No Laying Up - Golf Podcast - NLU Podcast, Episode 427: Troy Mullins

Episode Date: May 5, 2021

A heptathlete, and as it turns out, none of those sports actually included golf. Troy Mullins joins to tell us about becoming a long drive champion, teaching Mandarin, playing professional golf, where her swing speed comes from, African-American women in golf, and so much more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm going to be the right club today. Yes. That is better than most. How about him? That is better than most. Better than most. golf.com, our friends at Charles Schwab do an awesome job of featuring what they call the challengers in the golf world. They do these short video features that kind of highlights and people that are doing things, doing interesting things in golf, Troy definitely qualifies for that. There's a great five minute video on their website just talking about her journey through long drive competitions and being a heptathlete and all the crazy stuff she's

done in her life. And it's very interesting. I had a blast talking with her. So again, Schwab Golf.com for many of these videos that feature the challengers and we'll be doing some interviews with the challengers throughout the course of the year. And of course, no laying up is brought to you by Precision Pro Golf. Had my US Open Local Qualifier this past week. My guy Neil was on the bag. He was working in that Precision Pro Golf rangefinder to death, gunning every bunker, every tree we could find. We didn't make it through a spoiler alert, but there's going to be some good content

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but I think a lot of what our conversation's gonna be based around at least a little bit to get started is your background. So why don't you get us started on what your background is and your unique way and how you found your way into golf? Where do I begin? Childhood or high school? Well, yeah, your athleticism, where that comes from, high school. Yeah, your athleticism, you know, where that comes from high school

college and yeah, there's not a lot of people playing professional golf doing long drives that they didn't grow up playing the game. That's got to want to get it, but I want to set the scene for your other accomplishments. Yeah, I mean, I've always been an athlete. I'll say that when I was eight, I was into track. My dad was a professional runner. He had the world record in 78, 79 in the 400 meters and was set to go to the Olympics in the 80s when they were boycotted, which is so unfortunate. But yeah, I first, his first child, I kind of fell into the footsteps. I was just super fast as a kid. And so that kind of made it easy to do whatever sport I wanted. Just genetically, I have been gifted

this. And so I've dabbled in a lot of different sports, but I can't say I've been good at many sports. I wasn't good at basketball, so that was out. But I did play volleyball. Tennis, I thought I was great because I could just slam the ball really hard and hit it far, but that wasn't the point of tennis. And so I got into track and I ran track all the way through high school. And actually, when I was going to college, I was going to go to U Penn. But U Penn, I was like, I'm not gonna be an athlete. I'm just gonna be a regular student, give up sports, be- I'm over it. Until I had some friends that were on my high school track team that went to Cornell, and they were like, you should come here, just, you know, college sports is great. Like, you don't want to miss out on that, and Cornell had a really cool China program where you know, walk onto the team. And when I got to the team, they were like, okay, there stayed so many sprinters and they're,

like, what else can you do? I was like, well, I can hurtle and shop put. And I was like, what's the point? I was like, I'm going stayed so many sprinters and they're like, what else can you do? I was like, well, I can hurdle and shop put. And so I became a heptathlete. And that encompasses like seven events.

I've got a 200 meter, 800 meter, whoo meter hurdle, high jump, long jump, shop putt and javelin, which I could not have named before this podcast. That's for sure. Yeah. And so I could not have named before this podcast. That's for sure. Yeah. And so I not only did I go in first of all, I love how you talk about not being good at sports and you literally do a sport where it's like seven sports in one. Well, I can't say I'm not great at all sports. I just there's certain types of sports that I've somehow like drew like been really great at. And then there's other ones that I'm just really horrible at like I I cannot throw a ball like it's so embarrassing as a kid I think I didn't think about it and I you know used to play catch with my dad but

then there was some point where like 10 years old I like cannot even toss it ball. Well, it's always so weird how, you know, some athletes can flip over and do other sports so amazingly well. And then you look at, like I remember some of my hockey play, like some really good hockey players, when they would get on the basketball court, they would have no idea what to do. But then they flip over to golf and they're so good. And, you know, some athletes just can pick up a golf club and swing it so well, whereas like, LeBron James is about as athletic as it gets in any sport. And I've seen him swing a club and it's not pretty. So it's like, it's, there's no,

there's no direct translation for any of this stuff. It's weird, right? And so like, I, you know, in college, you know, I'm doing track and then when I ended up going abroad to China, that summer, my godfather and I had really started talking about golf and he's like, I think this is like, you know, you're not really running track anymore, you should really get into golf. Like, you can play it until you're like 80s and I'm like, I don't know about this.

Like, so we went to the driving range a few times and I just, I could hit the ball. And I was hooked within like maybe like three times and going to the range. I went every night. I hit like maybe two full buckets of ball. So this is where I'm prepared for people to not, not like you because if you showed up at this range without any golf experience and could hit it right away very well. This is where people are going to turn against you very quickly. I'm just warning you on that. Well, because, okay, so I'll describe it. There's like I was saying, like I wasn't coordinated for like basketball and softball

and like those kinds of sports, but with track being like very leg, obviously, very like a lot of sprints and getting out of the blocks. And then I did shot put and javelin. The leg motion is very similar. And so it was just so like, I got the legs down right away. And then once I figured out how to just make contact, I really didn't care if it went left or right. That I didn't care. I just made, I was so focused on solid contact that I could just get into impact position and then just let it go. So what you're saying is we all need to become

hep tathletes and then we will be very good at hitting the ball far. But pretty much. Well, so did you, I guess, getting into golf, then how long did it take before you started playing competitively or so did you, I guess, getting into golf, then what was how long did it take before you started playing, you know, competitively or where did you go next with the game of golf? Did you love playing it on golf courses right away? No, so I was, you know, when I was in Beijing, I actually brought some like used clubs that I found that summer to Beijing. So my senior year, and I was just on the driving range.

So I have to say at least the first like two years of me, quote, playing golf, was a lot of just practice. And not really on the course as much. So by the time I got on the course, I felt like I had an idea of how to play, but I was still really just learning. And I didn't compete into in my first event. I signed up for some amateur events in 2011. It was really when I started playing

2009. And then you qualified for the US Mid-Am in 2012. Yeah, 2008, 2009. And then, yeah, and then 2012. The mid-AM. This is, and that was a crazy experience. Yeah, tell me about that. I mean, you're around a lot of people I would have to imagine that, you know, they're almost on this other end of their career. If you're playing, you know, in the mid-AM, that's, you know, you've, you've, you've probably peaked in terms of your competitive golf.

Whereas you're just getting started. What was it like being around a bunch of competitive golfers? Oh gosh, I was the greenest of green. And somehow, for some reason, people see me and I guess I carry myself as if I know what I'm doing, but I really don't. And so I was in San Antonio, Texas, and I went by myself and I was like, okay, this is like the craziest thing I don't I'm like going into a totally different world alone So I rented a car got to the golf course and I'm like wow, this golf course is gorgeous and remind like just letting you know at this point

I haven't even played that many courses like I stuck to like my just municipal LA golf courses. So like I have, I'm just wowed by just like how massive this course is and of course it's windy and I'm like what am I doing? And you see all these like women that like have been golfing for years and they're like how they carry themselves and the first night we had a banquet and it was just like so overwhelming. I was like, wow, I'm at a USDA event. This is like beyond. And so the next day they assigned me a caddy. I was like, okay, this is fun. Like the first time I'm having a caddy carry my stuff or push cart, I should say. But they gave me a caddy that had to be in his 80s. I'm not even joking.

He was in his 80s. And he struggled to push the cart. So there was a point where I'm pushing it uphill, like I'm helping him out. And on the, maybe the 14th green, 14th green, And on the maybe the 14th green, 14th green, I'm playing with like the OG veteran woman that everybody's been warning me about. Like she's like no nonsense. I can't remember her name.

And all of a sudden a phone goes off. And we're all looking around and I'm like, I know it's not my phone. And it was my caddy, but he couldn't hear that his phone was going off. And I was like, your phone, your phone is going off. And he's like, oh, so he takes his flip phone out of his pocket and he answered it on the green. Oh no.

No. That's somebody sabotaging you. This is not what the experience you asked for. And so I'm like, you can't answer it on the screen. Like, you can't answer the phone at all. And so he's like, oh, star, son. And so he puts it in his pocket and she would live it. She was like, well, this is your caddy.

Like, I should have sliced you like two-stroke penalty. Like, we need the like, the official out here. And I was like, I don't know him. Like, he's a volunteer. Like it's not my fault. Well, that's what it's. So go ahead. Sorry.

No, no, no, no, that was it was just one of those things that I was like, gosh, I need I had the full experience of that. Oh man. Well, that's what one of the questions I had to ask you. Now, I was going to ask it for later on. But what is it? What's the world of golf like for somebody that comes into it in their adult? You know, I've been in it since I was gonna ask it for later on, but what's the world of golf like? For somebody that comes into it in their adult,

I've been in it since I was eight years old. So I've been around it and I'm familiar with it, but what's it like to come into this, by all means, a very weird sport. Later in life, after being involved in so many other sports, it's a broad question I know, but what's the world of golf

like to kind of come into as an adult? It's weird. It is. It is. It's different. I have to say that I, you know, I wear my heart on my sleeve, and I'm very open as a person, but like golfers are just kind of, they're just different.

I don't know. I like, I always expect that I'm just going to hit it off with like whoever I'm playing with because that was kind of why I loved this for to begin with. Like I love going and meeting random people that I just, you know, got paired up with on the first tee. But it's funny like the women that I've played with in like competitive competitions are very different. I know I have to say it. But it's a little intimidating. I do feel sometimes that you know I granted I hit it well and you know I can play this

game. I feel intimidated because I feel that they're looking at me like, wow, this girl, like, she doesn't even know what she's doing. Or like, like, sometimes I feel like I'm having to prove that I can play when I should just be really focused on just playing, that I don't think there's really like a, I haven't felt at least personally that there's like an open door, like an invitation into the world.

Whereas like with track, you know, you're competing, you're on a team, but you're competing individually. But there's this like kind of camaraderie that is very like open and fun. And with golf, it's so individual and so focused that I feel that it's just it's a little. I don't know how to say it's doughic stuffy. Is it a little bit of gatekeeping almost it's just yeah, and do I'm wondering if you feel that because you know we're going to talk a little long drive and your professional golf pursuit as well. But do you feel kind of caught between two worlds in that regard where,

you know, you compete in long drive competitions and also tournaments where you're trying to get the ball in the hole as fast as possible. Do you feel like, yeah, when you're playing real golf events or actual golf events that they look at you like the long drive person and then when you're at long drive events do they say, well, is she a long driver or is she a professional golfer? How does that, what's it like kind of being in both of those camps? Well, for a long time, I mean, obviously know, what's it like kind of being in both of those camps? Um, well for a long time, I mean, obviously right now it's such a hot topic with distance and long drive and especially with Bryson, but

before it was you had to choose you couldn't be both a long drive hitter and a golfer. It's just not possible like you, you know, you can't go hit the ball like 300 yards and then put and chip. But that's such a misconception. What is different is, you know, the environment and the psyche. You have to be so pumped up and the music is blaring and like the whole adrenaline that you feel in long drive. Like you could not take that. I don't think. It's so different. Yeah, I feel like everyone is always asking, why don't long drive participants do better in pro golf? Why isn't Jamie Sadlowski on the PGA tour all this stuff? And I just, I look at them as two totally different things almost, they almost kind of work

against each other. I was curious to ask you about that too. Like, is your golf suite, compare your golf swing and a long drive competition to an, you know, a real golf suite? Compare your golf swing in a long drive competition to an you know a real golf competition. I think that for the most part I've in the last few years I've tried to keep my golf swing my driver swing and my long drive swing similar just because I've I've always had the aspirations to play so I didn't really want to go to like pass parallel jumping way off the ground, and very, you know, violent swing. So I've always tried to figure out how I can keep a little bit of both, and that is very hard to do to be successful in both.

You know, there's a lot of long drivers that are good golfers. I do think mentally, though, for me at least, personally, when I go to a golf course To play stroke play versus long drive. It's just so quiet and the pace is so different You really have to be in a different mindset for both and sometimes that's hard to manage A quick break here to check in with our friends at whoop you can go to whoop.com use promo code no laying up all one word at checkout for 15% off all of your woop needs. I'll tell you a little unexpected thing I've gotten out

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information about how all this stuff works to get the most out of our bodies. Woop.com promo code no laying up for 15% off. Let's get back to Troy Mullins. What's your long drive swing speed and what's your swing speed for competitive golf? Now, I know you just said that you're trying to keep them the same, but I'm wondering if with the music and getting pumped up for long drive, is it noticeably faster? And is that something you measure in our tracking? Yeah, it is noticeably different. And sometimes I'm like, how do I even do that? But like, like, I, um, I'll swing it between like one 18 and one 21 is like topped out for long drive. And then right now I can swing it

anywhere between like one 10, but average like one 12 and 115. And just for the listeners that that you're you're you're maxing out at bigger than well above the PGA Tour average swing speed, which is about 114 miles an hour. So would you be the longest player on the LPGA Tour? I think so. I think I easily could. Sometimes I find myself like dialing back because I'm like trying to hit fairways, but sometimes I'll just let it rip.

And I'm like, whoa. I think I'd come for it. But yeah, I think I would. I know that there are a lot of long players right now that are on the tour, but I'm not trying to keep my own four years. Well, I love to get you in the contest of Angel Yen, because she's a trash talker as far as how far she hits it. So that would be... We've practiced together out at Andalus National. Yeah, she is a big hitter. She is. And she does not like the fact that other people say Ann Van Dam is the longest on the LPGA tour.

So we need to set something like that up. What, can you help me understand why distance hasn't taken over the women's game? Like it has the men's game. I would think, you know, and there's a great article that was just posted today by Bethann Nichols on Golf Week, just about how in reality LPGA golf courses are set up much longer than PGA tour golf courses just with relative distance to how far the women

hit it versus how far the men hit it. And you know, we've seen this distance take over on the PGA tour. You mentioned Bryson and we've seen this trend just with all of the information that's out there, track man data and the information on how beneficial it is to drive it far. I don't feel this renaissance going on on the women's tour. And I'm wondering if you have any perspective as to why that might be or if you see that coming in the near future. I do see it coming in the near future.

I think knowing my background, like I've played different sports, I think that definitely has something to do with it. I mean, if you look at, you know, babes of hirius and and a casseroid stem and some of the other golfers that have maybe dabbled in other sports as in high school or before that. It's just a different set of muscles and and speed and hip speed and right now when you see these golfers coming up, that's not what they're focused on right like they're focused on their shipping and their putting and accuracy and their irons and only recently you kind of see college players really in the gym really kind of doing cross training I'm starting to see women now I've been doing band work like like work for years. And now I'm seeing a lot of people on Instagram learning about band work. So I think there is going to be like an up swing of longer hitters coming onto the

tour, but it's going to take a little bit of time for these young players to develop that. What, what's your go to power tip you'd have for amateur golfers and where does, where does power, in your opinion, where does power come from if you were to define it simply. For me, I think that my power comes from really just turning my hip speed. So I guess that's a lot of core, core, but also including glutes and hamstrings. And so I've always, a lot of my exercises have always been lower body and core. So I do, you know, Pilates or the yoga running, biking, and maintaining that speed. So when I turn, I get a lot of that, you know, ground force to really just turn my hips and the rest is kind of just lag, letting the club do the work. Yeah, I never, it's funny.

However, often I ask that question to anyone that hits it far. No one ever says, you know, it comes from swinging my arms really fast. Yet when I'm trying to hit one hard, I always am just like, all right, let's swing the arms really fast. Yet no one has ever, ever told me to do that. What, what is it, you know, you have this kind of background

in athleticism and leg strength and everything, you know, before you came into golf, but for people that are, you know, you have this kind of background in athleticism and leg strength and everything, you know, before you came into golf, but for people that are, you know, looking to get in better shape for golf, it's a complicated, I'm sure there's a ton of things you can do, but you mentioned core there. What would you be focusing on? If you were, you know, just now out on a, you know, fitness journey of some kind as it relates to golf, what would you focus on first? I think a lot of golfers are midsection heavy, like I was saying core, right? I would focus on, you know, really gaining strength

in your middle section. So how could you do that? You could do, obviously there's sit ups, but there's planks, bicycles, polotties is great. But I do cross training, so I also do boxing. I don't know. Take me to a day for you. What's a normal day look like?

There's the great Charles Schwab challenge or video that just came out that profiles, for people once they hear your answer here, you can go and watch this video to see more about it. But what's a normal day look like in terms of balancing golf and fitness? So I wake up early. I'm an early riser.

I'm not a night owl, which makes it easy. I'm up. I get ready to go golfing. So I go from 6 to about 10. I'll be on the course. Then I practice from 10 to noon. So I come back, have lunch, hang out with my dog, take a walk, and in there I try to read something, golf related, but like mental,

just to work on my mental game. Right now I'm actually reading traits of champion golfers, which is great. And then I will work out from about three to five. I get lost in working out. Like I literally, once I start, I'm in there and I lose track of time. I have no clock in my garage gym and I just don't even know it. See, I was already mad about the range stuff.

And now it's like, I'm 10 minutes in there and I'm like, I've been in here for three hours. How is only 10 minutes gone by? It's pretty bad. But I mean, I'll be on the bike for about 45 and I have this, I do body combat. My boyfriend calls it body karate, but it's basically like shadow boxing, but it's a mix of like karate, moitai, everything. And so I will just be in there for like 50 minutes, just like fighting the air and just like,

you know, getting all my aggression out, whatever I'm feeling for the day. And then I finish with either like a yoga set or a core set. Well, let's take us to your professional golf journey here and kind of set the scene for what your experience has been like so far. And I know the answer to this part of the question, you know, are you up against a lot of women that are also, you know, getting into the game of golf very late on the professional golf

scene? Am I no? Tournaments are another thing. I've played in a lot of tournaments and I start, you know, getting my feet wet in tournaments in the past has been interesting. Just because I've, man, I've experienced the crying on the golf course, not me personally, but other competitors crying, and then I've also experienced where like, I'm on the tee and somebody's like, oh, why aren't you hitting driver? Hit the long drive. And I'm like, why am I the only one being huckled here? Like, what is this?

And just kind of trying to find my own space in the game. And do I hit, you know, even on the tee box, do I hit a draw because I hit it long? Or do I play my natural fade? And really just figuring out who it long or do I play my natural fate and really just figuring out who I am and how I play the game and not playing it for other people. But also just being accepting that like, you know, the personality of like being personable doesn't really work in stroke play and everybody's kind of in their heads and um, it's it's been and it's been different. Every tournament has been a learning experience

in terms of what I've learned about myself but also what I've learned about this game. I really do think any golf fan, at any level you wanna try it at, you can be any flight or of any club championship or anything needs to play some tournament golf. Just so when you're watching on TV, you have the appreciation for the nerves and the internal battles that everyone's going through you mentioned you know it you know probably looking a lot cooler out there

than you feel on the inside and know exactly what that means like it is it is very nerve-wracking to compete in tournaments but if you know so you you hit it really far you have incredible driver talent what's your weakness in your game? What's the difference between where you're at right now and the top players on the LPGA tour? What do you need to get great at in order to make it in Pro Golf? Wow, I would say, man, Troy, driving range Troy, shipping range, putting green is like, you would think I was like, I've been on tour for years. Mm-hmm. I definitely...

No, I, I, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my,

I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, that's a really good reference point, though, you feel great about your game in the range. I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my,

I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, I'm not tuning my, that's a really good reference point, though, you feel great about your game in the range. I do, I feel like when I'm out there practicing, I'm just in a groove. I think what I've got to comfortable with is one playing with women. Playing with women is very different than playing with men. I've played in a lot of, I've played in more tournaments and events with men. Not on purpose just because they've either been closed or they've, you know, I've been invited and men and the way that they play more aggressively,

I kind of have fallen into that, especially with long drive, I find that it's easier to kind of just have that man attitude where you, you you know you think every putts going in and you you have this air about you but when I play with women, I find that I'm softer. There's like a softer Troy that holds back and so I think I've got to find out, find the balance and not hold back. There's something there, but it's cracking. I see it cracking through and opening, and it's kind of cool.

I don't know if that made any sense. No, it does. It's a, yeah, I am going to go try to explain what I think you mean, but it's in my head. It makes sense in my head. I don't know if I could explain it, but it's almost like, it sounds like the vibe of whatever you're doing has a big effect on you, right?

You talk about getting super jacked up for long drive competitions. There's maybe more bravado or more aggression that comes with playing with men and yet playing with women almost seems like. It seems like someone that's competing in a sport as a young person that has a competitive advantage over everyone around them,

but that makes them maybe a little bit uncomfortable. Is that kind of somewhat fair to say? A little bit. Yeah, and I just, no, I'll describe it very well and it's very sad. I am a people person at heart and I feel really bad when I hit it past people. And it's funny that I should own that, right? Like I should own that I hit it far. But with men, you know, I'm right in

par with them. And men don't care. Men don't care if I hit it long. Like that's not going to hurt their feelings. And I feel sometimes when I play with women that I'm trying to also be their friend and not really come out as like, oh, I'm about to bomb it. Thank you. But I, yeah, and I played with Amy Olson and she hits it far. She's a great. And so we were out there playing recently and I was like, man, like, she's really cool. I wanted to be friends with her and so I was, I was like, dinking it out there. Like, honestly, and I was like, I couldn't get out of my head to like hit it far, like hit it

passers. So we're like in line with each other and I was just kind of like gauging how she plays and she's talking to him and she's great and she's dropping birdies like left and right and like, wow, Amy's fun. And so she mentioned something about Long Drive and she was like, yeah, I know that you, you know, I don't hit it as far as you, but like she kind of said that in a way that made me feel like, oh, so she's going to be okay like with me just kind of letting it go. And I wasn't trying to swing any harder. I just literally freed myself up. And I think I dropped one like 310 on her. She looks like where was that? But it's just that like just feeling, you know, I'm new to this game and I came in

lay and I'm really not trying to step on anyone's toes. And it's that kind of thing that these women have put, you know, have paid their dues. And I play the sport not to, you know, step on that, but to kind of just because I appreciate the game and I love this game. Send it. Come on., you gotta send it. That makes me sad that you're bashful about sending it. I know, so silly, but I'm working with new coaches now and we're learning to accept that that's part of my gift

and I've gotta just let it go. Let the bomb go. Who are you working with? What's been your in golf instruction you've gotten either in the past or what are you currently, who are you currently working with? Man, I've worked with some great people. I've had lessons here and there with a lot of great coaches and I've worked

with Gankus for long drive. But recently I'm working with Ronnie Stockton and actually a caddy who has been on tour Chris Macalmont. And both of them has really, we've really just focused on the mental part of playing stroke play and getting ready for these tournaments. They both think that, you know, I have the skill

that's not the problem. It's like how do we let it go? Like, right, like I was saying, how do we unleash it? Right? Yeah. So I've, I hate being the one giving advice to professional golfers, but I've ever heard of the book called Be a Player by P. Nielsen and Lynn Marriott. No, I gotta get that one. That's a good one. That was a, it's, I'm only suggesting it because what you just described is what it exactly it helped me with in terms of getting in a competitive mode, learning to trust your body, learning

to send it, learning to get over mental hurdles. I always have the mental side of golf was just, hey, be real cheery, be positive, have a great attitude, go hit the next one great, but understanding the effect your mind has, all the downtime you spend during a competitive round of golf, what are you telling yourself, what are you thinking, how are you handling that? Are you thinking technical thoughts out there or are you thinking about your tempo,

intention, and things like that? And it was eye opening, I think it really did help me. As I say that, my scores aren't really that much lower, but it has had an impact on me, I think. So, but yeah, it's just, it's nerve-wracking. I mean, compare the nerves, what are the nerves like for long drive versus like a competitive competitive event? Do you get nervous, equally nervous for both different kind of nervous?

Oh, I think I can equally nervous, but it's a different nervous. Like for long drive, a lot of women I've seen too. We, you shake, you get the shakes, like you so much adrenaline. Sometimes like, I had a hard time putting the ball in the teeth. I would have to like, teet it and put it against my foot. And I, and it's like not consciously nervous, but I'm just like so amped up and like, so, you know, I've got eight balls to get it in. And guess all of that like I just feel it in the shakes but I don't necessarily feel it in swing thoughts or like necessarily like in the moment of swinging for long drive but for golf.

It just comes in just so many thoughts like I start thinking about way too many things so it's so different I'm you know, I'm calm, but I'm thinking whereas long drive. You don't have time to think you just got to go Well, what's it for people that don't you know aren't familiar with it? What's the structure? What are long drive contests? Like what's a tour look like? What's the structure of the actual events? You know and who are who are some of the people that you're Some of the top competitors out you know, and who are some of the people that your, some of the top competitors out there? Yes, so long drive.

We have, it goes through the summer and for the women, it's actually pretty tough. Women have to do everything in one day. So we show up and we have the morning rounds, the qualifying rounds, and then we have the finals in the evening. And the qualifying rounds are just like, oh man, there are so many rounds and so many balls. But you get eight balls in a set of two minutes. So you've got to hit all eight and you go, it's kind of like match play with all these different, all the different women. And then the top four competitors move on to the finals.

And then in the finals, again, you get the eight balls in the two minutes, but it used to be what I love. It used to be four balls. Then your competitor, then four balls again. So you get to like, best each other. But what changed is when it was eight balls and you have to go first, there's no like rabbit. So you can't, there's no, no one to chase, which makes it a little tough. Hmm. Do you try to get one out there in the early part of that just so you have something on the grid? I noticed when you, when you won,

some highlights I was watching, I forget which, which long drive you won. You had several, your first several balls were OB before you got one, three 74 to win the title. So, you know, is there any, is there any mindsets of kind of getting one out there and then trying to keep besting it? Yeah

For that one it was in Denver and it was the mile high. It started raining and so I just again I was like there was way too much going on in my head I was like it's raining and they had mentioned something because I had missed one before They had mentioned something because I had missed one before. I thought I was going to lose the club, right? Say no more. I can't do anything when it's raining or my hands are sweating. You're talking to the right person. Right. So I was just, um, but what happened was I said, I'm not going to look up anymore. I'm just going to swing.

And I know one is, if I do my swing, one of them is going to find the script. and I know one is if I do my swing, one of them is going to find this grip. And so I just kept at that point like it kind of got quiet in my head and I wish you know I could carry that same feeling, that same in the zone moment all the time. But I did. I honestly I kept my head down. I focused on my routine. I went back to a routine. I thought about my swing and I said said, I know I'm gonna get this in the grid. And if I don't, I gave it everything I had. And it kind of just worked out. I thought this was gonna come up earlier in the conversation,

but I wanna hear about how you went about your game plan for financing a professional golf career, how you got, what you did to do that? Oh man, I've done everything. I worked at two different golf courses in LA. So at first, I worked at the one that. Oh man, I've done everything. I worked at two different golf courses in L.A. So at first, I worked at the one that I started at Westchester Golf Course. They had an opening for a starter and I started there and, you know, giving balls and then in the evening afternoon, I would play on there. It's an executive course. And so I played there. I'd go, you know,

it's par three. So it was very simple. And I would just hit balls. I really just worked so I played there, I'd go, you know, it's par three. So it was very simple. I would just hit balls. I really just worked so I could just hit free balls. And then I went and I worked at Brookside. So I'm like, okay, so now I'm actually on an actual golf course. And so that's really where I kind of like started playing with other professionals as well. They had a mini tour out there and I learned a lot from just playing with those players, but I also was a tutor. I worked as a barista and so when I started tutoring, I just focused on Mandarin because I was really fluent in Mandarin right after college and they had a position for a Mandarin tutor. And then they were like, well, do you do any other subjects?

And I was like, I don't know. I like other subjects. And so I went in and you have to test, you have to take the actual test of whatever subject you wanna teach to see if you can do it. And I ended up doing really well in the math and science. And so I focused on, you know, middle school because I think that middle school kids their their brains are still

malleable and they listen and they don't paint school yet. So I did middle school math and science and I just loved it. I never saw myself as a teacher or a tutor, but I really enjoyed it, connecting with these kids. And then I tutored so much for this company. It was literally one other tutor and I who did a bulk of this company's business. And I'm like, why am I working,

making almost a fourth of what they're charging these parents. And so I left the company and I started my own tutoring business. And that's not where the story ends then. Tell me about starting your own tutoring business. That sounds weird. Yeah. Yeah.

Are you still, you still do that? What's the hour commitment like and kind of take us to what that looks like? I do. I still do it. I don't do it as much. I've kept the students that I've had from a lot of them from sixth grade and a lot of my students have graduated or graduating this year.

Yeah, I started with a couple of parents that I knew. I told them that I was going to be doing tutoring and I did this one specific test called the ISCE, which is a independent school entrance exam. So for private schools, you have to take a entrance exam. And I got really good at this test. Every kid that I tutored in this test was getting into a school they wanted. And I don't know how I figured out the language of like a six and eighth grader,

but I had it down to a science. So I was so busy, once parents found out that like I was really good at teaching this test, I had maybe four to five students a night. And Saturday was the only day I had off. So after practice, after working out, I would tutor from about like four, maybe

three, 30 till about eight. And I wouldn't get home sometimes on 9 30 10. And then Saturdays I took off. And then Sunday, I started eight in the morning until about five. I'm not, I'm not, I'm not seeing how this jives with your, with your workout schedule, golf schedule, all these things. You sound like a very busy person. Well, it was perfect, right? Because I golf early, remember? So I wake up at like five on the golf course, practice,

work out, and then my day is done at three for golf. And so the rest of the day was just for tutoring. But I loved it. I felt that it took my mind off of everything else. I enjoyed seeing these kids learning about themselves because kids always say to me, I hate math, I hate math, but then at the end of it,

they're like, oh, well, it was really fun. And that was busy, and I was like, yeah. And just the joy that people get when you accomplish something and you learn something that you think is difficult, kind of like golf, right? Like when you first something and you learn something that you think is difficult. Kind of like golf, right? Like when you first hit that great ball, you feel accomplished and you want to keep doing it.

And that's what I like about kids. Bear with me on this. I'm wondering as you're saying this, you know, you said you somehow figured out this one test, how the science behind how to teach this one test. Do you think like a athletic and competitive, athletic and competitive streak in you leads to that? I go back to the lessons. I feel like I learned in high school basketball,

high school baseball, high school golf. Being on sports teams, being in competition, trying to figure out ways to be the best or better than someone else, I think it contributes to so many other aspects later in life. Can you see a link between those two things? than someone else, I think it contributes to so many other aspects later in life. Can you see a link between those two things? That's interesting. I've never thought about it that way. I don't know. Maybe it's, I've

always enjoyed challenges, even though I'll get frustrated with something, I'll keep doing it. I'm annoying that way. I know that I'm competitive, but it's also this like need to say that I've done that. And so like, I got to a point where I could read because I started moving away from just that test and doing general studies with kids because I figured out that I could read one of their textbooks. I'd take me about 10 minutes to read through a chapter

and I could explain it back to them. I don't know where that school came from but I don't know if I had it in high school but I tapped into it as a tutor and I was like this is awesome. You know when I first started golfing, I would do that. I would I've read like Phil makele some short game, the Tiger Woods book and I have like a whole list of books that I just I literally devoured I watched hours of videotape like I watched out of scott swing and like earning elves and I I can't say that I just you know one on the golf course and figured it out I literally would dissect their swing slow it down and just watch it and learn it Um, and I don't think that a lot of players that pick up the game

and they're like, why do you do it so fast? Well, you're not studying. And I enjoy that part. I enjoy the studying, and I enjoy the practice. Like I love practicing. This next question has two parts and bear with me on this one again. But I'm wondering if you can help me link this

because growing up, did you have any African-American women that you could see as sort of a role model in the golf world? And I'm asking that, knowing that you don't come from a golf background, and I'm wondering if the lack of African-American women in golf on the biggest stages has any impact on, you know, other young African-American girls getting into golf? I'm curious your perspective on that.

Yeah, that's tough because getting into golf, honestly, I don't think... I didn't see representation and I know, you know, there are, right? I knew about Elfia Gibson, but I knew about her because of tennis. I didn't know she was a golfer. I didn't know about Renee Powell until I was already a golfer. But I'm not a tennis player, but I, you know, I've huge fan of Serena Williams, even Naomi Osaka now. And in track, there was just so many, there were so many great African-American women There were so many great African American women runners that I looked up to, Mary and Jones, flow Joe, Jackie Joyner-Curseys. So the representation in that sport, it was just, that's natural and it's disappointing that in golf, you don't really see even just women. I didn't know about Onika again until I was a golfer. And it's just, you know, I didn't know about Onika again until I was a golfer. And it's just, you know, in other sports,

even if you're not of that sport, you know them. You know their names. You see them on Wheaties boxes. You see them in commercials. And for golf, you don't get that same interaction outside of the sport. Hmm. What are some of the biggest highlights of your golf life so far?

And I'm asking this in terms of your Instagram is is just flush full of cool experiences cool places you've been So I'm wondering when I asked that what comes to your to you to mind as some of your favorite and coolest experiences you've had? Oh man I've been lucky. I've had a lot of experiences. I Things that I'm like, wow, did that really happen? And what's the coolest one? It's always hardest to get the coolest, like that answer, but just whatever comes to mind is some really cool things.

I think the coolest. The coolest was probably last year. I was at the American Century, super nervous to be there. But it was the first time that there were no spectators. So we were able to convene in the clubhouse where they said they haven't been able to do that in years past. So I'm sitting at a table with some of the biggest sports. And I'm on the driving range with Marcus Allen

and Jerome Betis, Chancy Bullets. You name it, we were all on the range. And it felt like just family. And they were just so down to earth and they didn't seem like the big stars that they are. And we're just laughing about golf. And it's so crazy that we all play different sports, but we come together to hit a little tiny ball.

And we all struggle with the same thing. And we're talking about the different shots we hit or like what we're working on. And even just sitting in the clubhouse with Charles Barkley and just and his energy and Doug Flutey came in and he made some joke like, oh, you know, when I was little, I I used to watch you on TV and he goes, you were never little. So that's just it's incredible. It's incredible to be a part of a community of athletes that play golf. And I thought it was the most special. Well, I know, obviously not privy to those conversations, but I know exactly what kind of conversations you're talking about in terms of just golf nerd. Like everybody seeking

a little, some kind of advantage, some kind of, all that golf talk only is really understood by golfers. This weird little passion in terms of, you know, all the little kind of, everyone wants to talk about their round or everyone wants to talk about what they're working on, all that and I don't know, I've experienced a lot of sports, but nothing like that in terms of golf.

You don't stay on a basketball court and talk about your free throw form or all the things you're working on. It's just golf is just maddening in that regard. But the last thing I have here is you executed what I would consider to be the dream prank, the dress-up pro that's unassuming and manages to shock some people in the process.

I've gone over this idea a million times in my head about trying to pull this off. And it takes so much work, goes into it. Tell the story of how that happened. Yes, so Scots TV came to us with this idea of a granny prank. I was like, Oh, yeah, I'm all in. And at first, it was going to be with adults. And I said, No, no, no, no, no, you've got to get kids.

Kids will never suspect me. I was like, they'll never know. Like I'll walk around like old lady, like they'll never see it. And so we did the full prosthetics in the morning, the five hours of makeup. And of course it was like the hottest day in Genesis. Like normally I feel like it's cool, but of course it's the hottest day there. And I'm literally walking around Riviera as a granny. Hours before the clinic.

And so Cameron champ, this is perfect too because Cameron champ hits it a long way. And so I'm there at the clinic. I was walking around with my little sister, who was my granddaughter. So we're walking around and then of course we go to the clinic. So no one sees, no one thinks of me as like a young person because I've been, I've already been planted, like I've already been there. I even walked past my mom who didn't recognize me, so that tells me something. And she was like, Troy, I was like, mom, really? You just didn't see me.

But yeah, so Cameron Chan's hitting it, and then all of a sudden, you know, we do the, he teased it up to like, oh, let's get a young person and an older person, which is perfect. And the hard part was not swinging. Good, like how do you swing bad? Like I was, I know that sounds horrible to me. I know, I know.

But I was, I was like, how do I make it look awkward without being obviously awkward? And so they're like, can you miss the ball? But I felt like my miss was like way too on plane. But the kids like weren't buying, they really, they look so miserable watching me. And it was so, it was hard not to laugh. And so I just knew though that if I hit the fence,

because I had practiced the day before, if I hit that fence where Cameron Champlain the day before, if I hit that fence where Cameron Chan was hitting it, I knew they would lose it. And so with all the prosthetics, I'm like, how am I going to get my arms over my belly and over like my big suit? And it was great. They they loved it. And then they were chanting grandma. And I remember right after when I was getting my makeup off, Bubba came walking through the dressing room. And he was like, I could hear them chanting grandma on 11th fairway.

But yeah, I just love it. I again, I love being around kids and that to me was the best. They were, I didn't know they were like, grandma, can you sign this? I'm like, what do I sign it? Yeah, you sign it as? The decided as Gladys? Yeah, I wrote on some of them, Grandma Troy. But yeah, we told the kids who I wasn't the end, but they were still they don't know. I was, I looked like an eight year old woman. So, well, what's next for you? What's what's what's Well, what's next for you? What's coming up on the horizon for you?

We have a lot coming up, a lot of secret projects, but I'm going to be working on, you know, Q school in the fall, so playing events this summer. Hopefully, long time comes back, but I'm also going to be working with NBC Sports and Golf Channel and excited about that. Well, we look forward to following that. We thank you a ton for your time and for listeners

that are here. Go ahead and check out the htwobgolf.com. Check out the Challenger video that features Troy and her story as well. And thanks for sharing some stories with us. It's really cool, perspective to hear and hope to do it again sometime. And hope to cross paths with you soon.

Yeah, thanks, Chris. I hope to do it again sometime and hope to cross paths with you soon. Yeah, thanks Chris. Give it a big round of applause. Be the right club today. That's better than most. How about in? That is better than most. Better than most.

Expect anything different. Better than most.