Blissful Mom’s Day! This week, we’re highlighting the experiences of a number of the most high-profile girls within the sport, every of whom share a significant title: Mother. Subsequent up: two-time main winner and six-time U.S. Solheim Cup group member, Brittany Lincicome.
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As a 20-year LPGA Tour veteran, the tour grind is acquainted to Brittany Lincicome, who performed her first full LPGA season in 2005 when she was solely 18 years outdated. Since then, Lincicome has change into one of the crucial recognizable faces in girls’s golf, with eight profession victories — together with two majors — and 6 U.S. Solheim Cup group appearances.
However today, Lincicome’s life on tour seems decidedly completely different. In 2015, Lincicome married her husband, Dewald Gouws, and the couple welcomed daughters Emery and Sophia in 2019 and 2022, respectively. Each ladies now journey with Lincicome as she competes.
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The 2024 LPGA Tour schedule is comprised of 35 tournaments world wide. Even when a participant tees it up in solely 20 occasions, that equates to greater than 100 days away from dwelling every year. Like tens of millions of different working mothers, Lincicome has quite a bit on her plate, elevating her daughters on the highway whereas she squeezes in observe, competitors, media and sponsor obligations on tour. It’s an unorthodox and engaging life-style, and in honor of Mom’s Day, we wished to get a glimpse of what day by day life is like for LPGA mothers who deliver their youngsters with them to event stops. Lincicome graciously allow us to tag alongside together with her and her lovable ladies to expertise a day of their life alongside them. We watched them have breakfast, go to daycare, after which hit the golf course for a pro-am and a few observe earlier than heading dwelling. Right here’s what a day within the lifetime of a working LPGA Tour mother is actually like — and ensure to take a look at the video above for a behind-the-scenes perspective.
IT’S 6:30 A.M. ON A WEDNESDAY morning, and Lincicome has already been up for over an hour. She’s prepared for a full day in Gilbert, Ariz., the place the LPGA Tour is stationed for that week’s Ford Championship.
Additionally already dressed and prepared for motion: Emery, who’s practically 5, and Sophia, who’s nearly two. I’m already impressed by Lincicome’s effectivity! This week, Lincicome’s dad and mom are additionally available. They usually accompany Lincicome to assist with childcare and help, particularly when Lincicome’s husband, Dewald, isn’t in a position to be a part of the household due to his personal work obligations.
“I at all times joke and say anyone within the household has to work,” Lincicome mentioned with amusing. “He doesn’t get to return out too usually.”
As soon as every woman’s tooth and hair are brushed and footwear are on, it’s time to go out. Breakfast is out there on the course for each Lincicome and the youngsters, which is handy for the entire household.
Emery and Sophia know what they like, so Lincicome fills their plates with breakfast favorites. On the desk, Emery reveals her favourite dinosaur (the fictional Scorpios rex, of “Jurassic Park” fame) whereas Lincicome spoon-feeds oatmeal to Sophia. Does Lincicome really feel like her life has change into kind of organized since youngsters entered the image?
“I feel golf simply makes you very, like, ‘I do know precisely the place I’m going to be each minute of the day,’ particularly at a event,” Lincicome mentioned. “Rising up being a golfer, transitioning to the mother position, it’s truly been fairly straightforward.”
After breakfast, Mother was able to get to work. Meaning it’s time for the women to test in to daycare, one of many LPGA’s most vital perks. The hours are versatile to accommodate every mother’s aggressive schedule, and whereas the situation varies by venue from week to week, the employees and setting stays as constant as doable to create continuity for the youngsters. Bardine Might, the LPGA’s daycare director, has been a continuing presence for 21 years.
“I wish to make their lives simpler,” Might mentioned. “And I’ll do no matter it takes. My motto is simply to assist as a lot as I can. It’s exhausting being a touring mother, and quite a lot of them are by themselves. So I wish to make life simpler.”
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Whereas the variety of mothers who avail themselves of the daycare varies 12 months to 12 months and even week to week, there’s a strong contingent of Lincicome’s friends who’ve kids who attend, together with Stacy Lewis and Paula Creamer. For Lincicome, having daycare at her disposal made having youngsters and persevering with her enjoying profession a simple determination.
“I’ve seen Bardine my complete profession, and I do know what occurs and the way it all works,” Lincicome mentioned. “It was a simple transition. I used to be at all times going to have youngsters, whether or not I performed golf or not, and it was straightforward to stay them in there after I go play. I belief them a lot as a result of I’ve been round them my complete life.”
On the Ford Championship, the daycare was arrange in a room that’s already put aside for childcare at Seville Golf & Nation Membership, and the intense, homey ambiance was a lot appreciated. Emery and Sophia settled in shortly, and Lincicome took a possibility to slide away.
“Yesterday, [Sophia] cried,” Lincicome mentioned as she walked exterior. “At this time, she doesn’t care.”
And with that, Lincicome’s official on-course workday started. However first: she made a fast cease at participant eating to complete her breakfast. That’s mother life in a nutshell!
Wednesday was a pro-am day, so Brittany hit the vary to warm-up earlier than heading out to satisfy her group on the first tee. She impressed them instantly, draining a tough birdie putt on the first inexperienced after the remainder of the group missed.
After the pro-am, Brittany managed to squeeze in a bit extra observe on the placing inexperienced earlier than returning to the daycare to choose up Emery and Sophia, who have been keen to point out her how they spent their time.
“You understand that they had a superb day and a enjoyable day, they usually come working to you after you get in there, and it’s simply the good feeling,” Lincicome mentioned. “It takes away the whole lot from the golf course, whether or not it was good or unhealthy.”
Regardless of the challenges of Lincicome’s life on Tour with youngsters — along with being occupied by the state of her sport, she’s additionally eager about her daughters’ well-being always — in the end, Lincicome says having a household has given her a further sense of peace and perspective.
“It’s golf, it nonetheless makes you tremendous pissed off,” she mentioned. “I wish to win each week, and whenever you don’t play nicely, it’s tremendous irritating nonetheless. However I hold footage of my ladies in my yardage e book. You simply attempt to suppose, you’ve gotten a nasty gap or a nasty shot, I nonetheless have these stunning ladies, wholesome. Issues may very well be a lot worse. I receives a commission to play golf. That’s just like the craziest factor ever.”
Because the household loaded into the automotive to go again to the home for some relaxation, rest and household time, I marveled at Lincicome’s skill to do all of it: compete with the most effective golfers on the planet week-in and week-out, whereas additionally being a gift and attentive mom to 2 younger ladies.
“Whenever you’re exterior the ropes, it’s this job. Whenever you’re contained in the ropes, it’s my different job,” Lincicome mentioned. “It’s cool to point out the women completely different elements of the world and journey somewhat bit. Hopefully they keep in mind what mommy does for a residing.”
With kindergarten looming for Emery this fall, Lincicome is aware of that her schedule could quickly change into much more difficult.
“Each step thus far, whenever you suppose it’s sort of the tip, you then’re like, oh, I can determine it out. I’ll determine a plan. After which I’m nonetheless enjoying,” Lincicome mentioned with amusing. “We simply sort of take it week to week, 12 months by 12 months.”
As Lincicome continues her twentieth 12 months of competitors on the LPGA Tour this season, one factor is obvious: Her biggest triumph has nothing to do with a event victory. Nowadays, the one title that really issues, is Mother.
