ORLANDO, Fla. — Cheyenne Woods played her last round of golf five days before giving birth to her second child in two years.
Maya Nicole Hicks was born on Oct. 25, 2023. So much life has transpired since Woods caddied for then-boyfriend Aaron Hicks at the LPGA’s season opener three years ago. While Hicks returned to the field for this year’s Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, competing in the celebrity division at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club, Woods is back home in Arizona caring for Maya and the couple’s 20-month-old son, Cameron.
“I do miss tour golf,” Woods told Golfweek. “I don’t necessarily miss the travel, but I do miss the competition. I watch a lot of golf. I watch more now than I probably ever have.”
Woods, 33, a longtime playing professional and niece of Tiger Woods, first met the MLB center fielder while interviewing him for her podcast, “Birdies Not BS.” Hicks played golf from ages 5 to 13 until switching to baseball, and he credits Woods for vastly improving his short game.
The former Yankees outfielder, who played most recently for Baltimore but is now a free agent, is a power player on the golf course. Several years ago, Woods shared an impressive ace from Hicks at Scottsdale’s Silverleaf Club on a 303-yeard par-4 – with a 3-wood.
This week it was the sweet swing of son Cameron on her Instagram page.
Aaron Hicks in the field again at @HiltonGrandVac. He and Cheyenne Woods’ son is already holding the pose 🤣🥹 pic.twitter.com/IGXSrlvhVV
— Chantel McCabe (@chantel_mccabe) January 18, 2024
“My son loves watching golf,” said Woods, “it’s crazy. He’s really getting into playing and baseball as well. … I would love for my kids to eventually be able to see what mom can do, what mom used to do.”
Hicks opened with rounds of 77-74 in the celebrity division, amassing 65 points in the Modified Stableford scoring system. LPGA Hall of Famer and Lake Nona resident Annika Sorenstam co-led the celebrity field with 75 points at the halfway mark with former NHL player Jeremy Roenick.
Former No. 1 Lydia Ko, another Lake Nona member, led the LPGA tournament after two rounds with Ayaka Furue at 8 under.
“I just love it out here,” said Hicks of coming back to the TOC. “I love being around the athletes from other sports and getting to watch some great golf with the LPGA. It’s kind of the best of both worlds. And also to feel that adrenaline that goes through you when you tee off on the first hole and finishing up on the last hole. It’s always fun to have that feeling.”
A rookie on the LPGA in 2015, Woods won the 2014 Volvik RACV Ladies Masters on the Ladies European Tour. The Wake Forest grad currently doesn’t have status on the LPGA and said she has no designs to play full-time again. She does, however, see herself trying to qualify for another U.S. Women’s Open or compete in an event from time to time.
“After traveling so much by myself on the road away from family, what I truly value most now is waking up and making my son breakfast, even the late-night feeds with my daughter,” said Woods.
“Our family is really what’s most important to me in terms of priority. Not only have I had two kids in the last two years, I lost my older brother last year unexpectedly. That, in addition to the beautiful blessing of kids, has really reaffirmed the importance of family and being there when you can while you can.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/Clq5ldtpp9r/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
