Cheyenne Knight – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Cheyenne Knight on the grueling mental aspect of the LPGA: ‘Bad golf is never fun’

Exhaustion that often comes from competing on the world’s largest stages has become a focal point.

Cheyenne Knight isn’t afraid to admit that life on the LPGA tour hasn’t been exactly perfect of late where she’s concerned.

After missing just three cuts during the entire 2020 season, Knight came to the Shoprite LPGA Classic at Seaview in Galloway, New Jersey, having missed the cut in each of her last three events — the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, Cambia Portland Classic and AIG Women’s British Open. She’s now missed the cut 11 times in 2021 and knew she was in need of a reboot.

A detour to see her mental coach has brought the reset she needed — after one round this week, she’s feeling like her old self again and a breezy 67 has her just two shots behind leader So Yeon Ryu.

“It’s just a constant mindset you have to have,” the three-time Alabama All-American and 2017 SEC Player of the Year said after her round. “I was just not enjoying myself. Bad golf is never fun.

“But like I’ve been putting in some good work with my coach, because I struggled a lot this summer. I was missing it kind of both ways. So we’ve been working hard to just like get back to how I play golf, which is really straight, consistent.”

Of course, mental exhaustion that often comes from competing on the world’s largest stages has become a focal point in recent months as players in multiple sports — Naomi Osaka, for example — have talked openly about the strain.

Cheyenne Knight reacts after winning the Volunteers of America Classic golf tournament at the Old American Golf Club on October 6, 2019, in The Colony, Texas. (Chuck Burton/Getty Images)

Knight knew she wasn’t feeling right. She reached out to get some focus.

“It’s easy to let the hard times kind of get you down. But just know that I’m putting in work, especially a lot on the mental side, visualizing my shot well, just playing the shot at hand, and not let my emotions affect me so much on the golf course,” Knight said. “And it-is-what-it-is attitude. So I did a good job of that today.

“It’s a constant effort. I mean, everything is good. You’re happy when you’re playing well. It’s all fine. But when you’re not playing well it’s hard because we do this all — I mean, I was actually talking about this with someone yesterday,” Knight said. “You go from in college you don’t play that many events a year, and out here it’s hard when it’s week after week after week and you’re struggling a little bit.

“But just look how far I’ve come and just try to enjoy it more, because I play the best when I’m having fun or not so hard on myself.”

Of course, Knight has a victory under her belt — the 2019 Volunteers of America Classic — and at the age of 23 she knows these struggles can pay off over the course of a career.

“I’ve won on tour before,” she said. “I feel like the hard times are necessary, even though you don’t want to go through them. My faith has helped me a lot, because like I don’t know why I’m like going through all this stuff.

“But it’s to make me stronger and a better player and a better person. It’s hard to tell yourself that, but it’s the truth. Just to keep believing that, keep working hard, being honest with yourself, and just like checking in with yourself mentally to make sure you still play the game for a reason.”

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Some of America’s best attend Solheim Cup practice session ahead of LPGA stop in Texas

At a Solheim Cup practice session earlier this week at Reynolds Lake Oconee, American players did everything but play golf.

At a Solheim Cup practice session earlier this week at Reynolds Lake Oconee, American players did everything but play golf. It was decided that Amy Olson is basically good at everything she tries. Jennifer Song and Brittany Altomare excel at archery. Jennifer Kupcho proved the best at distance darts. And Michelle Wie West convinced fellow assistant captain Angela Stanford to jump in the lake fully clothed.

“I think people think that you just show up that week and you gel as a team,” said Stanford. “That’s not how that works.”

Twelve players stayed on in Georgia for the team bonding session, organized by U.S. captain Pat Hurst, before heading on to this week’s Volunteers of America LPGA Texas Classic. Six of America’s top-ranked players chose not to attend.

With COVID-19 restrictions keeping players from having dinners with Hurst and potential teammates throughout the year, this was a rare chance for players to spend time together face-to-face outside the ropes.

“I think it’s really important,” said Salas, who looks to make her fifth Solheim Cup team.

“I think especially when the team dynamic starts shifting. As I used to be one of the newbies, now I’m sort of the veteran. And now we’re not seeing – it’s just the rotation is now starting – now it’s been almost 10 years.

“So I think it’s important not only to show your face, to show that you’re capable of being a team player, but to also get out of that uncomfortableness and be around your potential teammate. Because at the end of the day, that’s who you’re playing for. That’s who you’re grinding and fighting with for three days or for however many matches you’re playing.”

Stacy Lewis of Team USA putts during the second day morning foursomes matches of The Solheim Cup at Des Moines Golf and Country Club on August 19, 2017, in West Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Americans have won six of 15 events on the LPGA this season, and Nelly Korda moved to No. 1 in the world after claiming her first major title at the KPMG Women’s PGA.

Stanford, 43, heads into this week as defending champion of the VOA, just down the road from where she was raised in Saginaw, Texas.

When asked about the importance of having over-40 players in contention on the LPGA, Stacy Lewis went beyond the winning to say that the example players like Stanford set, and the perspective she carries is vital for the tour, particularly in transition times like this.

Lewis noted that players left some bottles on the ground at the Oconee event, and Stanford picked up after them.

“It’s little stuff like that,” said Lewis, “of setting a good example for the younger players. At some point we’re going to hand the tour over to them, and they need to know how to do it like the older players taught us.”

As for big things, Lewis points to pro-ams, saying that watching the way older players interacted with sponsors made a lasting impression on her as a rookie.

“Pro-ams are huge for our tour,” she said. “You know, I think that’s something that some of the younger players don’t get.

“They see it as a hassle and it interferes with practice, but it’s the most important day of our week. So it’s little things like that of what sells our tour and what really makes it work. Sometimes it takes a downturn in our tour or the economy for the younger players to see that. So hopefully we can spread the word about just we have to make our tour better as a whole.”

Cheyenne Knight, who joins Stanford and Lewis as Texans who have won the VOA, first met Stanford more than a decade ago in Fort Worth. Knight said she was so shy that she didn’t even know what to say, but that the next time she out at Shady Oaks, Stanford had left her a pair of shoes from the 2009 Solheim Cup.

“It was so cool,” Knight said. “I think I still have them, honestly.”

Angela Stanford and Gerina Piller of the United States Team react after Stanford made a putt on the 16th hole during the afternoon Four-Ball matches at the 2013 Solheim Cup on August 16, 2013, at Colorado Golf Club in Parker, Colorado. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Lewis said she flew into Texas on Tuesday morning and played nine holes and her body hurt in places she hadn’t felt in years after Monday’s all-sports session.

The badminton, pickleball, fishing and shooting range, as Stanford said, laid the foundation for what comes next at the Inverness Club in September.

“There is so much that week,” said Stanford. “The last thing you want to do is try to figure out a teammate.

“I just think it matters more than people think it matters.”

***

The top seven players from the USA Solheim Cup standings automatically qualify, along with the top two players in the Role Rankings not already eligible plus three captain’s picks.

Current Team USA Points Standings:

Nelly Korda 570.50
Danielle Kang 476
Ally Ewing 290
Lexi Thompson 260.50
Jessica Korda 256.50
Austin Ernst 238
Megan Khang 228
Brittany Altomare
Amy Olson 169.50
Angela Stanford 164.50

1	Nelly Korda	570.50
2	Danielle Kang	476.00
3	Ally Ewing	290.00
4	Lexi Thompson	260.50
5	Jessica Korda	256.50
6	Austin Ernst	238.00
7	Megan Khang	228.00
8	Brittany Altomare	184.00
9	Amy Olson	169.50
10	Angela Stanford	164.50

Annika Sorenstam’s presence back inside the ropes at LPGA season-opener left many young players in awe

Competing inside the ropes alongside Annika Sorenstam never seemed like a possibility for many of today’s LPGA stars, until last week.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Cheyenne Knight played in Annika Sorenstam’s junior events and attended her clinics. But being introduced on the tee alongside Ms. 59 was next-level cool for the 24-year-old LPGA player.

“I hit my drive in the trees on the first hole,” said Knight of the extra nerves that accompanied the experience.

Competing inside the ropes alongside the greatest player in the modern game never seemed like a possibility for many of today’s LPGA stars, given that Sorenstam retired in 2008 and turned her attention toward her family, foundation and brand. But her latest partnership with Diamond Resorts opened up a unique opportunity for Sorenstam to compete in the celebrity division of the LPGA’s season-opener, where she finished ninth.

Much has changed since Sorenstam dominated the LPGA with 72 titles. Knight said Sorenstam’s caddie/husband, Mike McGee, had to remind her that she could now tap down spike marks and take a drop from knee height.

In her preparation for the event, the 50-year-old couldn’t believe how winded she got after ramping up her range sessions, especially given that she’s scheduled to soon compete in a triathlon.

“To hit a lot of balls is different type of endurance that I didn’t appreciate,” she said.

Annika Sorenstam competes in the celebrity division of the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions (courtesy Diamond Resorts).

At the peak of her game, Sorenstam carried the ball around 250 yards. Now she’s down to about 235. She still hits her irons about the same distance.

“It’s the short game,” she said at the start of the week, “that’s where it is. I know the basics, I know the technique, but it’s the feel. The constant feel.”

Sorenstam was Gaby Lopez’s superhero growing up, along with countrywoman Lorena Ochoa. Lopez, the 2020 TOC champion, played Round 1 of the TOC with Sorenstam and called it one of the luckiest days of her life.

“We talked a lot about short-term goals,” said Lopez. “She dominated in so many ways, and she was always asking herself, ‘How can I just get better in this area, this area?’ Just breaking it down so she feels she’s achieving different goals in short-term to gain confidence, be comfortable.”

Danielle Kang considers Sorenstam a mentor, and while she didn’t get the chance to play alongside her last week, she wanted an up-close look at the Swede’s routine, how she handles distractions and how her energy changes over important putts.

“I would love to see how she executes shots,” said Kang, who lost in a playoff to Jessica Korda.

Sorenstam planned to compete in this year’s U.S. Senior Women’s Open for the first time but the championship’s new dates, July 29-Aug. 1, conflict with the Tokyo Olympics, and that’s a massive problem given that Sorenstam is president of the International Golf Federation.

Sorenstam and 2011 ANNIKA Invitational winner Celine Boutier, who were grouped together in the final round of the TOC (courtesy ANNIKA Foundation).

She also wanted to compete in the Senior LPGA Championship at the French Lick Resort in Indiana, but those dates conflict with the Junior Solheim Cup, and Sorenstam is captaining the European team this year.

“I’ve enjoyed practicing and getting ready,” she said. “I’m not going to stop, going to keep on going and see what happens.”

The multi-year Diamond Resorts partnership includes sponsoring the ANNIKA Invitational which in recent years has taken place in St. Augustine, Florida. Sorenstam said the tournament will move close to the TOC next January so that juniors can take part in the activities of the LPGA event as well.

Those who didn’t get the chance to play alongside an LPGA legend last week will have another chance in 2022.

“The thing that stood out to me was that she birdied 17 and 18 (on Saturday),” said Knight, “and her husband said she was so mad because she shot over par each day. She birdied those last two holes to shoot even par. Even though she doesn’t still play competitively, she still has that fire. I was like, that’s why she’s the GOAT.”

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Celine Boutier holds off Cheyenne Knight to win packed Texas Women’s Open

Celine Boutier, who resides in Dallas, edged Lonestar native Cheyenne Knight on Thursday to win the Texas Women’s Open.

The LPGA remains on hold, but its players are showing up in all places where there’s competitive golf to be played. That said, this week’s Texas Women’s Open looked more like a tour stop than a state open. Frenchwoman Celine Boutier, who resides in Dallas, edged Lonestar native Cheyenne Knight on Thursday for the title.

Boutier was 14 under for 54 holes at Old American Golf Club in The Colony, Texas. She climbed to the top of a loaded leaderboard on the strength of a second-round 7-under 64. She didn’t make a bogey that round.

Knight, who won the Volunteers of America Classic here last fall at the end of her rookie season, matched Boutier with a final-round 67 but it wasn’t enough. She finished at 11 under, three behind Boutier.

Scores: Texas Women’s Open

In 2019, Boutier cracked the winner’s circle for the first time in her three seasons on the LPGA by winning the ISPS Handa Vic Open in Australia. She was T-5 at the U.S. Women’s Open and went 4-0-0 for the European Solheim Cup team in the fall.

Kristen Gillman, an Austin native in her second season on tour, was a distant third at 5 under and Yu Liu, a former Duke teammate of Boutier’s (both were members of the Blue Devils’ 2014 NCAA title-winning team), was fourth at 4 under.

In all, six LPGA players finished inside the top 10. That also included Lindsey Weaver in a tie for fifth at 2 under and Brittany Lang, the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open champion, in a tie for seventh at 1 under.

Sadie Englemann, an Austin resident committed to play for Stanford, was the low amateur after finishing in part of the three-way tie for seventh.

Kenzie Wright, an Alabama senior who appeared on the Crimson Tide roster with Gillman, was solo 10th with an even-par total.

LPGA players Stacy Lewis and Gerina Piller, both Solheim Cuppers, were part of the five-woman tie for 11th

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Stuck at Home With: LPGA star Cheyenne Knight

While some have yet to compete on the LPGA, Knight played in all four events the LPGA staged in 2020. But the cancelations are still disappointing.

The “Stuck at Home With” series profiles players, caddies and staff in the women’s game who are making the most of an unprecedented break in tour life due to the coronavirus pandemic. New stories will be posted every Tuesday and Thursday.

Cheyenne Knight was in Houston to promote the 75th U.S. Women’s Open when they canceled the rodeo. The Woodlands, Texas, native knew then that her world was about to change even more drastically. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is massive in these parts.

Knight, 23, went home to Aledo to pack for the LPGA event in Phoenix, only to find out the next day that it had been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, along with the Kia Classic and ANA Inspiration, the first major of the year.

Now, two weeks later, she knows even less about when tour life might resume. All events on the LPGA schedule have been postponed through April.

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“I still live at home,” said Knight. “I know people that have made some big purchases – a house, a car – and nothing is coming in for however long this is going to last.”

These are stressful times. Knight was supposed to tee it up in her first ANA Inspiration this week. She’d prepped hard for Mission Hills, a course she has only seen on TV.

And while that’s disappointing, she knows that she’s better off than most, having won late in the season last year in Texas to secure strong status on the LPGA and money in the bank. She bought an iPad and TrackMan with her $195,000 first-place check.

While some have yet to compete on the LPGA, Knight played in all four events the LPGA staged in 2020, earning $34,720.

Cheyenne Knight practices in her garage during the coronavirus pandemic. (Cheyenne Knight)

After the Volvik Founders Cup was postponed, Knight made the 10-hour drive east to visit her boyfriend in Birmingham, Alabama. Robby Prater played golf at Alabama at the same time as Knight and recently took a job with a sports agency. They were still able to play golf in Birmingham and work on puzzles. An impromptu 10-day visit is a significant silver lining for long-distance couples.

Knight drove back to Texas last week where her club, Shady Oaks, is still closed. She’ll instead go to work at the garage net that she’s had since high school. The winters are so dicey in Aledo she’s worn a hole through it.

Knight grew up riding horses and made the tough decision to leave them behind and pursue golf seriously at age 12. She lives with her parents in a neighborhood outside of Fort Worth, but 100 yards down the road there are pastures with livestock.

“We hear the donkeys in the morning,” she said.

Knight joked with her mom that she might get a part-time job working at the stables if this break carries on much longer.

While Knight was away in Alabama, her mom made a shadow box from Cheyenne’s win at the Volunteers of America Classic, held only 60 miles from the family home. Even her pink hair ribbon was saved.

Knight recently finished “Peaky Blinders” (her favorite) and “Tiger King” (crazy and really bizarre) on Netflix. She was stoked about the third season of “Ozark.”

“My parents will probably put me to work doing stuff in the house to pay my rent,” she said.

She had plans to clean out her closet and donate her old golf clothes. Workouts will continue on with the hope that she comes back with a bit more swing speed.

Knight realizes that she might be a bit too optimistic about the tour returning to action in mid-May for the Pelican Women’s Championship in Belleair, Florida. The Woodlands native is especially eager for the Women’s Open at Champions Golf Club, now slated for early June.

When asked for her thoughts on moving the U.S. Women’s Open to the fall, Knight noted that Houston gets “pretty saturated” during hurricane season.

What about potentially extending the season in 2020?

“December in Houston?” she asked. “That would work.”

Right now, there’s not much left to do but speculate from the couch.

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Excel, agency that represents Tiger Woods launches women’s division with addition of six up-and-comers

The agency adds a stable of six new women’s golfers to join longtime client Cheyenne Woods.

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Excel Sports Management – the agency that represents Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas, among others – has launched a women’s division. Excel has long represented Cheyenne Woods, Tiger’s niece, but is expanding its stable with some of women’s golf’s most promising young pros.

The expansion brings six more women’s golfers on board, including Bronte Law, Kristen Gillman, Jillian Hollis, Andrea Lee, Albane Valenzuela and Sierra Brooks.

More than half of that group will be rookies this year. Symetra Tour graduate Hollis plus former Stanford players Valenzuela and Lee will all compete on the LPGA. Brooks, a former Florida player, will start out on the Symetra Tour.

Valenzuela competed in the 2016 Olympics for Switzerland.

Related: Sierra Brooks player diary

Law won her first LPGA title at the 2019 Pure Silk Championship and was a member of the victorious European Solheim Cup team later in the year. Gillman made 22 cuts in 26 events as a rookie last season, finishing second in the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year standings.

“Launching this women’s golf division is a very proud moment for Excel Sports Management,” said Mark Steinberg, Partner and President of Golf, Excel Sports Management. “We’re looking to build something here that will benefit women golfers around the world, providing opportunities they deserve on and off the course.”

Kevin Hopkins will lead the women’s division for Excel. Hopkins joined the agency in 2018 and has 15 years of experience in the golf representation and event management space, serving as the Executive Director for multiple Major Championships on the LPGA calendar including the ANA Inspiration (2012-2019) and the U.S. Women’s Open (2017).

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What I’m Working On: Cheyenne Knight

Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols talks with LPGA golfer Cheyenne Knight about what she is working on this week at Boca Rio.

Top 10 LPGA moments in 2019: Storied career ends and a real-life Cinderella emerges

The LPGA is full of fairy-tale moments. Some are on the grandest stages involving the game’s biggest stars and some come out of nowhere.

There’s never a shortage of fairy tale moments on the LPGA. Some of them happen on the grandest of stages from the game’s biggest stars. Others come hurtling out of nowhere.

Breaking a record held by 15-time major champion Tiger Woods usually fast-tracks a player to this type of year-end list. There were grab-a-tissue moments and “are you kidding me?!” putts. A real-life Cinderella who just couldn’t stop smiling and a one-time villain who flipped the script on how she’ll be remembered in this game with one sensational Sunday.

So here they are, the top 10 moments on the LPGA in 2019:

10. Dream team

Teammates Cydney Clanton (right) and Jasmine Suwannapura celebrate on the 18th green after winning the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational. (Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

A caddie brought Cydney Clanton and Jasmine Suwannapura together for the inaugural Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, but Clanton believes it was more of a divine plan. One year ago, Clanton missed out on her full card by $8. After a closing 59, the Auburn grad had a two-year exemption and a spot in the Evian Championship and AIG Women’s British Open. Suwannapura’s invitation proved life-changing for her partner, who’d spent most of the year on the Symetra Tour.

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