Editor’s note: This is the third of a four-part series with 22-year-old Symetra Tour rookie Sierra Brooks, who will chronicle her 2020 season on Golfweek.com. The former Florida standout finished second at last year’s NCAA Championship to Maria Fassi and was a finalist at the 2015 U.S. Women’s Amateur. She won three times in college and represented the U.S. at the Curtis Cup, Junior Ryder Cup and Junior Solheim Cup. Part I | Part II
I have severe test anxiety. Not the written kind. Spit tests, actually. COVID-19 tests on the Symetra Tour require us to fill a tube with saliva, and I get cotton mouth every time.
Test monitors have tried everything to help me. I’ll rub my throat, grab food – like coffee beans – to sniff, hoping that will trigger something. I’ve even looked at food on Instagram, hoping to literally drool over pictures of cheeseburgers, fries and cookie skillets.
I’ve been on Zoom calls for 45 minutes waiting to fill a tube. On the road, we go to a host hotel for testing where tables are spread 6 feet apart. My anxiety really starts to rise when the player next to me finishes up, and I’m not even halfway done.
The good news is that all my tests have been negative. I’ve competed in six tournament so far as a rookie on the Symetra Tour, and we’re in the middle of my backyard swing. Last week’s tournament in Longwood, Florida, was about five minutes from my parents’ house in Heathrow. I’ll drive back and forth to this week’s event in Daytona Beach, Florida, too.
We have four events left on the schedule in 2020. I’ll also compete on an LPGA sponsor exemption in November at the new Pelican Women’s Championship in Belleair, Florida. I made my first cut at an LPGA event earlier this summer at the Marathon Classic.
Being around LPGA pros again reminded me of the importance of leaving my cluttered swing thoughts on the range. I needed to be freer on the golf course, so I broke down my practice routine to add more structure. Now when I warm up, I put a stick down about 10 yards in front of my start line and work on hitting a cut, draw and straight shot on demand. That gives me all the confidence I need heading to the first tee.
I made the mistake of playing 18-hole practice rounds in the lead-up to Q-Series and lost too much energy. Figuring out what works to sustain that energy on the road has been a challenge, as has figuring out how to sign up for practice rounds. I kept getting stuck with the worst times.
I stay at Airbnbs as much as I can because I like to cook boring food like chicken, rice and veggies. I spice it up with stir fry, tacos and homemade pizzas when I’m at home. I should own stock in Chipotle given how many chicken bowls I’ve consumed – mild salsa, corn, fajitas and, of course, a side of guac.
With no gyms open, I use bands, jump rope and water jugs to keep in shape. It’s strange not being able to room with other players or travel with them. Sometimes I drive around town just to sightsee by car. I stayed in Palm Springs for our Beaumont stop and enjoyed driving through the mountains.
I’ve tried to incorporate more balance in my daily routine since the pandemic started. I’ve become more aware of my poor sleeping habits after wearing the Whoop band. I’ve always been an early riser, waking up around 5 a.m. most days. Whoop has made it clear that my five to seven hours of sleep weren’t cutting it. I make sure I’m hydrated and meditate before bed to get more quality sleep.
I also bought a pair of Felix and Gray blue light glasses. I put them on around 7 p.m. when I’m ready to chill. My parents think I’m ridiculous, but they don’t have a Whoop band that shows about a 6 percent difference in recovery after wearing them.
Every athlete is looking for an edge.
I’m optimistic about this last stretch of tournaments. This first year on tour has forced me to dig deep and learn a lot about who I am as a golfer and person. There’s an endurance factor to this lifestyle, and I’m learning something new every week.
My goal remains the same: finish in the top 5 of the money list to earn an LPGA card. Two wins and I’ll be right back in it.
When Sophia Popov won the AIG Women’s British Open one week after she played alongside us in Arizona, I remember Casey Danielson getting emotional watching the broadcast and FaceTiming with her afterwards. It was such an inspiring moment for us all to see.
I know my game stacks up to players at the next level. Breakthrough could be just around the corner.
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