because I'm a proud friend who's watched her continuously kill
it in the big leagues. So, without further ado, here's
your new favorite golfer, angel Yann angel Welcome to the party.
I don't even know if you knew that that's the
name of the podcast party. Welcome to the party.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Yeah, I did read a little bit. Okay, whatever you
sent me, why.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
I appreciate that. Okay, so you know what, I actually
never thought in a million years that'll actually be hosting
a podcast, but I knew that in the off chance
that I would, I wanted you to be one of
my first guests.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
A thank you? Yeah, Like, no, I can't believe I'm
on here either. What?
Speaker 1 (04:50):
No? Okay, Well, let me give a proper intro for
anyone who is listening or tuning in. Angelienne is not
only a friend of mine, but she is a player
on the LPGA Tour. She's had one win on the tour,
which was back in twenty twenty three. Eve been on
the tour since twenty seventeen.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Ye right, well, no, twenty sixteen on the European Tour.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Yeah, and then on the LPGA twenty seventeen, and in
my opinion, you are the most charismatic player on the
LPGA Tour. That's what I think. Anyways, thanks, yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
I think. Yeah, this is a pretty good intro. Okay, cool,
it's a good intro.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Cool cool cool.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
So before before we jump into like your story, I
wanted to share how we met and you. I would
love to hear it from you.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
It was when I first turned pro. I was twenty sixteen. Yeah,
I got my card on the European Tour, but getting
full status there doesn't mean that you get to play
the first few events, and so it was actually really
tough to get into events. So I just played some
mini tour in the beginning, and then you were playing
mini tour events. Then it was a Cactus Tour. Yeah,
we played against each other because you were pretty good,
so we were in the last few groups all the time.
(05:53):
It was like two tournaments back to back.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Okay, So I'm gonna I'm gonna share it from my
planet view. So it was my first tournament of twenty sixteen,
and I knew that I really wanted to like play
like twenty something events, like I was gonna really try,
but I had to go the mini tour route because
I was not like you, and I did not get
on the European Tour. And I think I was leading
after the first two days by like one shot to you.
(06:15):
And we played together in the last day and you
completely like you kicked my ass, like you you wipe
me clean.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Do you remember this can here? It was a Oak
Valley A shot under. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Yeah, she shot eight under. Bro Okay, So first nine
we are both like three under.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Yes, yes, it was like really competitive. Yeah, those competitive
eyes were like dogging me. My mom was just sitting
in the cart next to me because she was like, oh,
I don't want to walk this because everybody who's played
Oak Valley knows it's really hilly mmm. And so she
was just sitting next to me, and you were like
super serious, super intoate. I was like, okay, I like
(06:51):
competitive people.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
So funny because she was very unseerious and I didn't
know what to expect. And then we go into the
back nine and you just go lights out. You go
like four under or five under, and then I just
kind of like go even par and on one of
the holes. It's like a dog like right or whatever.
And I think I was only like ten yards away
from you, and you come up to me. You don't
(07:14):
even know what I'm about to say. You come up
to me and you put your hand on your toe
at me, and you put your hand on my shoulder
and you go, oh, you almost hit it as far
with me. Mind you, I'm like five years older than her,
so I'm like sick cool. So that was like cool, cool, cool.
But anyways, that was how we first met. And I
(07:36):
wanted to ask you, what was your first impression of me?
Speaker 2 (07:39):
That you were a competitor, and so I really I
really respect that. And then like after that, I just
like saw your social media and then I know that
you were always venturing into different things with Paget and
then you got into I'm gonna talk about those temps,
and then you really got into influencing, so golf influencing,
and obviously it's some thing that you're familiar with, so
(08:01):
it was cool that you to see you do new things.
And then you did some trick shots, some tips, so
you dabbled into everything, and I was I respected. I
always respect a hustle with people. Maybe it's my LA mindset.
But I hate it when people just lay around, and
then you never laid around, so I really really respected that.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
I appreciate that. Like I obviously always heard your name
like growing up because you're really yeah, because you're like
a top player. It was like it was always Angelianne
and Lilieville. Those were the two names, like from like
the younger generation that was coming up. And then obviously
we never played together until it came to professionally because
now age doesn't matter. And I remember thinking when I
was gonna play with you, I thought for sure you
(08:39):
were going to be like super serious, like that kind
of player that would like slam the club and stuff
like that, or like hit yourself if you got pissed.
And you were like so not like you were. You
were so funny, And I remember looking over and I'm like,
what the fuck.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
She's she's not what I do. We sat like wackos.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
But no, that was actually yourself. Okay, but that's like golfing,
I mean that's what. Yeah, it's very frustrating. It can
be frustrating, Okay, so let's get into it. I would,
I mean, I'm here to share your story and I
don't even think I know the answer to this question.
But how did you get into golf?
Speaker 2 (09:12):
So it was my mom's friend. She wanted her son
to get into golf because his dad was in Macau
and when he comes back to visit his son, he's
mostly golfing because golf here is much better than Macau. Okay,
she wanted her son to bond with him. You know,
when you learn anything, it's always better to do it
(09:32):
in pair. So I was that pair.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
I was dragged into this.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
It was that side character.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Yeah, okay. And then but then ever since obviously you
stuck with it.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Yeah, he quit because he didn't like the sun on
his skin. It's too much for him.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
That sounds just about Asian.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
It was actually really hard because my mom always was
against me getting into golf because she didn't think that
was girly enough, and it's like what a girl should do.
She's a Chinese mom, right, so it's just like the
traditional thinking. And then my mom's friend was like, well,
I paid for the first month, so you gotta go.
She's like, oh my god, I can't waste money. Wait, okay,
so revolving around money, that entire story.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
How old were you when you started six years old.
Oh okay, so you're you're you're really young. And so
then did you just like have like a natural knack
for it?
Speaker 2 (10:19):
No, I really liked it. I think I was. I
remember this very clearly. When I was six. I mean
this sounds crazy. I told my mom I want to
play professional golf. Yeah, we didn't. We didn't know anybody.
So I learned, Like my first two people that I
learned about is Jack Nicholas and Tiger Okay, and so
like I hover my driver because of that. Really yeah, wait,
does Tiger hover the driver? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (10:39):
Oh I didn't know that.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Maybe he doesn't do it anymore. I don't know, maybe not.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Now it's actually a really cute fun fact. Okay. So then,
so at six years old you know that you want
to turn professional. At what point did you realize like, oh,
I'm actually like pretty good at this.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
I don't know if I was good at it right away,
but I know I got it right away. Yeah, and
I do get things pretty fast. We did try other
sports before golf because like him and I we were
just like do everything together. And my mom wanted me
to like move around. She didn't want me to be fat.
My mom's fat phobic, so she just wanted me to
always be fit. I mean, I look at how it
turned out. But anyways, Angel you said I can say
(11:16):
anything you can, and so we tried tennis. I did
not like it because we could have hit it as
a kid. So all I did was just go around
the court and just pick up balls. And I was like,
this is terrible, this is stupid. Let's go play, going
here and there, and I'm not doing anything. There's no results.
I'm not going forward, I'm not going backwards. It's just stupid.
(11:37):
And so I hated tennis.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
And so that's why, okay, and then golf was just.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Really calming for me. She had a time me to
send in front of the piano because I was like
two minutes and I'm like, oh I'm done. I'm like no, no, no, no,
I'm done.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Okay, so she made you play the piano too.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Yes, I did everything pretty much an Asian mom would
want them to do.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
So what else besides ballet?
Speaker 2 (11:59):
You did that. But I was like a really big child.
So everybody that was the same age as me, it
was literally half a head to head shorter than me.
And I'm like two times their size. It was always
the most awkward thing. And for me, the only thing
that was on my side was my flexibility. It was
really flexible. But I just did not feel the grace
that I saw in others because I look so different
(12:21):
to other people. I mean, I have like kindergarten pictures
where I'm just absolutely towering over these people. That's crazy.
And I'm only like because I just came back from China.
My mom. I was born here, and then my mom
had to send me backcause she wanted to go to
school here, so she wanted to focus on, like and
learn English and integrating her life into America, and so
I got sent back just too much.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
I'm learning so much, okay, all right.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
And then so I just came back averaged four to
six months older than the kids. Okay, but I was
like freaking massive over them, okay. And it was really
like weird because you're just like, oh, they're so small. Okay.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
So golf worked out for you, obviously, Well we'll take it. Okay. Well, wait,
if you weren't a professional golfer, what do you think
it is that you'd be.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
I always thought I was going to be a lawyer,
really yeah, but there's sometimes a lot of documents you
have to read.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
So.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Yeah, so maybe not and maybe.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
Maybe not that. Wait, really you really thought you were
going to be a lawyer or like that's what you
would want to be. Yeah, okay, so okay, so when
you turn professional rights, I mean there's multiple routes that
you could take. Players. Either go the collegiate route and
then you turn pro after that, or you could just
go professionally straight away, and you went straight away.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
I went straight away. Not not my plan. I mean
it was like my mom was having dinner with her
friends at someone's house, and then after her dinner, she
was like, you know, I have this grand idea, you
should try out for Q School for the l ET.
Because of how high I was ranked as an amateur,
I was eligible to go into the final stage. But
I was always wanting to go to USC. I just
(14:05):
never committed because I didn't really know exactly what I
was gonna do. It was so my junior year I
was sixteen. Yeah, oh my god. And so she was like,
just just try it out because everybody's like try it out,
and the LPGA obviously has closed, and it's like too much,
too much commitment because you had to go through first stage,
the second stage, and go through third. She was like, well,
if we're just gonna like mess around with it, let's
just go to the final stage of the European tourqu
(14:27):
school since you were eligible.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Okay, and so someone sponsored you to go out. No, no,
you did it yourself.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Yeah, I just did it myself.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
So you're wait, you're sixteen or seventeen.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
When I was sixteen when this happened.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Oh my gosh, this is crazy because.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
My birthday is in October. And then I think I
played it when I was seventeen, okay, Yeah, and then
you played really well that you know, I played that well.
I think I dogged it out.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
She dogged it out.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
I was like on the sixteenth hole or going to seventeen.
I looked up the leader board. I'm like, crap, I'm
like two strokes off pretty to get in. Okay.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
So then you got in. But then you had a
win on the European Tour. That was in twenty seventeen, okay,
that was the following year. Yeah, and so then you
came back and then as that when you kicked my ass.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Uh yeah, so that twenty sixteen year, I guess. I
guess I did my Q school in twenty fifteen. That
makes more sense. Okay, man, my math is not math.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Ok I mean that's like I know, this is crazy. Okay.
So now now you you had a win on the
European Tour, which was that was a big win.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
That was that was a big ye in Dubai. It
was really fun.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Yeah, and then eventually on the LPGA Tour you successfully
had your first win just in twenty twenty three and Shanghai. Yes,
and how was that win for you?
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Like?
Speaker 1 (15:39):
How what like this because you're now on the tour
for like what six seven years and you're waiting for
that breakthrough and now you finally have this win.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Yeah. I mean it was really special to do in
Shae High because it's always a city I really really
connected with and I liked it was just really cool.
Well yeah, I just because like during that time when
we played so High, I was picked because I didn't
get it on points. I got in on points, but
then at the last second, because Andrew got in, I
didn't get it on points. Okay. The Golf Channel introduced
(16:08):
me as like the only person on the team that
hasn't won.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
So that's one way to do it Golf Channel.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
But anyway, so I was like, okay, cool, because at
that stage I didn't realize how big of an issue
it is, and I just couldn't kind of forgot about
it because I had I gone through a lot in
the last few years with injuries and such, so I
was like, oh, yeah, I guess it's still a really
big deal to win.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
And then when you won that, what was funny is
that you was that a playoff. It was a it
was a playoff, and it was against Lily Lily, and
it was like just during one of the majors, you
were in the same predicaments Chevron and you guys were
in a playoff and then she got you in this
time you got her. Yeah, and so how how was
that being able to win? But also in a playoff?
Speaker 2 (16:49):
It was special? I mean, everybody really liked it because
it happened all in the same year. Yeah, I thought
it was special. I do still think she wanted that
bargain in that trade off. She got a major and
I got a tournament. But I really, like Shanehi said,
I can't complain and I'm not going to be greedy
about anything. Yeah, I'm really happy, and I really like
how it turned out. Maybe not on Lily's sid because
(17:11):
she lost it lay, but but you know, it was
like a fairy tale. It was really it was really awesome.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
I think what was really wild. And I don't even
know if you remember talking to me through this is
before that win, you were telling me how difficult it
was for you to even want to be on tour,
and that you were kind of going in and out.
You're like, I don't even know if I want to, Like.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Yeah, I want to do it, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
But like at the but you're someone who's actually very
well and you've been well ranked throughout all your years
on tour. You've made what I consider great money on tour.
Why would you want to walk away? Like what's going
through your head.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
When you go through periods of time of extreme injury,
Like I couldn't like lift a water bottle or sleep
at night because my shoulder injury was so bad, And
then the expectation of you playing well and a lot
was always there, and then you have to like support
a team, you have to do a support a living.
Our income is so volatile if I don't play well
(18:29):
for a certain stretch of period. Now I'm losing money.
Even if you make the cut on the LPGA, if
you finish towards the end, you're barely making the cut.
And it's like paycheck to paycheck, and it's like you
want to hire the best people on your team, but
they're also expensive because they need to eat.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
Yeah, so everyone needs to eat every table.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Right, So it just piles up. And then I couldn't
see my golf ball fly straight. It was just going
left and right, and I know all I'm doing is
duct taping it. I really just sat myself down at
the end of twenty twenty two and I was like, look,
either we make it or we quit, because if we
keep going like this, our bank account's going to run dry.
Technically we're ten to eighty nines, so we get taxed
(19:10):
a lot, okay, and we have to spend all that.
We have to spend a lot. We're all independent contractors.
We're not associated with any you know, organization, right, which
is quite funny because we get restricted to do things
that we cannot do.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
We'll get there. We're going to talk about this. No,
this is interesting to me.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
But yeah, so so it's always been interesting. No, one's
really going to be out there like, hey, like you're
not doing well, let me support you, right, and our
status works with how well you play each year, right,
and so it washes completely in the beginning of the
next year. Every single year, okay single I mean, so
it's just gets so stressful. Right. Some people who's been
(19:49):
out tour for like a decade and play consistent golf,
all of a sudden on the tenth year, gets an injury,
and all of a sudden, now they have to like
fight for their status of good play when people already
know who are. You're like kind of almost losing an
icon in your own organization because you can't always like
build up new fandom or fan bases for these people
(20:10):
because they've been out here like they earned it, right.
My issue was that it was just like so hard
I had to upkeep it and I couldn't hit the
ball straight. So then twenty twenty two, I was like, Okay,
I need to fix it or we're gonna quit because
that's just a rat We're gonna lead and then I'm
gonna have to I don't know, figure out my life
right from there, maybe lawyer.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
Finally, now it's.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Time to actually go to maybe yeah, maybe in the court,
maybe needs me.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Yeah, okay, okay, So so for the for those that
are listening, the reason why I'm so mind boggled is
because when you look at angel stats the year by year, like,
you've always been essentially top fifty in rankings your career earnings.
By the way, this is google able. I'm not trying
to be a stalker or anything. No, but all our
stuff is it's all yeah, on the LPGA tour you
(20:52):
can see all this and every single year you've essentially
made at least half a million. Obviously, twenty twenty three
was an amazing year. So excluding twenty twenty three, you've
made half a million in your earnings. But let's go
back to what you were saying in terms of everything
costs a lot. So let's say you make your half
a million, how much money are you actually spending on
(21:12):
like the travel, the caddy, the training, like you know,
all the all the stuff.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
So caddy gets paid by percentage of how you do, okay,
and so there's a percentage of that just gone. It's
not like a set fixed salary. But what if they
make the cut, they do get that, So then so
then My next thing is that each week they get
a percentage. If we don't do well, they still are
guaranteed money.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
So it could be a loss. Like if you don't
play well.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
You can you can probably lose around conservatively saying three
and a half grand to four in one week. Yeah,
without like much because if you're traveling, you have to
stay at a hotel or airing. Be Now, if you
stay at a host family, you can probably cut the
costs down to like true grand. But if you have
a physio with you, that also goes up because a physio,
a private physio is also quite costly. So you can
(22:00):
be looking at around like six grand.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
Okay, now I know that on the PGA tour, when
guys qualify and they get their tour setus, they're gifted
a lot of money. I think it's like three hundred
to five hundred thousand dollars just to go live, like.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
Really go do your Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
Yeah, that became a new thing after like you know,
live scared everybody and now everyone now the guys just
like they just pissed money.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Basically it feels like.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
Oh that's nice, I know, right right, And so you
guys don't get that and is there every tournaments where
like they cover your like hotel and there is.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
So in the recent years there has been really like
kind sponsors that have supported us and have covered our accommodation.
One of them is Michelle's Tournament of the Mizu and
then the new sponsor that's come in is FM.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
So literally, you're someone that performs so in my opinion,
you perform so well on the tour and you're out
here literally contemplating quitting because the costs and everything is
just too stressful, Like how much more player that's like
trying to hold on to their tour card.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
I mean, there are some girls who play on tour
that don't have that much of a high status.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Do work, I mean, like work outside of professional golf, heeping.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
Do work on the off season because their off season
actually starts in October.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
I mean, and this is why we need more money
on the on the women's golf targe.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
I mean, I feel like our persons have really grown,
so I cannot say, like, oh, we need more money.
I think it's more how we distribute it, right Obviously,
like the person who won should get paid the most
for that event, for sure, But if the wall can
be a little bit fairly distributed or just other ideas
of how the sponsors can be brought in. Then that
(23:40):
would be different because I can't sit here and say like, oh,
we're not getting enough money for our tournaments, because I
don't want any organization or market to be overvalued. Sure,
and if we continue to inflate our values and we're
not like showing up like results like ours, our TV
numbers up is our engagements of answer right right, then
(24:01):
we're just you know, inflating our own numbers. And then
we're over valuing ourselves. And I don't stand for that,
and I don't like that. And I know that like
the PGA Tour gets more because they bring in more.
You know, my thing which LPGA is doing from speaking
to our elected people is that governing bodies, Yeah, our
(24:21):
governing bodies that's not golfing. Is that they are doing
that trying to boost engagement everything all around, right, and
not just like hey, we need more tournament money for
the tournaments, right right right. The main issue is to
be able to spread the name out to hey, what
is LPGA, Like, how can we get the common folks
and the households to know more about LPGA so I
(24:42):
think that's more important, and I think that's hopefully that's
what they're doing.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
Yeah, I don't know. Okay, Well, now that actually perfectly
leads to my next question is like I want your
honest opinion on, like, like, how do you feel about
the LPGA as an organization, Like do you feel like
they're doing a great job? Do you think the new
leadership has been killing it or not?
Speaker 2 (25:03):
I definitely don't think they're doing bad.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Okay, that's good.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Yeah, I don't think they're doing bad. Can I say
they're doing great? I don't think as involved as some
people on the tour to be able to give that answer,
because I'm not a person that goes like Hurrah, we're
all great and happiness you comby how together? I am
mostly just go off. I'm very like to myself in
(25:26):
a way. I don't really like to put myself into
other people's businesses unless I want to be like a player,
rep or whatever. It is. Okay, right, So it seems
like to me they're doing fine.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
Okay, So then if you had a recommendation that can
help the LPGA tour from your point of view, what
do you think that you could say?
Speaker 2 (25:46):
Gosh, Okay, So so I mean this goes back on
what I think is men and women are different. So
men are just more performance bace, like yeah, you know,
more powerful and all that stuff. So they're the performance
side girls or we're naturally born mothers so we have
more nurturing. Our characteristics are different. Yeah, and if we
(26:07):
can probably go more engagement side, be able to be
more personable, because every time a person plays a program
and I'm speaking to them, they go, I love playing
on the LPGA programs because the girls are more engaging. Yeah,
and all the time, they're much kinder and they actually
have a conversation with us. Yeah, and so if we
can just explore more on that route to get our
(26:27):
name out, I think that'd be really cool. But that's
just my opinion.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
No, I know think I think that your opinion is
very valid. No, I actually think that's a very safe response,
and I appreciate that response. I would sit here and
yell at everyone just to be like, watch the LPGA
tour because these players are actually really cool. I will
say that the Solheim Cup last year, I attended my
first one, and I thought it was actually the most
exciting thing, and like everyone was so pumped, and all
(26:53):
the fans were engaged and they were saying too that like, oh,
I had way more fun being around the girls because
not only were their personality, but it's like they're a
lot more relatable and like you can actually talk to them.
Like I've played in quite a few proms with the
guys on tour with John Rahm and all these people,
and I'm like, you barely get a sentence out of them.
And I feel like like these people like they really
(27:14):
get to know you guys, especially someone like you.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
Yeah, that's why I think that we're different. Right, So
if if we go keep going down on that route,
I mean obviously not too much because we're still golfing,
but yeah, we can just kind of explore more in
that realm. I think it would help.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
Okay, So you won the is it the A On
Risk Reward Challenge AI Risk and Reward?
Speaker 2 (27:35):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (27:35):
Okay, can you please explain what that even is because
I just learned. I just learned this like last night,
because you won.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
So AI Risk and Reward is spotor by a on
There we go. I'm sorry, who know? And they have
a million dollars at the end of the year for
whoever does best on the risk and reward. Now what
the risk and reward hole is? There's a hole every
week for that tournament. Could be the thirteen hole, could
(28:04):
be the fifteen hole, whatever hole they pick, and you
get four tries or two if you don't make the
cut and they take two scores and you have to
make birdie. Okay, essentially if you don't make berdie, you
lose points. Oh really, So one hundred percent score would
be negative one point zero zero. So if you look
at the point system, Okay, I had to do this
(28:25):
last year because I was like, I'm leading, win win, Yeah, okay,
so a lot of money and so one hundred percent
score if you look at a test score is a
negative one point zero zero. And then you see a
lot of girls. Who's leading right now it's that point
eight for whatever. That means they've made out of all
the holes they've played, like thirty six holes, they've made like.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
Four pars coming into the each tournament. Do you know
which hole?
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Yeah? Okay, so there's a on boards on that hole.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
Okay that if you didn't know, you know that this
whole map, then you better go low on it.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
Yeah, So you just want to make Bertie. Obviously, it's
just say hypothetically, we say you make Brittie on every
single hole, and then one all of a sudden, you
get like an.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
Eagle because they take the two best scores right right
right amongst the round.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Okay, guess uh, you make an ego. So then your
your total will be like negative one point one. Okay,
so you can go more than one point okay, got it,
but that's just like one hundred percent. Okay.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
So then in twenty twenty three, you clearly perform the
best amongst all those holes. And then and then how
much did you win?
Speaker 2 (29:31):
I want a million dollars?
Speaker 1 (29:32):
That's freaking crazy.
Speaker 2 (29:34):
Yeah, but what is the text on that a lot?
I was like, oh, numbers just gone damn okay.
Speaker 1 (29:42):
But when you won, did that like provide so much
relief for you as well? I did?
Speaker 2 (29:47):
I was like, everyone's like, what are you going to
do with it? I'm like, put it in my vault
so that I can support my future endeavors like golfing.
If I don't golf that well that week, Oh my gosh,
that's okay, people, I did pay my manager. I had
to hire someone.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
Did you not have like a first big purchase after.
Speaker 2 (30:03):
That, I was like that. When I first got on tour,
I was like, oh, let me buy myself with Gucci glasses.
It is really cool.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
That's what you chose to give yourself Gucci glasses.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
It was my first purchase, like when I first turned
pro and I got my first paycheck, my first paycheck
on the al e T. I got my mom car.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
Oh that's very sweet.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
It is. It is very I my first check on
the got myself like big check. I got myself a
Gucci glasses.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
You didn't think to get yourself a car.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
No, because it's not practical. I just shared with her
mom a car.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
This just sounds this sounds just about Asian to me,
but this is not what this podcast is about. We
can talk about our Asian background and how we must
give back to our parents. That's why we're born, is
to give back to them.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Every We don't even belong on this earth unless we
give back.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
Unless we give back to.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Them, good days are to celebrate them.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
Yeah, unless we get them out of retirement. That's what
mattered as most. And anyway, shout out to our moms
because they're also the most supportive. So there's there's that.
That's the politically answer, the most involved. That's right. Okay,
So your moment is with you. I feel like a
like every tournament.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
Yeah, she really enjoys the environment. You can ask her,
she'd be.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
Like, oh no, I don't like that's.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
How she sounds too. But she really really enjoys walking
because she thinks it keeps her healthy. She really likes
it because people compliment, oh, you look so fit. She's like, oh, yes,
I do. And then she likes the competitive side. She
likes it all. And so she always likes yeah, you go.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
Last year was a sole him up and you didn't
get chosen. Yeah, And I know we chatted about this,
but I wanted to kind of hear from you firstly,
like how is the news delivered? Like do you just
get a phone call? You're like, hey, you're in Some.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
Players get a phone call, okay, if you're not there,
I've always just been spoken to because I'm right there
with them.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
I'm basically here.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Yeah. My last time I didn't get picked, I got
a phone call.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
Yeah, and so whatever's convenient to the captain.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
Okay, So the captain gives you a call, and then
around what time do because I'm sure like a lot
of the players on the European and the USA side,
they're sitting and waiting for like, is it it's time
to get a call? Like what tournament are you expected
to know if you're in?
Speaker 2 (32:38):
So they tell us okay, most of the time, it's
always right after British So the last day of a
British Open is when we.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
Will know got it? And I feel like this last soulheim.
I mean, obviously I'm your friend, so it's like I
am always rooting for you, and I think that you
deserve to be there. Explain to the people who are
listening how that works, like how many people, how many
girls get automatically qualified into the team, and how many
are picked.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
So technically before COVID it was eight eight automatic for
so okay, got it too, Rolex ranking, World ranking plays okay,
and then two picks okay, So technically players ten who
automatically gets in. Okay, there's always only been two picks.
And then I think since COVID changed, we had to
(33:24):
have a back to back year. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah,
So I'll explain what the back to back happened is.
So we had twenty twenty three and then twenty twenty
four back to back Soulheim. So they only happened once before.
It was nine to eleven and they had a I
think stop tournaments, and so our Solheim fell under the
same year as Ryder Cup. Cannot do that, and so
(33:44):
to accommodate the Ryder Cup, we skipped the year, skip
the year, but we don't really skip a year. We
just go back to back, right, Yeah, And so they
just never changed it back to its normal vetting process
with because they wanted three picks and so was seven
points off the so High Cup points and then to
a role like shrinking and then three picks. It just
(34:07):
so happened because I broke my foot this year. I
was much higher and I played really well going into
the British and where like the points cut off was,
but I finished eighth. Yeah, on the Soheim Cup points.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
So you're right on the cusp.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
Well technically I was in if it wasn't COVID rules, Yeah,
because eight gets in before, right, that's seven.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
Got it Because in my eyes, like from people watching,
I felt like, Okay, if you weren't the automatically qualified
to play in the Solheim, you would be the next
in line. You were really you were truly right there. Yeah,
I guess, yeah, Okay, to break it down, Angel was
right there, and and so then you go.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
Well, technically I was in if it wasn't for the rule.
Speaker 1 (34:49):
Change, right right, yeah, and so but they didn't. They
didn't go with you. And I wanted to walk through
how that made you feel.
Speaker 2 (34:56):
Oh well, I can't sit here and say it made
me feel great. It made me feel like shit my
first curse word on this podcast, but absolutely fucking crap.
I was like sitting there, she was telling me about it,
and I was like, okay, okay, okay, I just wanted
to leave. Get just kept going, kept going. I was like, okay,
I really get to the point I'm not gonna be
on this team. Yeah, okay, let me just like leave.
(35:18):
And then but I was like pretty calm in the beginning.
And then I left and like five like ten minutes,
and it just like hit me hard, and I was
like bawling, and I was like really really angry. It's you.
I was just just like really angry. And then you
can't tell anybody. You can't tell anybody because it's not
(35:39):
public yet, so nobody knows and I'm just like staring
at people and.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
I'm just like everything's okay.
Speaker 2 (35:45):
Yeah. And then like because like someone came up to
me and they were like looking at me and they're like,
oh yeah, so so him, I don't even say those words.
I don't talk to me. So I just was like,
you know, I didn't get it right. Stop anyways, I
was just really I was just devastating. I mean like
I had fellow players that wasn't part of the team
like call me and they were like, oh, I hope
you're okay. I don't know, so yeah, I'm fine, Like
(36:06):
you don't need to lie. We know you're not okay.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
Oh god, yeah that's true. Okay. This is my last
question in terms of Solheim, because I'm not going to
try and like stab you. Did you feel like it
was fair?
Speaker 2 (36:21):
Did I feel like it was fair? No, but I
don't think anything in life is fair. So I think
you've worked for it. The best way I could put
it is that hashtag played better.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
So you played well. Do you think that it was
at all not good enough? So? Do you think it's favoritism?
Speaker 2 (36:38):
I don't know what it is, because this is the
way I view it as a captain. They need to
make the most difficult decision there is. They need to
think about everything right. Sometimes a captain think about personality.
I haven't played on that many, so I can't really
tell you all the captain's experiences. What I've experienced is
some value personality, some value stats.
Speaker 1 (37:00):
This one really valiant stat. This captain, really valiant stat.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
But I thought my status was great. But it doesn't.
It doesn't matter. So it goes back to like what
she thinks is best for the team and how to
win that cutback. And so we did well though this
past one with this this last year was really good,
kind of dominated until the last day got ye really tight.
So it was good TV. This one before like an Inverness,
(37:24):
but I didn't get in. I couldn't watch it. I
got really sick. Actually, I thought I was gonna go
to the ear. The only reason why I didn't go
to the er was because my Asian side came out.
It was like the cost of the ambulance was too much,
the cost of getting an IVY was too much.
Speaker 1 (37:41):
The next pot we will dive into our traumas of
being Asian. Okay, all right, anyways, and so I.
Speaker 2 (37:48):
Was like either we dive, you know, not in debt,
or we overcome and we don't even ever think about
it again. So that's what I did. I just like
couldn't get out of my sofa. I think I like
I had a like fly I can't remember. I needed
to fly somewhere. I just couldn't fly anywhere.
Speaker 1 (38:03):
Okay, so wait, what are you ill?
Speaker 2 (38:05):
Because I was really sad you were? Are you serious? Yeah?
I was. I get really emotional. I know if you
can't can tell, but I get really do. I do
get really emotional sometimes really a big whiss. But anyways,
let's not talk too much about that. I get super
emotional at times, like whenever I see a puppy.
Speaker 1 (38:23):
I'm like, okay, I mean, I get it. I will
do the same.
Speaker 2 (38:26):
Base you should know by now, Okay, got it.
Speaker 1 (38:29):
Okay, So we're not gonna talk about any says if
but I do thank you for your vulnerability.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
I appreciate it. Yeah. Anyways, I get really sad. And
then I didn't watch it at all. And then this
one I did follow up a lot as much as
I can, so while I was practicing during the day,
I couldn't really keep up with it too much. But
whenever I go back at home, I try to like
watch a few clips. And then I really liked press conferences. Yeah,
so I've always just watched. I try to watch them
as much press conference as I can. It's really hard
(38:53):
to find press conferences online.
Speaker 1 (38:55):
Wait, okay, that's another thing that we're going to work on.
It's getting more press conferences and if not, we're going
to do the press con right now.
Speaker 2 (39:00):
Okay, got it? Yeah, I mean I just couldn't find anything.
I really wanted to know what the players were going
to say, the captains were gonna say, and what the
opposing side was going to say, and I just wanted
to see what's going on.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
Well next all time, I expect to see you there, Okay,
hands down, I will literally scream. I will fly there, which,
by the way, I think I owe you an apology
because I think I told you that I was going
to be there for you on your first LPGA win.
However I missed it and I could not fly to China.
I would have loved to be there, but I will
be there at your next one. Obviously, this pod is
all about, you know, getting to know people like you
who are on tour, providing better platforms, especially for the
(39:32):
girls that I feel like really deserve it, but also
welcoming new golfers into the game especially there's like a
lot of girls getting into it. What is your best
advice for girls just trying to get into the game,
like your honest advice.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
Swing it if you like it, keep going, have fun.
If not, have have a beer and maybe you'll like it.
Really a friend, Yeah, that very your friend to friend.
It's a friend activity.
Speaker 1 (39:55):
It is just like how you started. You learn by
with having two of you and then one will eventually
quit because you just are way better. Okay, we are
ending on a quick game. Okay, do you know the
game f kill Mary?
Speaker 2 (40:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (40:07):
Okay, but we're changing it because I don't. I'm not
gonna say that word. Instead, it's called travel, kick off
the Tour or Mary.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
Okay are you ready?
Speaker 1 (40:16):
Don't look at my laptop? Okay, okay, so you're the
first choice is are okay? So travel, kick off the
Tour or Mary? It's Charlie Hall roseang Lydia Co.
Speaker 2 (40:27):
H wait, Charlie Roseanne? Who Charlie Rose.
Speaker 1 (40:31):
And Lydia Co? Who would you travel with?
Speaker 2 (40:33):
What was the second option? Like?
Speaker 1 (40:35):
No, no, no, no, like travel, kick off the tour, Oh, Mary, I.
Speaker 2 (40:39):
Don't want to kick anyone off the tour. I actually
really like all three of them.
Speaker 1 (40:43):
Someone's gotta get kicked off the island angel.
Speaker 2 (40:45):
Man, you could have picked worst players.
Speaker 1 (40:48):
Anyways.
Speaker 2 (40:50):
Yeah, travel. I'll probably travel with Charlie because I think
she's such a blast. Okay, okay, this is going to
be bad.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
Kick off the tour and Mary, you have roseang or Lydia.
Speaker 2 (40:59):
I'm gonna say off the tour with Lydia because I
think she might retire soon. So she's not doing it.
I'm not doing it. She's doing well enough, Okay, No,
because she's like since it, like she posted this cryptic
Instagram message saying she's not going to be in the
next Olympic when she was going to be in LA.
So she's doing it herself.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
Okay, okay, so that's on that. Okay, So then and
then you'd marry Rose. Yeah, okay, all right, last one
and it's same thing, travel, kick off the tour, Mary,
and these are now LPGA legends.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
Oh my god, Laura Davies, Laura Davies.
Speaker 1 (41:32):
Julie Inkster, Christy Kerr. Who would you travel with?
Speaker 2 (41:36):
I'll travel with Christy. Okay, really, yes, I'll travel Christy.
Speaker 1 (41:40):
Okay, who would you kick off the tour?
Speaker 2 (41:42):
Laura Davies or Julie. I'll do Laura Davies just because
I don't know her that well. Okay, you know Julie.
Julie's like my other mom.
Speaker 1 (41:49):
She's best, you know, Julie. Yeah, I love it. Okay, Angel,
that wraps it up. Thank you for joining the party.
I really enjoyed getting to know you more. And where
can everyone find you besides on the LPGA? Just on
that you have our phone numbers, It's at Angel. Yeah,
I'm pretty sure for.
Speaker 2 (42:06):
Everyone else, but I'm not that active, so don't get offended.
Speaker 1 (42:17):
Gosh, I s an Angel just the best. I love
her so much. She's just so outspoken and fearless in
that way. And also she doesn't just give you answers
like the media train kind, you know what I mean.
So if you enjoy this interview just as much as
I did, please go give her a follow and wish
her all the luck this season. So before I let you,
guys go, I always want to leave you with a
little nugget or a little bit of knowledge, especially if
(42:38):
you're newer to the game, so I thought, why not
explain how to even make it on the LPGA Tour.
So buckle up. It is quite the process here we go,
all right. So I like to compare it to baseball
in the sense of there's the minor leagues, of middle
leagues and the major leagues. The minor leagues of women's
golf is called the mini tour circuit. There's quite a
few different tours here. It's minimal and it's great practice
(43:01):
for the other stages. I won a couple on the
Many Tour circuit, for example. I put in six hundred
and fifty dollars to enter and I won two thousand
dollars for first place. Yeah, I didn't last very long moneywise.
I thought I was a baller totally not. Then we
have the middle leagues. This is where the Epsent Tours,
which is a middle league tour based in the States.
There's a Ladies' European Tour, and there's a few on
(43:22):
the Asian Tour as well. And then we have the
major league, which is the LPGA as you know it,
the one you see on TV that we all want
to strive to get on. Now, how do you qualify
for the LPGA. Well, I'm going to share with you
the most common way that professionals attempt to get there.
It's called Q Series or it's also called Q School.
I like to call it Hell Week. There's three different stages.
(43:44):
The first stage is called pre qualifying. This usually takes
place in August in the California Desert. When I played
in pre qualifying guys, it was literally one hundred and twenty
degrees and each year I participated, I think two to
four girls passed out from heat stroke each time. First
stage is twenty five hundred do they take the top
ninety five out of three hundred plus girls from there.
(44:05):
If you make it, you move on to second stage,
which is called the Qualifying Tournament, typically in Florida about
a couple months later, and it's around three thousand dollars, okay,
And that's if you came from stage one. They take
only thirty five and ties to go to the third stage,
and typically that's around two hundred girls here. And there's
(44:26):
also some EPSOM and LPGA players in this second stage.
If they've lost status, they have the right to get
exempt into second or final. Moving on to the final stage,
it's called the Final qualifying. It typically takes place in December.
Last year was in Alabama, and basically you're now up
against every one. So any player on the LPGA who
(44:49):
didn't finish top one hundred, they have to go back
into the final stage. So that's also who you're up
against if you came from stage one. You also have
no fees if you came back from stage one, so
that's a good thing, but it's an expensive process. And
from here, from final stage, they take top twenty five
and ties out of around ninety or so players. So
(45:10):
you have now survived talk twenty five out of three
different stages, out of some amazing LPGA players, EPSINUR players,
you name it. You've basically went up against like five
hundred plus girls. That's how you make it on the LPGA.
So there is plenty more where that came from. That
is all I have for you for today. I can't
wait to share with you all who is on episode two,
(45:30):
so stay tuned till next time. Welcome to the Party
with Tasha Allen is an iheartwomen's sports production in partnership
with Deep Blue Sports Entertainment. I'm your host, Tisha Allen.
Julia Weaver is our lead producer and showrunner. Our executive
(45:51):
producers are Christina Everett and Jesse Katz. Special thanks to
Jess McCallister and the teams at GERSH and Catalyst nine.
Listen to Welcome to the Party with Tasha Allen on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Host
Tisha Alyn
Popular Podcasts
40s and Free Agents: NFL Draft Season
Daniel Jeremiah of Move the Sticks and Gregg Rosenthal of NFL Daily join forces to break down every team's needs this offseason.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.