Tag: Kara Lawson

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. ­– Stacy Lewis’ daughter Chesnee joined her on the flash area platform after her final interview of the day. She carried a golf ball with her – not mom’s – and took to kicking it like a soccer ball. Chesnee isn’t old enough to come out and watch mom play during tournaments, but she does like to join her at practice.

“She’ll pick up a club and she’ll miss the ball completely,” said Lewis, “but she’ll sit there and hold her finish. So you know she’s paying attention. She’s watching.”

Stacy Lewis has always asked why. Never one to settle for personal success alone, Lewis has always looked out for the best interests of the overall tour. Why do the women, for example, play for less money on lesser-known courses? Those questions kicked into an even higher gear after she gave birth to a girl.

“You know, it’s just everything I do now is for Chesnee,” said Lewis, “and I hope when she’s older, she sees what I did as far as just having her while I was still playing (to) keep pushing the bar.”

Everything Stacy Lewis does now is to make the tour and this world better for daughter Chesnee. Her voice, her drive and the big and little things she advocates for behind the scenes are monumentally important to this tour. Chesnee came to say hi in the flash area today! pic.twitter.com/PTx6HcQ5uS

— Beth Ann Nichols (@GolfweekNichols) June 23, 2021

Lewis, a former World No. 1 and KPMG ambassador, has been an integral part of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship from the start. On Wednesday, she joined Duke head coach Kara Lawson at the annual KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit to talk about breaking barriers and empowering change.

Lawson, a Former WNBA and Olympic Champion, became the first female nationwide TV analyst for an NBA game and the first female assistant coach in Boston Celtics history.

“I think a lot of times those types of milestones say more about the decision-makers than they do the person,” said Lawson, who noted that not one day did she wake up in Boston thinking she couldn’t accomplish a task or that players wouldn’t listen to her because she’s female.

“I can’t be convinced about the opposite.”

Lawson wants to see women in key positions of leadership across all sports, just like Lewis wants to see all women’s sports get more network coverage.

“I think our biggest barrier is TV,” said Lewis, “and it has to do with the viewership and the number of people watching … that ultimately is what’s going to drive the money in.”

Being on the same stage as Lawson – though virtually this year ­– was energizing for Lewis, who wanted to jump on the floor and play for the Blue Devil coach after listening to her speak. In many areas, the accomplished pair could relate.

“It’s nice to hear the same struggles,” said Lewis, “but also the same kind of triumphs, too.”

Lawson said it’s important not to wait for someone else to recognize something that she already believes about herself. She knows what she has, what she brings, and in her mind, she’s already there.

“I don’t wait for people in my head,” she said. “That confidence has carried me a long way.”

Since the Leadership Summit began seven years ago, 20 percent of the women who participated have been promoted to the C-suite and 50 percent have been promoted.

“That’s one huge impact statement there,” said Paul Knopp, KPMG U.S. Chair and CEO. “We realize we play a small part in that, but these women continue to mentor and go to leadership development opportunities through this program. They network with the women every year that are at the summit.”

In 2019, two-thirds of LPGA events had some type of women’s leadership event convening onsite.

Condoleezza Rice, the 66^th U.S. Secretary of State, followed Lawson and Lewis in Wednesday’s all-star lineup.

It’s important for Lewis to show Chesnee that women don’t have to choose between their career and raising a family. The two-time major winner was at the Masters doing an event when she first told former KPMG Chair and CEO Lynne Doughtie that she was pregnant. Lewis admits she was scared to tell her sponsors, wondering if they drop her.

Doughtie wrapped her up in a bear hug, and the next week Lewis found out that KPMG would pay out the entire year she was pregnant event if she didn’t compete in the minimum number of events that her contract stipulated.

“It was the biggest relief,” said Lewis, “just to know that they had my back.”

All but one of her sponsors did the same thing and Lewis was outspoken about the need for it to become standard practice for all female athletes.

“It’s just encouraging to see it across all sports, in business,” said Lewis, “things are changing.”

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