March 26, 2025 • 39 mins
Former LPGA player Cheyenne Woods stops by the Par-Tee to talk about why she didn't want to play professional golf as a new mom, the meaningful letter her grandfather submitted to IMG decades before she turned pro, and how the pressure of being Tiger Woods' niece made her a stronger player. Plus, Cheyenne spills the tea on when we'll see her compete again!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
I feel like the very first time I played, I
definitely blacked out when I played.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
I'll come to her great because I thought I had
blacked out.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
That's a totally normal emotion, Okay, but no, I mean
everyone's so different.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
I always try to.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Focus on like an I saw that I could play
in my head, I talked right Caddy, and just.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Try to get through the first few holes and just survive.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
I am so pumped for today's guest for all the reasons.
She's an absolute boss on and off the golf course.
And I know you're gonna know this name. She's a
golf star and amazing mom and someone was just an
incredible story. She crushed it at Wake Forest, where she
was a two time All American and conference champion, and
not only that, she got inducted into their Hall of Fame.
No big deal, right, And then from there she took
(00:53):
her talents to the pro stage, from the led to
LPGA Tour, winning the twenty fourteen Vulvic RICB Ladies Master
and making history as only the six black women to
compete on the LPGA Tour. In twenty twenty two, she
stepped away from competitive golf to welcome her first child,
and just a year later she became a mom of two.
Now she's bringing her passion for the game in a
(01:14):
whole new way, hosting Tea to Dream on Golf Past,
where she's shining a light on golfers using their influence
to make a difference. Now, y'all, if this pod doesn't
pull on your heartstrings and make you become an even
bigger fan, I really don't know what more to tell you.
You just have to trust me and listen to the
very end. She's stunning, inspiring, and so much more. Without
(01:36):
further ado, please welcome Chyanne Woods to the party. Cheyenne,
Welcome to the party. We're so excited to have you
and I really appreciate you being here in the studio. Well,
we're gonna get started in a fun way. We like
to have a little four play in the beginning, so
we have a fun rapid fire questions of this or that?
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Okay?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Are you ready?
Speaker 3 (01:54):
I sure hope so? Okay?
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Golf or baseball golf for sure?
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Okay?
Speaker 2 (01:58):
North Carolina or Arizona?
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Oh, Arizona?
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Okay, love it? Which, by the way, North Carolina is
where she went to school. Yes, area's special place in
my heart, Yes, okay, r A CV Royal Pines Resorts
in Australia or Seven Canyons in Arizona.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Oh, Royal Pines, Yes, okay, that's where she won.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
That is where she won. We love it.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
What's harder? Ten years playing professionally or being a mom
of two under two?
Speaker 3 (02:24):
A mom of two under two?
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Different challenge?
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Oh? Yes, yeah, golfers you know three?
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Oh yeah, Okay, play Augusta National and pouring rain or
Saint Andrew's and forty mile per hour winds.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
I think the proper way to play Saint Andrews is
in the wind's.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
I would totally do that. Oh, we're playing Augusta in
the rain.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Would you rather your kids grow up to be a
professional golfer or MLB.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Star MM or softball or softball? Yeah, that's true with
our little baby girl. Oh that's really hard.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
I would say baseball. Really like the fact that and
when I go watch I don't have to walk. That
is a good point. And I can be indoors at
times and sit down.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
And baseball they don't play in the rain a lot
of time. True, So I'm gonna go with the baseball.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Okay, Baseball it is all right, last rapid fire question.
Caddy for Tiger at the Masters or have him caddy
for you at an LPGA event the Masters? Yeah, I
know hims down.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Although I would be so nervous caddie and not want
to screw up, but that is just something you can't.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
You can't miss.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Yeah, you can't miss that type of mop.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Yeah, that would be like the biggest crowd probably humanly possible,
to have you on the bag for him at the Masters.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
That would that would be fun.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
All right, So let's actually get started and get into
like your career and how you began golf. You actually
started golf at a very young age, like three years old.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Right, Yeah, I honestly I don't even remember how old
I was, but golf was always around, right.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Neither of my parents played golf. I have two older brothers.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
They never played, but my grandpa, Earl Woods, is the
one who got me into it. And at the time
I got started, Tiger was maybe just turning pro, was
early nineties. I was watching him. I was in a
stroller when he played as an amateur.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Out here. I'm totally blanking. That's okay, that's again. What's
the course they played the Genesis.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Side oh Riviera at Riviera, Yes, when he played as
an amateur, so I was there as a baby.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
So it was just always around in my life.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
And I started playing in my grandpa's garage with an
old cutdown club of Tigers. And I grew up in Arizona.
My grandpa and Tiger lived in California. We'd always come
out to visit summer vacations, and it just was something.
I think I was growing up at the right age
as a lot of us were now in our thirties
where Tiger was everywhere on TV. He changed the game,
(04:43):
and as a five six seven year old watching him,
it was just the coolest thing ever, and I just
wanted to be like him, and so that's how I
got into golf. It just spurred this excitement about golf
in me that that's how I saw my life being
of playing on tour.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
That's so wild. So what age were you when you
were like, yeah, I want to do this, like I
want to be a pro.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Ever since I can remember, really yeah, honestly, and again,
I think it's just seeing it and having that connection
to Tiger. I was like, it just was the coolest thing,
and I think also growing up a girl in the
sport and I had two older brothers, I always had
the mindset of what they can do, I can do
and trying to keep up with them. And I loved
surprising people as a young girl and saying I play.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Golf and yeah, I'm good at it.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
So I just always saw golf in my life in
that way that that was the career I wanted, that
was the path I wanted to take. Luckily, my grandfather
also just instilled a lot of belief in myself.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
I love from at.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
A young age. I mean I was probably nine or
ten years old. I remember sitting in his kitchen and
he's making me breakfast and he told me like that
he could see me being on tour, that he believed
in me. And one of my favorite stories about my
grandpa is he used to work for IMG and he
was a scout to scout like junior golfers and potential,
you know, up and coming players. And when I was
(06:03):
sitting in his kitchen on that day, he told me
that when I was like four or five years old,
he wrote an official report about me and he submitted
it officially into IMG.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
And I was like, wow, what did you write and he.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Goes, I'm not going to tell you what I wrote,
but one day when you turn pro, IMG will come
and recruit you and they'll bring the letter and you
can read it then. So when I graduated from Wake Forest,
my grandfather had passed while I was in high school,
so this was a couple of years after and I graduated,
I wanted to turn pro. IMG came and they brought
the letter and I got to read it for the
(06:37):
first time. I and it was literally nineteen ninety three,
I think, so I was three or four years old.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Wow, And he wrote what he saw in me.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
He wrote that he could see me play on tour,
the skills that he could see in me. And those
are the types of things that I tell people make
a difference when you have someone in your corner that
believes in you and then you start to believe it too.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
That is what always propelled me in my career and
my life with golf.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Like my grandpa could see it when I was three
or four years old, like I want to do it
for him. I want to do it because I believe
it too. And so that was a huge part of
my golf life of just having him as like that
foundation in that rock of like believing in me and
what I can do in the game of golf.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
So what was your reaction in opening that letter, Like,
did you even remember it in that moment that he
had given you that? Yeah, it was always in the
back of my mind. I always remember that letter. I
always thought what did he write?
Speaker 3 (07:34):
What did he think? And so when they did bring it,
it was like a full circle moment. It felt unreal,
honestly to.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
See literally tear up right now thinking about it.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
I can't even imagine.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
And it's in his handwriting, you know, it's like this
beautiful curse of and just to read his words, especially
after he had passed, and he was the one who
got me started. He was the one who taught me
what I knew about golf. So he was the biggest
figure in my life when it came to golf and
what I wanted to do in this sport. So when
I was able to sit there and see it, it
was just like, this is what I've been waiting for
(08:06):
and it just meant so much. So I have it
framed in our house and it's just one of those
really special moments that I will never forget.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
That's so beautiful. You're gonna have to send me a
picture framed at your house. Okay, so you talked a
little bit about Wake Forest. You just got inducted into
the Hall of Fame. Congratulation, Thank you. What does that
honor mean to you?
Speaker 1 (08:26):
It means a lot, and it feels surreal because Wake
Forest has such a deep, deep history in every sport.
I mean it's a small school, but they have such
depth and the athletes that they've produced while they be basketball, golf, soccer.
So now to be among the names of the Hall
of Fame inductees is just an honor. Growing up on
the West Coast, I didn't know a lot about Wake
(08:47):
Forest other than like Tim Duncan and Chris Paul and
of course mister Palmer.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
To now be etched in history is really special.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
And during my speech at the induction, I spoke about
how I wasn't always the best golfer and I really
had to work my way up, and so to be
able to work my way through Wake improve my game,
work my way through the team and up in the
rankings really meant a lot to me.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
To be able to accomplish that.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
What made you commit to that school.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Honestly, growing up in Arizona, I just was sick and
tired of being there, like it it is boring. So
I was like, I want to just try somewhere new.
In North Carolina was very new.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
It was a culture shock, but I always tell people
it was the best thing that ever happened to me,
especially golf wise.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
I was forced to.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Learn how to live on my own away from my family,
play in weather that is not just perfect at all times,
and play different golf courses too, which was such a test.
So I always say it was the best thing for
my career and just for me, kind of like growing
up and learning again on that path of trying to
become professional.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Clearly, you know, you have a really big name in
your family what's the last name? And a lot of
attention was on you throughout your career, college golf, professional golf.
What was that like for you building a name for yourself?
Speaker 3 (10:22):
It was difficult, you know.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Growing up I loved watching Tiger play, and he was
the biggest inspiration for me to become professional golfer or
even a play golf in general.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
So I somewhat I'm a fan and I love watching
him play.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
But then coming up and being a Woods and having
the extra attention or the expectations whatever that might be
was difficult. I mean, even to this day, I am
still referred to as his niece, which is totally fine because.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
I get it.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
But when you are young and trying to not only
prove yourself to the world, but prove yourself to yourself, yes,
it can be difficult when you're constantly reminded of the
other person rather than yourself and what you've accomplished. So
I really had to learn how to have that self love,
that self worth of I worked to get here. I
(11:10):
deserve to be here despite what my name is, and
I think it made me a stronger person and a
stronger player of just believing and who I am. But
it definitely was difficult, and I had to just embrace
it because it's not something that was ever going.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
To leave right absolutely, like I was thinking about actually
on the drive here, and I just feel very empathetic
to what that feeling and pressure could be like to
have someone in your life that's essentially setting the bar
right and the pressures that you could face. And I
feel like you've done it with so much grace, and
I think from the outside looking in, I don't think
(11:43):
you could really tell that it may have been difficult
or that you know, it was a lot of pressure.
So I think you did a phenomenal job, like making
a name for yourself. You know, thank you.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
I appreciate that. I mean, I try to do what
I could.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
I mean, I love golf for my own reasons, and
I never wanted to be the next Tiger Woods, sure,
but you know, I just grew up wanting to see
how far I can take it, and I love that challenge.
And to at least have the representation of Woods on
the women's side means a lot to me. And to
be a woman of color in golf and kind of
(12:14):
have that representation again is just really powerful. So I
try to do what I could to give back to
the game, and you know, the Woods name definitely helps
elevate whatever I do, which I think is definitely a privilege.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Absolutely, has Tiger given you any advice about your career
and of sell you mind sharing, I.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Would say the biggest thing is he always has just
said to have fun. And I think the biggest advice
I've ever had from him is just me watching what
he does fair and whether it be on TV or
the few times I've been able to kind of watch
him practice in person. I've always said he's the hardest
working person I've ever seen in my life. Yeah, in
every aspect, and he's so intelligent, he's so hard working,
(12:54):
he's just so intense that that is definitely what I've
learned most from him is just by observing where he
came from and how far he's taken it, what he's
gone through.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
It's just really really inspirational. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Yeah, So you went on to play professionally, like basically
a decade right playing pro h LT, which is a
ladiess European Tour LPGA. What is your favorite memory of
playing on tour?
Speaker 3 (13:18):
My favorite memories are definitely playing on European Tour.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Really Okay, why is that?
Speaker 3 (13:22):
It just was such a new experience for me.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Yeah, and it wasn't anything I had expected myself to do,
and I think that's what makes it really special too.
You know, I graduated from WIG and you know, in
our minds we always think, Okay, I'm gonna go boom
boom boom, this is how I get on tour. Sure,
So I went to Q school, didn't make it through
I didn't even get EPSTON Tour status. I didn't make
the cut at first stage. Yeah, so I was confused,
(13:45):
like where do I go from here? And so my
agent suggested, you know, European Tour is an option, and
the thought of going to Morocco and for the qualifiers
and potentially playing in Europe. And you know, I was
twenty one, fresh out of college. I had never really
traveled like that before. All of this was so new
to me, so you know, it was a huge leap.
(14:06):
It felt like to go over there and just kind
of get this experience of the unknown. But it was
so fun. The girls there were amazing. Every country you
go to you learn so much about the culture. Every
course is so different. It was the best thing for
my professional career. I then played. I always had status,
but I played their full time for like I don't know,
(14:27):
two or three years, and then I came back and
I was able to earn LPGA Tour status.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
But it was just the best learning experience.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
So, talking about professional golf, what's something that you wish
that maybe like the audience or outside voices understood more about,
especially women's professional golf.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
There's a lot and I think the biggest thing that
I've always tried to advocate for women's golf is obviously
how talented we are, and you.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
Hear it all the time, but you really don't.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
I feel like you don't understand it till you see it,
whether it be the talent or how personal the players are,
or how close you can get to actually enjoying the
golf while you're out watching an LPGA event. It's such
a different experience than going to maybe a PGA Tour
event or a men's event. So I always try to
tell people how friendly the women's game is and how
(15:19):
welcoming it is. I always tried to make it a
point when I was playing to interact with fans or
meet with the juniors and interact with them, because I
do remember being the girl out there behind the ropes
and trying to get an autograph or getting that golf ball,
and it's the best feeling in the world. But I
feel like in the women's game, you definitely get that
experience a lot more.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
And then obviously the.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Talent is just amazing, and you see these girls make
it look so easy. My husband's played in a couple
LPGA pro ams and he still can't believe how good
the girls are. I mean, he hits it like three
point fifty, He hits it far, and these girls are
kicking his butt and he can't believe how easy they're
making it look. And I just think it's a testament
to how deep the talent is, right, how just amazing
(16:03):
they are.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
I mean, I'm a huge advocate for the women's game,
and I may be butchering this stat but I believe that,
Like they said that on the LPGA Tour, say, like
a woman's six iron and green and regulation average is
comparable to like the man's nine iron, and it's something
of that nature. And it's like the distances are actually
(16:25):
so far in correlation for women compared to men, Like
they have a lot more shorter irons and compared to women.
And I'm like, you guys don't realize how hard it
is to get a hybrid next to the pin, a
five iron next to the pin. Those are like the
clubs that I hate when you're hitting nine irons and
wedges all day. Yeah, I'm like, yeah, you can stick
a wedge, spin it back all day, but like, yeah,
ask me to hit a three wood next to the
pin on like an unreasonably long Part four. Like you
(16:48):
guys don't understand how hard that is. If you ask
the men to do it, you'll be seeing a lot
more short game and a lot more wild shot.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
And I've always told people too, I mean, when you
see the men's game, it definitely does play shorter. Yeah,
almost every round they have a reachable part five or
a reachable part four. And on the women's side, I've
always said so rare. Maybe if you are one of
the longer hitters, yes you have maybe a reachable part five,
but it was so rare when you were playing, when
I was playing on tour right to truly have those
(17:13):
whole where you can be aggressive and go for it
or to take advantage of hitting on into or whatever
the case may be.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
Yeah, well we'll work on that. We can talk about
that all day.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
So I wanted to ask.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Your opinion on the LPGA as an organization. I feel
like a lot has grown. What do you feel like
they're doing right and what do you feel like maybe
like maybe we can bring a little more attention to this.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
There's been so many changes in the LPGA, and it's
been exciting for me the last couple of years. I've
been on the board for LPGA Foundation, which is behind
the scenes of their charities and girls programs, but it's
definitely give me an inside look of what the LPGA
is doing and how awesome you know they're being able
to provide all these programs for girls and amateurs. So
(17:56):
I absolutely love that. I grew up in the LPGA
Girl's Golf program.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
I started when I was like five or six years old.
I was the very first original.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
Sandy Lebow started it in Scottsdale, Arizona, and my coach
was her husband, So I got started in that program
and to be able to see it grow into what
it is today. I think the LPGA has done so
much in giving back to the game and also the communities.
Their reach is not just within the US, but also
so global, and I think that's been so cool to see.
(18:25):
And you're seeing a lot of girls Golf alumni now
on tour, which I think goes to show how they
are able to give back to the game and also
support them throughout their careers.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
So I think the LPGA is doing such a good
job of that.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Obviously, playing on tour has gotten so much better in
terms of money, yeah, yeah, and supports growing. We love
golf courses that we play are just amazing. So I
think that's been really great in terms of what they
can do better.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Jeez, that's a tough question.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Yeah, I mean every organization can use some improvement, right
Like look at the PGA tour. What's happening, you know? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (19:00):
And I love if the LPG is elevating their players more.
I think that's all They issue more stories. There's so
many great personalities. I know they've invested in trying to
elevate their players individually in showcasing those stories, and I
think that's been really great, just to bring more eyes
on individual players like you see Charlie.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Hole out there, you see Lydia, you see.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
All these personalities that are just so unique and so
special that a lot of the men are able to
showcase a bit more, like even with the Netflix show
like hellay our household names, and it makes a big
difference when it comes to them trying to sell the
tour or sell sponsorships to have that connection with fans
and players.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
So I think if they can continue to do that more,
it would definitely help. I love that.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
I completely agree. So as we know right now, there
is at this moment. Maybe when the pod comes out
will know there is no commissioner at this moment. If
you were the commissioner, what is something that you would instill,
no rules, no restrictions on money attached. What is some
thing that you would instill right now to help continue
to support the girls.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
Honestly, I'm thinking any way to help make the travel
easier for the girls, whether that's such a good point,
something they're able to provide wellness wise, or even hotel sponsorship.
That's really hard for players, whether you're at the top
or you're just trying to keep your car like it
gets expensive. And I always say the lifestyle of playing
on tour is one of the most difficult things of
(20:23):
traveling day in and day out, all around to all
ye cross timelines and timelines, yeah, time zone, cross time
zones and just globally. So if there was something that
the tour could do in order to support them a
little bit better travel wise, I think that would be
really good.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
Yeah, I agree with that. When you make it onto
the PGA Tour, new players are essentially loaned nearly half
a million dollars to go and support themselves, and the
girls are given zero and I just can't. I mean,
but there's so many events now where like Miszoo Ho
and like even the Asia Swing where like everything has
covered and like the girls are like royalty, So we
(20:59):
just need to get all the events to be.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
Like yeah, right, And even the stipends that they've been
able to provide a few miss they've been able to
provide stipends because I mean when people think of professional
golf and they see the PGA Tour, they see the
private jets and all these glamorous life things different, it's
assumed that the women you know, have that as well,
and it's just not the case. And so it's definitely
a reality check. I think even as a player to
(21:21):
come in and you're like, wait, you I have to
pay for this whole list of.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Things, and how do I get a sponsor?
Speaker 1 (21:26):
You know, sponsorships are hard to come by as well,
so definitely a little bit more difficult on the women's side.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
So can you break that down. Let's say take us
back to when you were playing one week, what are
expenses like, what are you covering for yourself and your team?
Speaker 1 (21:42):
I mean, you you basically cover everything so flight you
don't have to pay for your caddy swipe, but you
have to pay for your caddies weekly fee in addition
to whatever percentage if you make the cut.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
When I was.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
Playing, I think caddy was anywhere between twelve hundred and
fifteen hundred or one week for one week. Okay, So
unless you do a host family, which a lot of
players do, so you can kind of cut that expense, food,
rental car. They do sometimes have like courtesy cars that
you could use, but it's not as flexible, I guess.
So it definitely maybe about five grand I usually budgeted
(22:17):
for per week.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
That's entry feet do we say entry feet?
Speaker 2 (22:20):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (22:20):
And entry fee?
Speaker 2 (22:21):
Yeah, we have to pay for the tournaments. Two guys
don't forget, So it definitely adds up.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
And you're thinking, you're playing twenty five thirty events, right,
it gets expensive.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
Right, right?
Speaker 2 (22:32):
So we had to make more than just the cut
to survive, right, Yes?
Speaker 4 (22:35):
Crazy?
Speaker 3 (22:51):
Okay?
Speaker 2 (22:51):
So I wanted to transition into motherhood to beautiful children.
And so what was that transition like from you taking
kind of like a step aside from professional golf and
becoming a mother.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
It was very different. I played golf my whole life,
and I always wanted to be a mom. I always
knew I wanted to be a mom, and we had
our son in twenty twenty two. I competed up until
I think I was like five months pregnant, but nobody
knew I was pregnant at the time, and then I
haven't competed since we had our son.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
And I always knew I didn't want to play professional
golf and be a mom. I didn't want to travel
and have my kids on the road.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
And at the time when we had our son, my
husband was still playing baseball, Okay, so we were trying
to be with him as much as we could and
travel as well, So it was hard to think about
doing golf and that at the same time with having
a family. But definitely taking a step aside from professional
golf was refreshing.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
Okay, I like it.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
I think I was ready, yeah, And it just was
nice to see a different side of life, right.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
I think as a professional golfer you get so just self.
You're always just.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Focused on self, right, And it was nice to have
something to take my focus off of just me, me,
me and think about this beautiful baby and my husband
and our family.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
So it was definitely a breath of fresh air.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
Now, speaking of your daughter, how is your baby girl
doing good?
Speaker 3 (24:10):
She's good? My mind sharing so well.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
So Maya has had like not the toughest journey, but
it's been difficult and it has not been anything that
we ever expected and nothing that I ever heard people
talking about.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
I didn't either until I saw your poems.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
And so if people, you know, want more information.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Our daughter was born like full term, totally fine, but
she had a lot of feeding difficulties. She had really
bad acid reflux where she was throwing up NonStop, and
she wouldn't take a bottle, pacifier or nothing, and she
wouldn't have long enough feats, and so she wasn't gaining weight.
So she was submitted admitted to the hospital's failure to thrive,
(24:50):
which was the absolute worst feeling ever as a mom,
because you feel like you failed as well. And I
still didn't know what was happening. She's throwing up, not
gaining weight, and I literally can't do anything. So We've
did all the tests possible, all of the things, and
she ended up being a tube fed baby. She still
is tube fed through a gtube, but she's not throwing up.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
Anymore, which is great good and she also had like
a breathing condition she had to have a surgery on,
which was at the end of the day not allowing
her to feed, which we didn't know. But she's doing better,
which is great.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
It's honestly such a long story, so I don't know
how to cut it down. But it's just been such
a journey of just appreciation and gratitude for all of
the little things, because you hear about women having babies
and babies growing up all the time, but there are
so many things that can go wrong, or so many
health conditions that could happen, and I'm just so grateful
(25:46):
that although she's still gtube fed, she is healthy and
she is happy and thriving, and it's just the best
feeling in the world because you appreciate all of the
little moments and all the little things right after going
through diffil gold times.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Well, I'm so happy that she is growing stronger every
single day. I'm sure like any stressful moment you had
in your professional golf career is like f that, like
this is my everything, Like your child now is your life?
Speaker 3 (26:14):
Right?
Speaker 1 (26:15):
Yeah, and again it just gives you perspective. I mean,
when we were going through that with mya. It was
probably like eight months of it where wow, literally every
day we couldn't leave the house because she would throw
up fifteen to twenty times a day.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
I couldn't take her anywhere.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
And it just gives you perspective of just what is important.
And I think again just having kids in general, of
being able to step back and look at the big
picture of what is important in life. And I do
love golf and I love to compete, right, but in
this stage of my life, it's just so nice to
be able to have these moments with my kids and
to raise them and to be there for all the
little moments and for when they need me.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
So you mentioned how you love competing. Is there any
shot that we will see Seyanne Woods compete again? Qualifier anything?
Speaker 3 (26:59):
Yeah? I think so. Yeah, I think so.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
I mean, honestly, I missed the competition and it's so
hard to replicate.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
I love competing.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
I've always been a competitive person in everything that I do,
and I want to be able to have my kids
see me play one day.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
So I would say maybe in the next couple of
years i'd play.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
I would love to qualify for the US Open again
and play in that and have you know our kids
following us along?
Speaker 3 (27:21):
Maybe my husband can, Caddie, I'll put them to work.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
I love that. Okay, speaking of husband, So Chyanne's husband
is Aaron Hicks and he is a professional baseball player.
And I actually played golf with him, oh pre pandemic
and the media day, yes, every era, and I was
actually so surprised at how good at golf he was,
especially for a baseball player, because typically baseball proder just
like slice the shit out of it, and he was
like striping it. And I wanted to hear how you
(27:47):
two met. I know it was kind of something similar
to what we're doing now, but I'm gonna let you
tell the story.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
Yeah, so Erin and I have been married for three
years now, and we met during the pandemic or just
before the endemic. I used to have a podcast with
Doug Smith called Bertie's not Bs, and we were record
in Phoenix, Arizona, and Aaron and Doug were friends, and
so Doug invited him on the podcast and we did
just a little episode like just getting to know Aaron
(28:13):
and his relationship with golf, and so it was awesome
just to get to know him a little bit and
that was my first time meeting him. During the pandemic,
both of our seasons got shut down, so I was,
I think in Florida. I was at the Players actually
at the time, and so during the pandemic when we
were both home, we just started playing golf together and
that's kind of how it just sparked this friendship.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
And then we got to know each other more. It
was like, he's kind of cool. Yeah, I like him,
and so that's kind of where it all started.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
I love that. So it wasn't like instance sparks in
the podcast room. It was more just like a slow
burn hang out, play a lot of golf together, and
then you're like, okay.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
Yeah, and it's funny. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
And it's funny because I always said I would never
date a golfer, and technically he's not a golfer, right,
but he plays a lot of golf, right, And I
actually love it because we can appreciate the same love
of golf and we can enjoy it with our families
now too. And I think that the pandemic really gave
us a lot of quality time that we never would
have had otherwise, especially him being a baseball player.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
I was playing golf full time.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
Our worlds were literally like that, just like colliding and
just would never have crosspaths.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
So I'm grateful for, you know, the time that we
were able to have.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
And then, like you said, slow burn of just yeah,
you know, we fell in love and basically through the
game of golf.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
Right, So in this case, it was actually a turn
on that he was that he plays golf. Usually, I
feel like for golfers, it's like no turn off. Please
don't please, don't love golf too much, don't want to
be on the course. So have you taught him much
and like kind of helped him out with this game.
I'm trying to work on a short game, okay. Yeah,
he's definitely a.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Power player, and he loves his sixty degree wedge, yeah,
which a lot of people do. And I'm trying to
just teach him about bump and run, yeah, and different
shots that he can hit in different clubs that he
has other than his love wedge.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
So definitely trying to balance out his game a little bit.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
Okay, I love that now your little boy he plays
both baseball and golf. Yeah, if you could choose which
We're not going to force our kids. You know into anything,
but if you could control it, you so you would
want him to play baseball.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
I think baseball, Aaron says, golf, So we kind of
see what happens there.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
But Cameron will be three next month.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
So he is just full toddler boy, loving absolutely every
sport possible, but definitely attached to a club and a
bat at all times.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
It's so cute.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
And the thing that frustrates me most is that now
that I'm post LPGA Tour career right he mainly sees
his dad playing golf and he thinks Dad is the
golfer and I think related is dad. So that's why
I'm thinking I need to get back out and show
him who.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
The real golfer is in the house.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Do you play much anymore?
Speaker 3 (30:48):
Not as much as I want to.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
Okay, No, I'm finally starting to get back out and
hit balls and like playing a couple of things here
and there.
Speaker 3 (30:54):
But I'm trying to get back out more. So.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
One thing that I do love about, like everything that
I've seen you shares that you're huge about making golf
more accessible and so how do you feel like golf
is heading right now? Do you feel like we're heading
in the right direction, making more Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Yeah, it's been so exciting to see how far golf
has come, honestly, just since the pandemic.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
In the latch five years.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
Sure, I remember when I was playing, that was always
something I advocated, was access to golf, getting everybody out there,
showing them that golf is for them. You don't have
to be a country club button up player. Sure, places
like Top Golf have really opened up the world to
what golf can be and that it can be fun,
it can be for everybody. So I love where golf
is headed. And even just the influencer world of making
(31:38):
golf relatable and YouTube golf, I think is so great
for the game.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
What is it the good good guys?
Speaker 1 (31:45):
Yeah, when I saw them come out to Scottsdale and
all the people that came out to the event, and
they're not going first fans, you know, these are just
like your everyday people, and I think that's great for
the game of golf. So it's exciting, and I am
honestly mind blown with how far it's come in like
five years.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
But I think it's great for the game. Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
What do you think golf maybe needs more of to
continue that trajectory.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
I think just continued support of that everyday person who
wants to get into golf. For sure, you know, it's
nice to have the facilities like top Golf or like
the YouTube people that you can watch. But I think
still maybe with instruction wise, of making golf more accessible
or a little bit more affordable is a big thing,
because it's one thing to go out and like, okay,
(32:27):
get a club and hit some balls. But it takes
a little bit of teaching to really understand and know
how to swing the club. So maybe just a little
bit more support in programs to kind of get this
new fan base able to learn how to play golf.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
We just need a teaching course from Cheyenne Woods, you know,
or you know we do have, or we could do
it together. Yeah, one or the other.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
Go.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
So switching gears a little bit because this was really
big news to the golf world a few weeks ago.
We understand that you lost your grandmother could till the
woods and I just wanted to do a check in
and how's the family, how are you?
Speaker 1 (33:03):
Yeah, it was really sad to see that, honestly a
sudden yeah, and we had just seen her, you know,
at TGL and just beaming with pride, which I think,
honestly looking back, is the best thing to be able
to have her at those moments for Tiger to support.
You know, I didn't get to spend as much time
with Tita as I did with my grandfather, but she
(33:23):
was just so special and she this probably sounds silly,
but she's why.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
I love Tihood, Oh my god. But of course obsessed
with Tai food because I remember growing up, you know,
she would cook ty food. Yea, she would show us
how to cook Tay food.
Speaker 1 (33:36):
So it definitely is so sad, but I'm so grateful
that she was able to have those special moments with
Tiger and Charlie and watch them at TGL, and she
definitely won't be missed.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
You know, I actually met her when I was I
think like twelve years old. It was for a TGR
Foundation event and I somehow got into it through like
SEPGA or one of those millions of golf organizations, and
funny enough, I didn't really I was sitting next to
your grandmother and I was just waiting for my mom
at the restroom, and we were in the facility and
she was like eating like it looked like country club snacks.
(34:09):
And she looks at me and she just goes and
she like gestures like do I want it? You know,
I'm like okay, and I grabbed a pretzel. Do you
play golf?
Speaker 3 (34:16):
I said yes?
Speaker 2 (34:17):
And she said are you here for the clinic? I
said yes, and she goes practice hard.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
Oh I will yeah, And I thought it was like yes, And.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
Then my dad was like, do you know who that was?
I was like, oh my gosh, I mean yeah, but no,
I love that story and we love that you loved
tie food of course. Yes, okay, switching gears back to
like a little more of a lighter note. I saw
that you recently launched a show on Golf Pass, correct,
Tita Dreams. Can you tell everybody about it?
Speaker 1 (34:45):
It's really exciting, honestly, So, Tita dream is on Golf
Pass Dreaming right now.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
We have two episodes out.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
You love it, and the basis of the show is
showcasing professional golfers who are associated with foundations and the
work that they do to give back to their two
into the community. We all know golf is so philanthropic,
but we don't always get to see behind the scenes
of how these professional golfers are using their platforms to
give back. When I was playing, it was always a
(35:11):
big part of my traveling and my career of trying
to give back to the communities or connect with the
local girls. So to be able to see what these
golfers are, you know, obviously not only just playing at
the highest level possible, but then giving so much back
to their communities and giving back to their foundations. So
we've focused on Ryan Palmer and not a big a
so far this year, and it's just been really special
(35:33):
to be a part of and see how golf cannot
only change obviously the golfers' lives and they're playing and
doing these glamorous things, but changing the lives of kids
and people within their communities.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
So it's on golf Fast now if people want to
check it out.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
I think the episode is free to stream right now
if you want to see. And we're going to film
a bit more this season as well.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
Okay, we will be on the lookout for sure. We'll
just drop the link you guys, don't worry. And so
what's next for Cheyenne Woods in general? I know that
I feel like you do a lot more media now
and traveling to tournaments and whatnot. You have the next stop?
Speaker 1 (36:06):
Yeah, definitely more filming with Golf Bass and focusing on
that show and then maybe a couple of other fun
things in the golf world. Talking a little bit about
podcast as well.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
So I love it.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
It could be potentially coming up soon.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
Would you be bringing it back or would you just
be like starting a.
Speaker 1 (36:21):
Brand starting you Yeah, not BS was so fun to
do with that and we learned so much, but that
is rip. Yeah, but yeah, Doug and I are so
really close, actually, that's what he was telling me.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
If you guys don't know who Doug is, he is
now like a commentator on Golf Channel. I was actually
just with him a few days ago and he was
commentating me playing, which was kind of weird and kind
of wild, and he was always telling me, He's like,
you should get shy on the pod. I'm like, bro,
help me out, due, And so I love that you
guys are close.
Speaker 1 (36:49):
Yeah, And it's funny because he lives like twenty minutes
from us and his son is about the same age
as ours, so perfect.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
My sons are best friends. And I think the next
couple of years are going to be like golf, Rive
slash best Friends. So stay tuned.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
We love a good story. We love it all right.
So we are winding down now, but we have to
end with a fun little game.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
All right.
Speaker 2 (37:11):
Do you know the game f kill Mary?
Speaker 4 (37:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (37:13):
Okay, it's that's a little dramatic, but.
Speaker 4 (37:16):
Words.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
Yeah, it's called travel cut like miss the Cut Mary. Okay, okay,
those are your three options. These are amongst your LPGA peers. Yes, yes, okay,
are you ready?
Speaker 3 (37:29):
I think so?
Speaker 2 (37:30):
Okay, all right, Lexi Thompson, Danielle Kang, Brooke Henderson.
Speaker 3 (37:36):
My gosh, wait, this is the kind of game that
it is.
Speaker 2 (37:41):
No hard feelings.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
Okay, So I'm gonna say Travel Danielle Kang. Okay, she
is so fun and I always loved playing with her.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
You have Handbrooke.
Speaker 1 (37:51):
I'm gonna cut Lexi because she is technically partially retired,
that is true, so she kind of cut herself, right, yeah,
at a good point, and then I would marry Brook.
I love playing with Brooke and her sister.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (38:08):
And her game is just amazing.
Speaker 2 (38:10):
It is amazing. Yeah, and I feel like her driver
just looks so long for her, but she crushes it
every time.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
She makes it look so easy.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
Okay, last one, Michelle Wee West, Brittany Lindscombe, Stacy Lewis.
Speaker 3 (38:21):
I think I would travel again with Michelle.
Speaker 1 (38:23):
Yeah, I know she sure I has all the good
food recommendations, She's got the babies that we could do
little play dates again. Stacy, I think I would marry Stacey. Wow,
she's I mean a legend. Yeah, she's an icon in
the game. And then Brittany. This is really brutal. I
would I guess I'd have to cut Brittany.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
No hard feelings, guys, It's just the game. There is
no one like send some messages. Yeah, no offense. I
love it. That is the end of the game. And
final question, where can listeners follow you and see everything
that's going on.
Speaker 1 (38:56):
I'm on Instagram at Cheyenne Underscore Woods and Twitter well
but not so much active on there, but Instagram for sure.
Stay updated again on the golf Past show for sure.
Just all of our family fun that we do.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
Welcome to the Party with Tasha Allen is an Iheartwoman's
sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports Entertainment. I'm
your host, Tisha Allen. Christina Everett is our executive producer
and Jennifer Bassett is our producer. Sound mixing and mastering
by Mary Doo. Special thanks to Jesse Katz at iHeart
and to Jess McCallister and the teams at GERSH and
Catalyst nine. Listen to Welcome to the Party with Tisha
(39:34):
Allen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcasts.
I feel like the very first time I played, I
definitely blacked out when I played.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
I'll come to her great because I thought I had
blacked out.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
That's a totally normal emotion, Okay, but no, I mean
everyone's so different.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
I always try to.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Focus on like an I saw that I could play
in my head, I talked right Caddy, and just.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Try to get through the first few holes and just survive.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
I am so pumped for today's guest for all the reasons.
She's an absolute boss on and off the golf course.
And I know you're gonna know this name. She's a
golf star and amazing mom and someone was just an
incredible story. She crushed it at Wake Forest, where she
was a two time All American and conference champion, and
not only that, she got inducted into their Hall of Fame.
No big deal, right, And then from there she took
(00:53):
her talents to the pro stage, from the led to
LPGA Tour, winning the twenty fourteen Vulvic RICB Ladies Master
and making history as only the six black women to
compete on the LPGA Tour. In twenty twenty two, she
stepped away from competitive golf to welcome her first child,
and just a year later she became a mom of two.
Now she's bringing her passion for the game in a
(01:14):
whole new way, hosting Tea to Dream on Golf Past,
where she's shining a light on golfers using their influence
to make a difference. Now, y'all, if this pod doesn't
pull on your heartstrings and make you become an even
bigger fan, I really don't know what more to tell you.
You just have to trust me and listen to the
very end. She's stunning, inspiring, and so much more. Without
(01:36):
further ado, please welcome Chyanne Woods to the party. Cheyenne,
Welcome to the party. We're so excited to have you
and I really appreciate you being here in the studio. Well,
we're gonna get started in a fun way. We like
to have a little four play in the beginning, so
we have a fun rapid fire questions of this or that?
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Okay?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Are you ready?
Speaker 3 (01:54):
I sure hope so? Okay?
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Golf or baseball golf for sure?
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Okay?
Speaker 2 (01:58):
North Carolina or Arizona?
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Oh, Arizona?
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Okay, love it? Which, by the way, North Carolina is
where she went to school. Yes, area's special place in
my heart, Yes, okay, r A CV Royal Pines Resorts
in Australia or Seven Canyons in Arizona.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Oh, Royal Pines, Yes, okay, that's where she won.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
That is where she won. We love it.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
What's harder? Ten years playing professionally or being a mom
of two under two?
Speaker 3 (02:24):
A mom of two under two?
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Different challenge?
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Oh? Yes, yeah, golfers you know three?
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Oh yeah, Okay, play Augusta National and pouring rain or
Saint Andrew's and forty mile per hour winds.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
I think the proper way to play Saint Andrews is
in the wind's.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
I would totally do that. Oh, we're playing Augusta in
the rain.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Would you rather your kids grow up to be a
professional golfer or MLB.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Star MM or softball or softball? Yeah, that's true with
our little baby girl. Oh that's really hard.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
I would say baseball. Really like the fact that and
when I go watch I don't have to walk. That
is a good point. And I can be indoors at
times and sit down.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
And baseball they don't play in the rain a lot
of time. True, So I'm gonna go with the baseball.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Okay, Baseball it is all right, last rapid fire question.
Caddy for Tiger at the Masters or have him caddy
for you at an LPGA event the Masters? Yeah, I
know hims down.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Although I would be so nervous caddie and not want
to screw up, but that is just something you can't.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
You can't miss.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Yeah, you can't miss that type of mop.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Yeah, that would be like the biggest crowd probably humanly possible,
to have you on the bag for him at the Masters.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
That would that would be fun.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
All right, So let's actually get started and get into
like your career and how you began golf. You actually
started golf at a very young age, like three years old.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Right, Yeah, I honestly I don't even remember how old
I was, but golf was always around, right.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Neither of my parents played golf. I have two older brothers.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
They never played, but my grandpa, Earl Woods, is the
one who got me into it. And at the time
I got started, Tiger was maybe just turning pro, was
early nineties. I was watching him. I was in a
stroller when he played as an amateur.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Out here. I'm totally blanking. That's okay, that's again. What's
the course they played the Genesis.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Side oh Riviera at Riviera, Yes, when he played as
an amateur, so I was there as a baby.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
So it was just always around in my life.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
And I started playing in my grandpa's garage with an
old cutdown club of Tigers. And I grew up in Arizona.
My grandpa and Tiger lived in California. We'd always come
out to visit summer vacations, and it just was something.
I think I was growing up at the right age
as a lot of us were now in our thirties
where Tiger was everywhere on TV. He changed the game,
(04:43):
and as a five six seven year old watching him,
it was just the coolest thing ever, and I just
wanted to be like him, and so that's how I
got into golf. It just spurred this excitement about golf
in me that that's how I saw my life being
of playing on tour.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
That's so wild. So what age were you when you
were like, yeah, I want to do this, like I
want to be a pro.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Ever since I can remember, really yeah, honestly, and again,
I think it's just seeing it and having that connection
to Tiger. I was like, it just was the coolest thing,
and I think also growing up a girl in the
sport and I had two older brothers, I always had
the mindset of what they can do, I can do
and trying to keep up with them. And I loved
surprising people as a young girl and saying I play.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Golf and yeah, I'm good at it.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
So I just always saw golf in my life in
that way that that was the career I wanted, that
was the path I wanted to take. Luckily, my grandfather
also just instilled a lot of belief in myself.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
I love from at.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
A young age. I mean I was probably nine or
ten years old. I remember sitting in his kitchen and
he's making me breakfast and he told me like that
he could see me being on tour, that he believed
in me. And one of my favorite stories about my
grandpa is he used to work for IMG and he
was a scout to scout like junior golfers and potential,
you know, up and coming players. And when I was
(06:03):
sitting in his kitchen on that day, he told me
that when I was like four or five years old,
he wrote an official report about me and he submitted
it officially into IMG.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
And I was like, wow, what did you write and he.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Goes, I'm not going to tell you what I wrote,
but one day when you turn pro, IMG will come
and recruit you and they'll bring the letter and you
can read it then. So when I graduated from Wake Forest,
my grandfather had passed while I was in high school,
so this was a couple of years after and I graduated,
I wanted to turn pro. IMG came and they brought
the letter and I got to read it for the
(06:37):
first time. I and it was literally nineteen ninety three,
I think, so I was three or four years old.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Wow, And he wrote what he saw in me.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
He wrote that he could see me play on tour,
the skills that he could see in me. And those
are the types of things that I tell people make
a difference when you have someone in your corner that
believes in you and then you start to believe it too.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
That is what always propelled me in my career and
my life with golf.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Like my grandpa could see it when I was three
or four years old, like I want to do it
for him. I want to do it because I believe
it too. And so that was a huge part of
my golf life of just having him as like that
foundation in that rock of like believing in me and
what I can do in the game of golf.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
So what was your reaction in opening that letter, Like,
did you even remember it in that moment that he
had given you that? Yeah, it was always in the
back of my mind. I always remember that letter. I
always thought what did he write?
Speaker 3 (07:34):
What did he think? And so when they did bring it,
it was like a full circle moment. It felt unreal,
honestly to.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
See literally tear up right now thinking about it.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
I can't even imagine.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
And it's in his handwriting, you know, it's like this
beautiful curse of and just to read his words, especially
after he had passed, and he was the one who
got me started. He was the one who taught me
what I knew about golf. So he was the biggest
figure in my life when it came to golf and
what I wanted to do in this sport. So when
I was able to sit there and see it, it
was just like, this is what I've been waiting for
(08:06):
and it just meant so much. So I have it
framed in our house and it's just one of those
really special moments that I will never forget.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
That's so beautiful. You're gonna have to send me a
picture framed at your house. Okay, so you talked a
little bit about Wake Forest. You just got inducted into
the Hall of Fame. Congratulation, Thank you. What does that
honor mean to you?
Speaker 1 (08:26):
It means a lot, and it feels surreal because Wake
Forest has such a deep, deep history in every sport.
I mean it's a small school, but they have such
depth and the athletes that they've produced while they be basketball, golf, soccer.
So now to be among the names of the Hall
of Fame inductees is just an honor. Growing up on
the West Coast, I didn't know a lot about Wake
(08:47):
Forest other than like Tim Duncan and Chris Paul and
of course mister Palmer.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
To now be etched in history is really special.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
And during my speech at the induction, I spoke about
how I wasn't always the best golfer and I really
had to work my way up, and so to be
able to work my way through Wake improve my game,
work my way through the team and up in the
rankings really meant a lot to me.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
To be able to accomplish that.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
What made you commit to that school.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Honestly, growing up in Arizona, I just was sick and
tired of being there, like it it is boring. So
I was like, I want to just try somewhere new.
In North Carolina was very new.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
It was a culture shock, but I always tell people
it was the best thing that ever happened to me,
especially golf wise.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
I was forced to.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Learn how to live on my own away from my family,
play in weather that is not just perfect at all times,
and play different golf courses too, which was such a test.
So I always say it was the best thing for
my career and just for me, kind of like growing
up and learning again on that path of trying to
become professional.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Clearly, you know, you have a really big name in
your family what's the last name? And a lot of
attention was on you throughout your career, college golf, professional golf.
What was that like for you building a name for yourself?
Speaker 3 (10:22):
It was difficult, you know.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Growing up I loved watching Tiger play, and he was
the biggest inspiration for me to become professional golfer or
even a play golf in general.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
So I somewhat I'm a fan and I love watching
him play.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
But then coming up and being a Woods and having
the extra attention or the expectations whatever that might be
was difficult. I mean, even to this day, I am
still referred to as his niece, which is totally fine because.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
I get it.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
But when you are young and trying to not only
prove yourself to the world, but prove yourself to yourself, yes,
it can be difficult when you're constantly reminded of the
other person rather than yourself and what you've accomplished. So
I really had to learn how to have that self love,
that self worth of I worked to get here. I
(11:10):
deserve to be here despite what my name is, and
I think it made me a stronger person and a
stronger player of just believing and who I am. But
it definitely was difficult, and I had to just embrace
it because it's not something that was ever going.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
To leave right absolutely, like I was thinking about actually
on the drive here, and I just feel very empathetic
to what that feeling and pressure could be like to
have someone in your life that's essentially setting the bar
right and the pressures that you could face. And I
feel like you've done it with so much grace, and
I think from the outside looking in, I don't think
(11:43):
you could really tell that it may have been difficult
or that you know, it was a lot of pressure.
So I think you did a phenomenal job, like making
a name for yourself. You know, thank you.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
I appreciate that. I mean, I try to do what
I could.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
I mean, I love golf for my own reasons, and
I never wanted to be the next Tiger Woods, sure,
but you know, I just grew up wanting to see
how far I can take it, and I love that challenge.
And to at least have the representation of Woods on
the women's side means a lot to me. And to
be a woman of color in golf and kind of
(12:14):
have that representation again is just really powerful. So I
try to do what I could to give back to
the game, and you know, the Woods name definitely helps
elevate whatever I do, which I think is definitely a privilege.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Absolutely, has Tiger given you any advice about your career
and of sell you mind sharing, I.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Would say the biggest thing is he always has just
said to have fun. And I think the biggest advice
I've ever had from him is just me watching what
he does fair and whether it be on TV or
the few times I've been able to kind of watch
him practice in person. I've always said he's the hardest
working person I've ever seen in my life. Yeah, in
every aspect, and he's so intelligent, he's so hard working,
(12:54):
he's just so intense that that is definitely what I've
learned most from him is just by observing where he
came from and how far he's taken it, what he's
gone through.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
It's just really really inspirational. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Yeah, So you went on to play professionally, like basically
a decade right playing pro h LT, which is a
ladiess European Tour LPGA. What is your favorite memory of
playing on tour?
Speaker 3 (13:18):
My favorite memories are definitely playing on European Tour.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Really Okay, why is that?
Speaker 3 (13:22):
It just was such a new experience for me.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Yeah, and it wasn't anything I had expected myself to do,
and I think that's what makes it really special too.
You know, I graduated from WIG and you know, in
our minds we always think, Okay, I'm gonna go boom
boom boom, this is how I get on tour. Sure,
So I went to Q school, didn't make it through
I didn't even get EPSTON Tour status. I didn't make
the cut at first stage. Yeah, so I was confused,
(13:45):
like where do I go from here? And so my
agent suggested, you know, European Tour is an option, and
the thought of going to Morocco and for the qualifiers
and potentially playing in Europe. And you know, I was
twenty one, fresh out of college. I had never really
traveled like that before. All of this was so new
to me, so you know, it was a huge leap.
(14:06):
It felt like to go over there and just kind
of get this experience of the unknown. But it was
so fun. The girls there were amazing. Every country you
go to you learn so much about the culture. Every
course is so different. It was the best thing for
my professional career. I then played. I always had status,
but I played their full time for like I don't know,
(14:27):
two or three years, and then I came back and
I was able to earn LPGA Tour status.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
But it was just the best learning experience.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
So, talking about professional golf, what's something that you wish
that maybe like the audience or outside voices understood more about,
especially women's professional golf.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
There's a lot and I think the biggest thing that
I've always tried to advocate for women's golf is obviously
how talented we are, and you.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
Hear it all the time, but you really don't.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
I feel like you don't understand it till you see it,
whether it be the talent or how personal the players are,
or how close you can get to actually enjoying the
golf while you're out watching an LPGA event. It's such
a different experience than going to maybe a PGA Tour
event or a men's event. So I always try to
tell people how friendly the women's game is and how
(15:19):
welcoming it is. I always tried to make it a
point when I was playing to interact with fans or
meet with the juniors and interact with them, because I
do remember being the girl out there behind the ropes
and trying to get an autograph or getting that golf ball,
and it's the best feeling in the world. But I
feel like in the women's game, you definitely get that
experience a lot more.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
And then obviously the.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Talent is just amazing, and you see these girls make
it look so easy. My husband's played in a couple
LPGA pro ams and he still can't believe how good
the girls are. I mean, he hits it like three
point fifty, He hits it far, and these girls are
kicking his butt and he can't believe how easy they're
making it look. And I just think it's a testament
to how deep the talent is, right, how just amazing
(16:03):
they are.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
I mean, I'm a huge advocate for the women's game,
and I may be butchering this stat but I believe that,
Like they said that on the LPGA Tour, say, like
a woman's six iron and green and regulation average is
comparable to like the man's nine iron, and it's something
of that nature. And it's like the distances are actually
(16:25):
so far in correlation for women compared to men, Like
they have a lot more shorter irons and compared to women.
And I'm like, you guys don't realize how hard it
is to get a hybrid next to the pin, a
five iron next to the pin. Those are like the
clubs that I hate when you're hitting nine irons and
wedges all day. Yeah, I'm like, yeah, you can stick
a wedge, spin it back all day, but like, yeah,
ask me to hit a three wood next to the
pin on like an unreasonably long Part four. Like you
(16:48):
guys don't understand how hard that is. If you ask
the men to do it, you'll be seeing a lot
more short game and a lot more wild shot.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
And I've always told people too, I mean, when you
see the men's game, it definitely does play shorter. Yeah,
almost every round they have a reachable part five or
a reachable part four. And on the women's side, I've
always said so rare. Maybe if you are one of
the longer hitters, yes you have maybe a reachable part five,
but it was so rare when you were playing, when
I was playing on tour right to truly have those
(17:13):
whole where you can be aggressive and go for it
or to take advantage of hitting on into or whatever
the case may be.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
Yeah, well we'll work on that. We can talk about
that all day.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
So I wanted to ask.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Your opinion on the LPGA as an organization. I feel
like a lot has grown. What do you feel like
they're doing right and what do you feel like maybe
like maybe we can bring a little more attention to this.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
There's been so many changes in the LPGA, and it's
been exciting for me the last couple of years. I've
been on the board for LPGA Foundation, which is behind
the scenes of their charities and girls programs, but it's
definitely give me an inside look of what the LPGA
is doing and how awesome you know they're being able
to provide all these programs for girls and amateurs. So
(17:56):
I absolutely love that. I grew up in the LPGA
Girl's Golf program.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
I started when I was like five or six years old.
I was the very first original.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
Sandy Lebow started it in Scottsdale, Arizona, and my coach
was her husband, So I got started in that program
and to be able to see it grow into what
it is today. I think the LPGA has done so
much in giving back to the game and also the communities.
Their reach is not just within the US, but also
so global, and I think that's been so cool to see.
(18:25):
And you're seeing a lot of girls Golf alumni now
on tour, which I think goes to show how they
are able to give back to the game and also
support them throughout their careers.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
So I think the LPGA is doing such a good
job of that.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Obviously, playing on tour has gotten so much better in
terms of money, yeah, yeah, and supports growing. We love
golf courses that we play are just amazing. So I
think that's been really great in terms of what they
can do better.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Jeez, that's a tough question.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Yeah, I mean every organization can use some improvement, right
Like look at the PGA tour. What's happening, you know? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (19:00):
And I love if the LPG is elevating their players more.
I think that's all They issue more stories. There's so
many great personalities. I know they've invested in trying to
elevate their players individually in showcasing those stories, and I
think that's been really great, just to bring more eyes
on individual players like you see Charlie.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Hole out there, you see Lydia, you see.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
All these personalities that are just so unique and so
special that a lot of the men are able to
showcase a bit more, like even with the Netflix show
like hellay our household names, and it makes a big
difference when it comes to them trying to sell the
tour or sell sponsorships to have that connection with fans
and players.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
So I think if they can continue to do that more,
it would definitely help. I love that.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
I completely agree. So as we know right now, there
is at this moment. Maybe when the pod comes out
will know there is no commissioner at this moment. If
you were the commissioner, what is something that you would instill,
no rules, no restrictions on money attached. What is some
thing that you would instill right now to help continue
to support the girls.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
Honestly, I'm thinking any way to help make the travel
easier for the girls, whether that's such a good point,
something they're able to provide wellness wise, or even hotel sponsorship.
That's really hard for players, whether you're at the top
or you're just trying to keep your car like it
gets expensive. And I always say the lifestyle of playing
on tour is one of the most difficult things of
(20:23):
traveling day in and day out, all around to all
ye cross timelines and timelines, yeah, time zone, cross time
zones and just globally. So if there was something that
the tour could do in order to support them a
little bit better travel wise, I think that would be
really good.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
Yeah, I agree with that. When you make it onto
the PGA Tour, new players are essentially loaned nearly half
a million dollars to go and support themselves, and the
girls are given zero and I just can't. I mean,
but there's so many events now where like Miszoo Ho
and like even the Asia Swing where like everything has
covered and like the girls are like royalty, So we
(20:59):
just need to get all the events to be.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
Like yeah, right, And even the stipends that they've been
able to provide a few miss they've been able to
provide stipends because I mean when people think of professional
golf and they see the PGA Tour, they see the
private jets and all these glamorous life things different, it's
assumed that the women you know, have that as well,
and it's just not the case. And so it's definitely
a reality check. I think even as a player to
(21:21):
come in and you're like, wait, you I have to
pay for this whole list of.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Things, and how do I get a sponsor?
Speaker 1 (21:26):
You know, sponsorships are hard to come by as well,
so definitely a little bit more difficult on the women's side.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
So can you break that down. Let's say take us
back to when you were playing one week, what are
expenses like, what are you covering for yourself and your team?
Speaker 1 (21:42):
I mean, you you basically cover everything so flight you
don't have to pay for your caddy swipe, but you
have to pay for your caddies weekly fee in addition
to whatever percentage if you make the cut.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
When I was.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
Playing, I think caddy was anywhere between twelve hundred and
fifteen hundred or one week for one week. Okay, So
unless you do a host family, which a lot of
players do, so you can kind of cut that expense, food,
rental car. They do sometimes have like courtesy cars that
you could use, but it's not as flexible, I guess.
So it definitely maybe about five grand I usually budgeted
(22:17):
for per week.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
That's entry feet do we say entry feet?
Speaker 2 (22:20):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (22:20):
And entry fee?
Speaker 2 (22:21):
Yeah, we have to pay for the tournaments. Two guys
don't forget, So it definitely adds up.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
And you're thinking, you're playing twenty five thirty events, right,
it gets expensive.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
Right, right?
Speaker 2 (22:32):
So we had to make more than just the cut
to survive, right, Yes?
Speaker 4 (22:35):
Crazy?
Speaker 3 (22:51):
Okay?
Speaker 2 (22:51):
So I wanted to transition into motherhood to beautiful children.
And so what was that transition like from you taking
kind of like a step aside from professional golf and
becoming a mother.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
It was very different. I played golf my whole life,
and I always wanted to be a mom. I always
knew I wanted to be a mom, and we had
our son in twenty twenty two. I competed up until
I think I was like five months pregnant, but nobody
knew I was pregnant at the time, and then I
haven't competed since we had our son.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
And I always knew I didn't want to play professional
golf and be a mom. I didn't want to travel
and have my kids on the road.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
And at the time when we had our son, my
husband was still playing baseball, Okay, so we were trying
to be with him as much as we could and
travel as well, So it was hard to think about
doing golf and that at the same time with having
a family. But definitely taking a step aside from professional
golf was refreshing.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
Okay, I like it.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
I think I was ready, yeah, And it just was
nice to see a different side of life, right.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
I think as a professional golfer you get so just self.
You're always just.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Focused on self, right, And it was nice to have
something to take my focus off of just me, me,
me and think about this beautiful baby and my husband
and our family.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
So it was definitely a breath of fresh air.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
Now, speaking of your daughter, how is your baby girl
doing good?
Speaker 3 (24:10):
She's good? My mind sharing so well.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:14):
So Maya has had like not the toughest journey, but
it's been difficult and it has not been anything that
we ever expected and nothing that I ever heard people
talking about.
Speaker 2 (24:23):
I didn't either until I saw your poems.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
And so if people, you know, want more information.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Our daughter was born like full term, totally fine, but
she had a lot of feeding difficulties. She had really
bad acid reflux where she was throwing up NonStop, and
she wouldn't take a bottle, pacifier or nothing, and she
wouldn't have long enough feats, and so she wasn't gaining weight.
So she was submitted admitted to the hospital's failure to thrive,
(24:50):
which was the absolute worst feeling ever as a mom,
because you feel like you failed as well. And I
still didn't know what was happening. She's throwing up, not
gaining weight, and I literally can't do anything. So We've
did all the tests possible, all of the things, and
she ended up being a tube fed baby. She still
is tube fed through a gtube, but she's not throwing up.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
Anymore, which is great good and she also had like
a breathing condition she had to have a surgery on,
which was at the end of the day not allowing
her to feed, which we didn't know. But she's doing better,
which is great.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
It's honestly such a long story, so I don't know
how to cut it down. But it's just been such
a journey of just appreciation and gratitude for all of
the little things, because you hear about women having babies
and babies growing up all the time, but there are
so many things that can go wrong, or so many
health conditions that could happen, and I'm just so grateful
(25:46):
that although she's still gtube fed, she is healthy and
she is happy and thriving, and it's just the best
feeling in the world because you appreciate all of the
little moments and all the little things right after going
through diffil gold times.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
Well, I'm so happy that she is growing stronger every
single day. I'm sure like any stressful moment you had
in your professional golf career is like f that, like
this is my everything, Like your child now is your life?
Speaker 3 (26:14):
Right?
Speaker 1 (26:15):
Yeah, and again it just gives you perspective. I mean,
when we were going through that with mya. It was
probably like eight months of it where wow, literally every
day we couldn't leave the house because she would throw
up fifteen to twenty times a day.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
I couldn't take her anywhere.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
And it just gives you perspective of just what is important.
And I think again just having kids in general, of
being able to step back and look at the big
picture of what is important in life. And I do
love golf and I love to compete, right, but in
this stage of my life, it's just so nice to
be able to have these moments with my kids and
to raise them and to be there for all the
little moments and for when they need me.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
So you mentioned how you love competing. Is there any
shot that we will see Seyanne Woods compete again? Qualifier anything?
Speaker 3 (26:59):
Yeah? I think so. Yeah, I think so.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
I mean, honestly, I missed the competition and it's so
hard to replicate.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
I love competing.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
I've always been a competitive person in everything that I do,
and I want to be able to have my kids
see me play one day.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
So I would say maybe in the next couple of
years i'd play.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
I would love to qualify for the US Open again
and play in that and have you know our kids
following us along?
Speaker 3 (27:21):
Maybe my husband can, Caddie, I'll put them to work.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
I love that. Okay, speaking of husband, So Chyanne's husband
is Aaron Hicks and he is a professional baseball player.
And I actually played golf with him, oh pre pandemic
and the media day, yes, every era, and I was
actually so surprised at how good at golf he was,
especially for a baseball player, because typically baseball proder just
like slice the shit out of it, and he was
like striping it. And I wanted to hear how you
(27:47):
two met. I know it was kind of something similar
to what we're doing now, but I'm gonna let you
tell the story.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
Yeah, so Erin and I have been married for three
years now, and we met during the pandemic or just
before the endemic. I used to have a podcast with
Doug Smith called Bertie's not Bs, and we were record
in Phoenix, Arizona, and Aaron and Doug were friends, and
so Doug invited him on the podcast and we did
just a little episode like just getting to know Aaron
(28:13):
and his relationship with golf, and so it was awesome
just to get to know him a little bit and
that was my first time meeting him. During the pandemic,
both of our seasons got shut down, so I was,
I think in Florida. I was at the Players actually
at the time, and so during the pandemic when we
were both home, we just started playing golf together and
that's kind of how it just sparked this friendship.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
And then we got to know each other more. It
was like, he's kind of cool. Yeah, I like him,
and so that's kind of where it all started.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
I love that. So it wasn't like instance sparks in
the podcast room. It was more just like a slow
burn hang out, play a lot of golf together, and
then you're like, okay.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
Yeah, and it's funny. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
And it's funny because I always said I would never
date a golfer, and technically he's not a golfer, right,
but he plays a lot of golf, right, And I
actually love it because we can appreciate the same love
of golf and we can enjoy it with our families
now too. And I think that the pandemic really gave
us a lot of quality time that we never would
have had otherwise, especially him being a baseball player.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
I was playing golf full time.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
Our worlds were literally like that, just like colliding and
just would never have crosspaths.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
So I'm grateful for, you know, the time that we
were able to have.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
And then, like you said, slow burn of just yeah,
you know, we fell in love and basically through the
game of golf.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
Right, So in this case, it was actually a turn
on that he was that he plays golf. Usually, I
feel like for golfers, it's like no turn off. Please
don't please, don't love golf too much, don't want to
be on the course. So have you taught him much
and like kind of helped him out with this game.
I'm trying to work on a short game, okay. Yeah,
he's definitely a.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Power player, and he loves his sixty degree wedge, yeah,
which a lot of people do. And I'm trying to
just teach him about bump and run, yeah, and different
shots that he can hit in different clubs that he
has other than his love wedge.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
So definitely trying to balance out his game a little bit.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
Okay, I love that now your little boy he plays
both baseball and golf. Yeah, if you could choose which
We're not going to force our kids. You know into anything,
but if you could control it, you so you would
want him to play baseball.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
I think baseball, Aaron says, golf, So we kind of
see what happens there.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
But Cameron will be three next month.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
So he is just full toddler boy, loving absolutely every
sport possible, but definitely attached to a club and a
bat at all times.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
It's so cute.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
And the thing that frustrates me most is that now
that I'm post LPGA Tour career right he mainly sees
his dad playing golf and he thinks Dad is the
golfer and I think related is dad. So that's why
I'm thinking I need to get back out and show
him who.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
The real golfer is in the house.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Do you play much anymore?
Speaker 3 (30:48):
Not as much as I want to.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
Okay, No, I'm finally starting to get back out and
hit balls and like playing a couple of things here
and there.
Speaker 3 (30:54):
But I'm trying to get back out more. So.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
One thing that I do love about, like everything that
I've seen you shares that you're huge about making golf
more accessible and so how do you feel like golf
is heading right now? Do you feel like we're heading
in the right direction, making more Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Yeah, it's been so exciting to see how far golf
has come, honestly, just since the pandemic.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
In the latch five years.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
Sure, I remember when I was playing, that was always
something I advocated, was access to golf, getting everybody out there,
showing them that golf is for them. You don't have
to be a country club button up player. Sure, places
like Top Golf have really opened up the world to
what golf can be and that it can be fun,
it can be for everybody. So I love where golf
is headed. And even just the influencer world of making
(31:38):
golf relatable and YouTube golf, I think is so great
for the game.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
What is it the good good guys?
Speaker 1 (31:45):
Yeah, when I saw them come out to Scottsdale and
all the people that came out to the event, and
they're not going first fans, you know, these are just
like your everyday people, and I think that's great for
the game of golf. So it's exciting, and I am
honestly mind blown with how far it's come in like
five years.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
But I think it's great for the game. Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
What do you think golf maybe needs more of to
continue that trajectory.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
I think just continued support of that everyday person who
wants to get into golf. For sure, you know, it's
nice to have the facilities like top Golf or like
the YouTube people that you can watch. But I think
still maybe with instruction wise, of making golf more accessible
or a little bit more affordable is a big thing,
because it's one thing to go out and like, okay,
(32:27):
get a club and hit some balls. But it takes
a little bit of teaching to really understand and know
how to swing the club. So maybe just a little
bit more support in programs to kind of get this
new fan base able to learn how to play golf.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
We just need a teaching course from Cheyenne Woods, you know,
or you know we do have, or we could do
it together. Yeah, one or the other.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
Go.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
So switching gears a little bit because this was really
big news to the golf world a few weeks ago.
We understand that you lost your grandmother could till the
woods and I just wanted to do a check in
and how's the family, how are you?
Speaker 1 (33:03):
Yeah, it was really sad to see that, honestly a
sudden yeah, and we had just seen her, you know,
at TGL and just beaming with pride, which I think,
honestly looking back, is the best thing to be able
to have her at those moments for Tiger to support.
You know, I didn't get to spend as much time
with Tita as I did with my grandfather, but she
(33:23):
was just so special and she this probably sounds silly,
but she's why.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
I love Tihood, Oh my god. But of course obsessed
with Tai food because I remember growing up, you know,
she would cook ty food. Yea, she would show us
how to cook Tay food.
Speaker 1 (33:36):
So it definitely is so sad, but I'm so grateful
that she was able to have those special moments with
Tiger and Charlie and watch them at TGL, and she
definitely won't be missed.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
You know, I actually met her when I was I
think like twelve years old. It was for a TGR
Foundation event and I somehow got into it through like
SEPGA or one of those millions of golf organizations, and
funny enough, I didn't really I was sitting next to
your grandmother and I was just waiting for my mom
at the restroom, and we were in the facility and
she was like eating like it looked like country club snacks.
(34:09):
And she looks at me and she just goes and
she like gestures like do I want it? You know,
I'm like okay, and I grabbed a pretzel. Do you
play golf?
Speaker 3 (34:16):
I said yes?
Speaker 2 (34:17):
And she said are you here for the clinic? I
said yes, and she goes practice hard.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
Oh I will yeah, And I thought it was like yes, And.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
Then my dad was like, do you know who that was?
I was like, oh my gosh, I mean yeah, but no,
I love that story and we love that you loved
tie food of course. Yes, okay, switching gears back to
like a little more of a lighter note. I saw
that you recently launched a show on Golf Pass, correct,
Tita Dreams. Can you tell everybody about it?
Speaker 1 (34:45):
It's really exciting, honestly, So, Tita dream is on Golf
Pass Dreaming right now.
Speaker 3 (34:50):
We have two episodes out.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
You love it, and the basis of the show is
showcasing professional golfers who are associated with foundations and the
work that they do to give back to their two
into the community. We all know golf is so philanthropic,
but we don't always get to see behind the scenes
of how these professional golfers are using their platforms to
give back. When I was playing, it was always a
(35:11):
big part of my traveling and my career of trying
to give back to the communities or connect with the
local girls. So to be able to see what these
golfers are, you know, obviously not only just playing at
the highest level possible, but then giving so much back
to their communities and giving back to their foundations. So
we've focused on Ryan Palmer and not a big a
so far this year, and it's just been really special
(35:33):
to be a part of and see how golf cannot
only change obviously the golfers' lives and they're playing and
doing these glamorous things, but changing the lives of kids
and people within their communities.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
So it's on golf Fast now if people want to
check it out.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
I think the episode is free to stream right now
if you want to see. And we're going to film
a bit more this season as well.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
Okay, we will be on the lookout for sure. We'll
just drop the link you guys, don't worry. And so
what's next for Cheyenne Woods in general? I know that
I feel like you do a lot more media now
and traveling to tournaments and whatnot. You have the next stop?
Speaker 1 (36:06):
Yeah, definitely more filming with Golf Bass and focusing on
that show and then maybe a couple of other fun
things in the golf world. Talking a little bit about
podcast as well.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
So I love it.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
It could be potentially coming up soon.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
Would you be bringing it back or would you just
be like starting a.
Speaker 1 (36:21):
Brand starting you Yeah, not BS was so fun to
do with that and we learned so much, but that
is rip. Yeah, but yeah, Doug and I are so
really close, actually, that's what he was telling me.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
If you guys don't know who Doug is, he is
now like a commentator on Golf Channel. I was actually
just with him a few days ago and he was
commentating me playing, which was kind of weird and kind
of wild, and he was always telling me, He's like,
you should get shy on the pod. I'm like, bro,
help me out, due, And so I love that you
guys are close.
Speaker 1 (36:49):
Yeah, And it's funny because he lives like twenty minutes
from us and his son is about the same age
as ours, so perfect.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
My sons are best friends. And I think the next
couple of years are going to be like golf, Rive
slash best Friends. So stay tuned.
Speaker 2 (37:03):
We love a good story. We love it all right.
So we are winding down now, but we have to
end with a fun little game.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
All right.
Speaker 2 (37:11):
Do you know the game f kill Mary?
Speaker 4 (37:13):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (37:13):
Okay, it's that's a little dramatic, but.
Speaker 4 (37:16):
Words.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
Yeah, it's called travel cut like miss the Cut Mary. Okay, okay,
those are your three options. These are amongst your LPGA peers. Yes, yes, okay,
are you ready?
Speaker 3 (37:29):
I think so?
Speaker 2 (37:30):
Okay, all right, Lexi Thompson, Danielle Kang, Brooke Henderson.
Speaker 3 (37:36):
My gosh, wait, this is the kind of game that
it is.
Speaker 2 (37:41):
No hard feelings.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
Okay, So I'm gonna say Travel Danielle Kang. Okay, she
is so fun and I always loved playing with her.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
You have Handbrooke.
Speaker 1 (37:51):
I'm gonna cut Lexi because she is technically partially retired,
that is true, so she kind of cut herself, right, yeah,
at a good point, and then I would marry Brook.
I love playing with Brooke and her sister.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (38:08):
And her game is just amazing.
Speaker 2 (38:10):
It is amazing. Yeah, and I feel like her driver
just looks so long for her, but she crushes it
every time.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
She makes it look so easy.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
Okay, last one, Michelle Wee West, Brittany Lindscombe, Stacy Lewis.
Speaker 3 (38:21):
I think I would travel again with Michelle.
Speaker 1 (38:23):
Yeah, I know she sure I has all the good
food recommendations, She's got the babies that we could do
little play dates again. Stacy, I think I would marry Stacey. Wow,
she's I mean a legend. Yeah, she's an icon in
the game. And then Brittany. This is really brutal. I
would I guess I'd have to cut Brittany.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
No hard feelings, guys, It's just the game. There is
no one like send some messages. Yeah, no offense. I
love it. That is the end of the game. And
final question, where can listeners follow you and see everything
that's going on.
Speaker 1 (38:56):
I'm on Instagram at Cheyenne Underscore Woods and Twitter well
but not so much active on there, but Instagram for sure.
Stay updated again on the golf Past show for sure.
Just all of our family fun that we do.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
Welcome to the Party with Tasha Allen is an Iheartwoman's
sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports Entertainment. I'm
your host, Tisha Allen. Christina Everett is our executive producer
and Jennifer Bassett is our producer. Sound mixing and mastering
by Mary Doo. Special thanks to Jesse Katz at iHeart
and to Jess McCallister and the teams at GERSH and
Catalyst nine. Listen to Welcome to the Party with Tisha
(39:34):
Allen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcasts.
Host
Tisha Alyn
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