No Laying Up - Golf Podcast - NLU Podcast, Episode 738: Cheyenne Knight

Episode Date: September 13, 2023

Ahead of her Solheim Cup debut in Spain next week, Cheyenne Knight sits down with Randy to talk about her selection to the team as well as her amateur and collegiate career at Alabama, her initial struggles in professional golf, the distance and technology debate from an LPGA perspective, and 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. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back into the No-Lang Up Golf Podcast. Thank you for tuning in. Today's episode is an interview with Cheyenne Knight. Cheyenne is one of five rookies on the USA Soul Heim Cup team.

Of course, next week is Soulheim Cup week. So what better way to start getting familiar with some of the fresh faces on Team USA? I really enjoyed the conversation with Cheyenne. It was in person last weekend in Cincinnati at the LPGA Queen City Championship. I talked to Cheyenne about the struggles of transitioning from college to professional golf. I talked to her a little bit about some of the technology and rollback questions surrounding the game at the moment. We get into Soulheim Cup stuff, of course.

It was a really fun conversation all around and I hope one that you will enjoy listening to. Before we dive into that conversation though, I wanna thank one of our sponsors and that is Robac, Robac Active Wear, you all know Robac. These guys just understand quality. There's only one way to describe Robac, best fit, best feel.

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Thank them for being a great sponsor for us. And now my conversation with Cheyenne Knight. Joining me today live in my hometown since Nadi Ohio at the Kenwood Country Club, the Queen City Championship this week is Cheyenne Knight. Cheyenne, thank you so much for joining me. I'm excited to talk to you. How are you doing today? I'm good. I'm excited to be here. Thanks for having me. How have you found Cincinnati?

You were telling me this is your first, you did not play in the inaugural event last year. Had you ever been to Cincinnati at all before? I've never been before. It's been great. Just got off the, just got down with my pro-AM and everyone's talking about graders or skyline chilly. I don't know a lot of things I haven't tried yet,

but excited to kind of explore later this week. Because I think you're, well, at least going off you're the bio on the LPGA website. You're a bit of a foodie, aren't you? I am. You know, I wrote that bio my rookie year, and as I've gotten a little bit older, I got to watch what I eat a little bit more.

You know, I can't, my metabolism is slowing down, you know, I can't,, all the food and player dining, I gotta be careful. Well, you are quite a bit younger than I, I'm gonna be 40 next month, but I hear you on having to start actually thinking about what you eat and the metabolism slowing down. Yeah, I would say graders for sure,

and I am absolutely a homer, but I truly believe graders is some of the best ice cream in the country. So if you like ice cream, definitely check out Graders. Skyline is a very polarizing experience. It is, you can get it a couple of ways. Either a bed of noodles with chili and cheese on top. Or they'll, you know, a little Coney Hot Dog.

They'll put the chili and the cheese on there. So if you're feeling adventurous, I would say definitely. top or they'll, you know, a little Coney Hot Dog, they'll put the chili and the cheese on there. So if you're feeling adventurous, I would say definitely. Okay. Yeah. Well, I'm going to have to take some other, my other friends with me so we can all experience it together. There you go.

There you go. Well, on the food are there, I know we're in Cincinnati this week, as I said, are there certain stops on your calendar year to year that really excites you for either a certain restaurant or a type of food? Oh gosh, I think like LA you can't really be. Now when we play at Wilshire, like all the restaurants on Larchmont are just good food scene there. And then you know I'm from Texas, so anytime we play in Texas I like the Tex-Mex, just restaurants that I know. When we go over to Europe, not Scottish food, not, you know, a lot different than one I'm used to, but, and then when we play like a Mizzouho this year, we stayed in New

York City and so going to all those cool places, that's a must, and I think girls, I would say, I would, girls are more excited about the coffee shops overall than like actual restaurants. So if you find good coffee, the girls are gonna be there. And does that include you? Yes, yes, for sure. But what's your go-to drink? What's your order?

I like a latte or a flat white, not too crazy, but my friends make fun of me. They'll just drink straight black coffee or a pour over. So I need some cream and sugar in there. Have you found a good coffee shop this week? You know, I've been teaming up early each morning, just kind of how my schedule's played out. So I've just been going to Starbucks.

You know, they're open at 6am or 6.30. But I need to go to some others. I need to ask Paula and Holly about it. Paula Kramer and her caddy. Yeah, if you have some time, there's a place not too far from the course. I'll give them a plug here. It's somewhat new and I think it's very good. I'm by no means a coffee aficionado, but it's called mom and them.

Okay. So M-O-M, like, how would you spell mom and, um, like, apostrophe? Okay. So very cool coffee shop. I love coffee shops because I love to take a book. I'll go and like read. It's probably my favorite thing to do on weekends when I'm home. So there's one if you're looking to try something this week. Okay, well the other things in your bio that you said now are what five years old, so I don't know if it still holds. But you mentioned

drawing and journaling. Are there still some things that you like to do from time to time? I like to journal, not so much drawing anymore, but I feel like the coloring books that the paint by numbers are the draw by numbers, I guess it's very therapeutic. Get your mind off of it, but definitely journaling a little bit more.

But yeah, I like to read more, I would say now, than when I used to and just kind of turn my mind off of golf. But yeah, no me and my mom used to, because that was from my rookie year. And when I was playing after college on Smetra, now Epson, you know, wasn't making that much money. And my mom's like, if you want nice markers or nice colored pencils, you got to play better because you can't. We got to get like the ones from like dollar general.

So it was kind of an inside joke. Does the journaling is that something you had been doing for a while? Or is that something that you have picked up and do to help with the golf? Or is that kind of more of just everyday kind of life practice? Yeah, I started in college and I think it's more,

it can be kind of whatever I'm feeling. If I'm, you know, just like, you need to get it out on, just write it down, get it on paper, just like how I'm feeling. And so I can vocalize it a little bit more, but we're just golf in general, I would say maybe like,

I'll write down things that I'm grateful for, just put things into perspective, because, you know, just out here, it's kind of, you do the same thing almost every day. And so trying to like not make it so, just kind of going through the motions, I would say, and just kind of writing things down. And it's cool to look back at, you know,

where I was at the, you know, it's some tough points like last year or this year and kind of look back and just see like how much I've grown through that and learned from it too. Yeah, I've tried, I'm very jealous of people who journal or can keep a diary. It's something that I think would, one, I get the practical usefulness of it day to day,

but having that record to look back on and to help you, right? Hey, I was facing this kind of situation and how did I respond. I tried the five minute journal for a little while. I just can't make the habits, it's where I'm going with this. Yeah. That's been my biggest issue.

Right, right, right. They say it, like, two weeks for them to have it like, really sick. I know. Yeah. Maybe it's like two months for me. Well, you mentioned your game. That's a good jumping off point.

We should talk some golf. How do you come into this week? Let me let's start there. How's kind of the overall game? How are you feeling right now? I would say I started off the year really strong. Some of my best golf I've played in my career, definitely, in March, April, and May.

Kind of struggled the last few months, but I feel like I'm hitting the ball a lot better. Like just my ball striking has been off. Kind of starting in June, but kind of I feel like just making some right changes when feeling a little bit better about it. Yeah, and like overall, how to solid year, just haven't played great.

Kind of starting in like kind of like end of June, but yeah, hopefully kind of peace in the things together. It's always a work in progress, but feeling good. Yeah, we're kind of close to the end and excited to play this week is like a prep for Soulheim. And yeah, just it's always a process, getting a little better. Well, if you don't mind,

I'd love to kind of dive deeper into your career a little bit and mention you turn, or I don't know if we mentioned, but you turn pro in 2018. Your rookie year was 2019 on the LPGA tour and you win your first event late in that season. What, as you reflect back on that, you know, four years, about four years later, what are the things that really stick with you about that first victory? I would say my rookie year. I think it's very important for, it's not a rule that we have on the LPJ, but I think girls have to go to Epson first just to kind of like grasp

what professional golf is and that's something that helped me, but I still had have to go to Epson first, just to kind of grasp what professional golf is, and that's something that helped me, but I still had a lot to learn. Like, on the LPGA, the travel and stuff, and I would say, so I went to Q-School as an amateur, and then as a professional after my summer that I spent on Symmetra. So I went to Q-School as an amateur in 2018, elected not to go to finals and just take my Symmetra. So I went to QSchool as a amateur in 2018 elected not to go to finals and

just take my Symmetra status and then just play that in the summer of 2018. So that was a very conscious decision on your part to not, is that right? To essentially like not go to final stage and potentially get your card? So they don't have it anymore, but I was very vocal about this. Like they used to give the top five players in college golf and exemption into Q school and you should not give a girl that who might be a freshman sophomore junior. Like you should not give a girl like that choice because I got it. And I was like, oh, that's cool. Like I'll go see what it's like. And I had no idea what I was doing,

like, playing. And so it kind of put me in an awkward spot. So that was my junior year. And so the exemption at the time I started at second stage and there's three stages at LPJQ school and I, you know, got through and I was like, well, like, I'm going to be doing the same thing next year. So I might as well just term pro after my junior year.

And I didn't want to put the team in jeopardy of me going to finals because how it used to be with the cards on the LPGA, like at the final stage, if I finished whatever 15th, I don't know. Before I signed my scorecard or right after in that that process you had to say if you're gonna take Status or not so you're given a girl that's maybe not even 21 like It's a career, you know, just it's a huge decision. So I felt like I kind of I didn't and I I'll be like very honest like when I was doing that I did not realize what I was kind of getting myself into I was like, oh, this is a cool exemption

because I was ranked in the top five. I need to do this. Yeah, I elected not to go to finals in 2018, finished out the year with the team. Then I turned pro. And then 2018 I played on Symmetra and now Epson. But then I went back to Q school to get my card because I didn't finish in the top 10.

So then that year, they changed the rule again. So if you were top five in college, you got an automatic spot at Final Stage of Q School. So these amateurs had a huge advantage where I was just in their position last year that, hey, if I make it great, but I have something to fall back on, and that's not professional golf. Like, you know, it's such a, you know, like you're playing for your life and your job.

So I got my card that way, and thankfully the LPGA has kind of squashed that. Like you should not. It's always in talks, but just it was a, that's so, that's how I started playing Freshenal Golf. The long story. Did, did, did you have counsel during all that? Or was this just stuff you're learning for yourself in the moment?

Yeah, just stuff I was learning in the moment. And like, I mean, I talked to my coaches and my parents about it. And it kind of, I just, I went into second stage at QSchool with the exemption of just like, oh, I just, I went into second stage of Q school with the exemption of just like, oh, I'm going to just take the experience for what it is. And I just want to see what it's like. Oh, and I got through. I was like, well, what do I do

now, you know? And I just, and I did not put the thought into it. And I don't think any one really put the thought into it of like what it meant. And I had no, any one really put the thought into it of like what it meant and I had no aspirations really to go to Q school, but just since I got the exemption from my good play the year before I thought I needed to do it. But I mean, I have no regrets about it. I still graduated from Alabama,

but just I mean, it was really affecting professional golf. I mean, it's affecting, you know, I say it's affecting professional golf, but when you're at Q school, any of amateurs that are there, but they have something to fall back on, like they have a lot less to lose than you, it's a different mindset. I was going to say that always struck me as a competitive advantage for the amateurs that were like I make it or not. I got this good situation. I can I can fall back on where somebody who's professional is like Oh my god if I don't make it through what am I gonna do? You know, I might be starting all from the bottom Yeah, so it was a good rule change. That was something I don't know. Last year or I forget one exactly they changed it,

but essentially if you enter Q series, you have to be professional. Exactly. Yeah, you got to like make your mind up before. So it's like a level playing field for everyone. And yeah, so I got my card at end of 2018. And that's when the whole Q series thing started was 2018. And so I finished 27th and the whole thing was top 45 you get a card. And so I finished 27th. Well, you really got to finish top 15 if you want full LPGA status. So I was my priority number was like 155, 156 and 144 got into everything. But at the beginning of the year, like with daylight and stuff,

the fields are smaller. So I started out, I went to Australia to go to Monday, qualify. I mean, I went to extreme measures to like give myself the best opportunity to play. And yeah, I did that. I went over there, tried to Monday, qualify, and into one tournament and I missed the cut. So, so a very expensive trip as a rookie. Um, and then in March, I Monday qualified again in Arizona and I made the cut. And so that got me in the reshuffle. But yeah, my whole rookie year, I was kind of just trying to survive. Um, and you got to learn pretty quickly. If you're just out here to make the cut, you're not going to make it very far. But I think that was, I was just so worried about keeping my card and just, yeah, surviving.

Yeah, and I went to Europe, Monday qualified for the British, got in, made the cut. But that's all it was. Just making the cut and finishing 60th, that doesn't get you a lot of points. I mean, we do, at the time we did money list, so it didn't give me a lot of money at the time to move up in the standings. And yeah, the last regular tournament

of the year, I needed a top five finish to not go back to Q school. And so I was like, oh, I got nothing to lose. So definitely a different mindset and ended up winning the tournament. But yeah, so it was a big learning curve. Like, oh, yeah, I have nothing to lose. I might as well go out and play the best I can rather than just trying to make the cut. So yeah, that was a whirlwind. And then I got into like the Asia events, tour championship. And yeah, so that's kind of my road to professional golf in my first year. Well, that's incredible. That's so much more color than I could have ever gotten, just looking at your results page on lvj.com.

I really appreciate you coloring that in. And I think that is just people in my situation, fans of the game. I think that's the biggest disconnect between perception of, oh, your pro a pro golfer, you know, it must be nice. And I think we just don't realize the grind and how hard it is to just feel like you're trying to keep your head above water, especially early on in your career if you're not coming in with great priority.

I mean, that's such a, yeah, for fresh out of, I'm thinking back when I was 22, 23, just coming out of college and it's like, holy shit. I, yeah. Right, I know. You're just trying to learn to live too. You have to be exactly. I'm your own, you know?

Like, where do I grocery shop? Maybe it's different than girls, but I'm like, how do I do my laundry? Oh, I know. Yes, no, it's a lot. And it's a lot. And it's just like thrown right at you and, yeah, learning how to travel and like how to caddies, practice round.

Like, you know, and that's one thing in college golf, you don't have a caddy. You're by yourself, you're carrying your bag. I mean, I push my push cart. And then you get someone that you're out there for five, six hours a day. And so trying to find the right, you know, the right match, like it's really hard, like you're all on your own. And then it's like, wait, there's someone here that's an asset, you know, trying to help me. And so just, I would say that is, I mean, going from amateur golf to professional golf, like it is, you're still playing golf. But there's a lot of different components. And yeah, in college golf, you play four tournaments in the fall

and I don't know, like six, seven in the spring and you play that out here in two months, three months. And so just, yeah, and I think like that's one thing that was hard as a rookie. I was like, well, I have to play. Like I have to keep playing all the tournaments I can get into, like, because I need to keep my card and I have to, like, give myself the best chance to, you know, yeah, like keep my job for next year. And so figuring out how many you can play in a row and just kind of dealing with all that. That was, it

was tricky. Hey, everybody. Randy here jumping into, thank our other sponsor for today's NLU podcast. And that is whoop. This episode is brought to you by Woop, the official fitness wearable of the PGA tour. And if you don't know by now, Woop is a sleek, screenless wearable that tracks your sleep, strain, recovery, stress, and more

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and use code NLU to save 10% off your order. That's Woop.com code NLU to save 10% off your order. And now back to our episode. Do you have a max that you'll play? Like, I'm sure you do now, but probably took some trial and error, I'm guessing. Yes, I would say four is kind of like my max. Schedule is a little weird this year.

Just kind of how like bunched it was at times. And so yeah, I like three or four, but sometimes, and like sometimes you know, like I'm gonna have to be playing like a few more and just knowing like, okay, I may just have to take it easy on Monday or just Tuesday and just kind of realize that. Was there anybody that, were there any older players that kind of took you under their wing?

You always hear about how great the LPGA family is. Does that extend to kind of teaching you how to navigate this process, how to live life as a touring professional golfer? Was there anybody that was like, you know, kind of took a shine to you? I would say Angela Stanford, I think the first time I met her was I was like 12 or 13. And just she's like someone I've looked up to. But Angela was always there if I had a question or just some advice and definitely, like a big role model and definitely helped me a lot.

But there were some things that I was going to have to learn on my own. Like she wasn't going to overstep. Like, I had a caddy at one point. She's like, who's cadding for you this week? And I only had him for one week. And then the next week, she goes, do you still have this guy? I was like, no, she goes, yeah, I was going to tell you. But you got to kind of learn it on your own, you know? Some things you just got to learn. But I would say, and like, yeah, I think all the girls are really helpful, but you gotta go out of your way and like ask and, you know, take accountability

for like things that you wanna learn and stuff. And, you know, even Angela, like, this week we've been talking and she's like, I don't wanna overstep, but next week, when I'm at home, like prepping for Soulheim, if you wanna play Match Play, and I was like, yes, I want to play match play and just pick her brain. And yeah, so like definitely Angela, Stacy Lewis, a little bit. I played a lot of practice.

A few practice rounds with her, my rookie year. And yeah, and I think you kind of learn, like you watch all the best players. And like one thing I noticed, like they're not out here right now in the middle of the day They come they get their work done and then they leave like turn it on turn it off like there's not a lot of extra You know they're not cramming or anything like that like they do what they need to do and then they kind of get on with it It's kind of the famous, you know first-tea or you know the first guy off at the Masters each year for the practice round. We'll just kind of quickly continue in then on 2020 obviously crazy year with COVID but you had a really

nice year. You kind of finished obviously winning late in your rookie season when you did eventually get started in the 2020 season. Very nice, ended up finishing, tied for 19th at the Tour Championship. But then I'm curious about 2021. And I think the big bummer about 2020 is, correct me if I'm wrong. None of those points or anything carried over into 2021.

So it was like, you had a great year, but you're not really able to then rest on those laurels into 2021. And what was there any like specific on-course mechanical issue that led to a bit of a struggle? Yeah, I remember my college coach, Mick, would always tell me like, hey, you play shy in night golf, and you need to perfect that, and like don't try to be anyone else and in 2020 I played like pretty well, but I just thought I could play a lot better and hit the ball a lot better so in 2021 I switched swing coaches and

Really like the guy I was going to but Travels a lot with the PGA tour and so I couldn't have the time. And he told me that. And I got really far off and got a really bad two-way miss. And it was kind of around June. I was like, yeah, this is not going to work anymore. I can't keep playing golf like this, playing bad. I mean, I couldn't keep it in the fairway.

And so I went back to my old coach, but I would say playing so bad. You definitely had some demons. I just had no confidence. Just kind of something I've experienced before in my career, but trying to play weekend and week out, I didn't have a lot of time. Or, and I didn't take the time to go home and fix it

and just spend the time and grind it out. I was like, okay, maybe next week I'll play better and just not good mentally and finished outside the top 80, but with my winners category, two-year exemption, I still had full status for 2022. But I remember, yeah, I just kind of lost kind of like how I play golf. I tried to be someone that I wasn't and it definitely, yeah, affected me like mentally and stuff like that. So, yeah, you know, I think when I like think back to like 2021, like I didn't make the tour championship and instead of

like going home and like taking like some time off, I, with my swing coach Joey, we got kind of like back back to like, we could actually make the changes that needed to happen, like in the off season rather than like mid season. We're just trying to put a lot of band-aids on it because I deaf I started swinging the club like I'd never have before. Like I've always been like pretty shallow. Like I hit a draw while I got like really steep in my swing, like really like over the top, like I've never had that in my career. You see this stuff like, wow, I've never seen that.

Yeah, I've never, yeah, I'm used to hitting it left, like a overhook and now I'm hitting it right. So yeah, and I think, yeah, that was definitely like one of the hardest years I've had And yeah, and I think like you just learn from it and I I think you see kind of everyone kind of like trying to Instead of you know, like hey, I'm really good. Like let's just keep working on that like I think I got Maybe a little bit

Impatient. I was like well, I can hit the ball a lot better and I can do a lot better even though I had a really good 2020. So the work you then did kind of in the offseason, let's say, of 2021 into 2022, how long did that take those changes and what you were working on with Joey? How long did that really take to set? Because you come back in 2022 and I think, obviously compared to 2021, it was a much better year. But were you kind of still working on and graining things throughout the year, or did you get pretty comfortable pretty quickly in 2022?

Yes, so 2022, I missed the first cut of the year in Boka, and I was like, great. I just did not play well. I was like, great, you know, I just did not play well. I was like, geez, like all this work I just did, like, what happened, you know? And so, but then like the next week after that, I got a top 10 finish or like 11th or something, maybe just outside. And then I had six weeks off because the tour goes to Asia

and I, how I finished in 2021 2021 I didn't get into those. They're all limited field events for people listening so it's like you have to be a pretty high priority to guarantee starts in the early Asia thing. Yeah. So in those six weeks I would say that's when like it started clicking a little bit better and just that's when I started to see like kind of the changes taking place and it was started to become more natural. Then we went back to San Diego and I think I shot like five or six under the first round and like didn't really have a great weekend.

But like you know, started to see like some low rounds kind of like taking place. And I played like solid that year. I got like 15 that the US open. That's kind of like the, I think that's my best like career finish in a major. And so like just started to see like some good golf.

Never was in contention. I think my best finish of like last year was like a third at Scottish for like wasn't in the final group. And kind of Iyaka kind of like ran away with it. But just like more consistent more than what I was used to. And I should say made the cut in all five majors, which is, that's no small accomplishment, right? To your point, playing good solid golf.

Consistently, yeah. Never really in the mix, not in the final group or anything like that, but just consistent, making the cut 20th place and kind of was just waiting for kind of it to all click. So we fast forward 2023 people know and we're gonna talk about it. You've been named to the Soulheim Cup team.

So, you know, spoiler alert, you're having a very good season, punctuated by a win at the Dow, up in Midland, Michigan, which is a team event. But again, a little bit of a double-edged sword because that event doesn't count towards soul-hymned cup points. Not that it's like a bummer, because obviously you've won, and that's a great thing. But where are you thinking like, oh geez, you know? Yeah, it's a you know, do you think that's a good policy? I mean, you can be biased now having won it, but do you understand why they understand?

I definitely understand, but it is kind of a bummer. I think since we're actually like keeping score, I mean, playing alternate shot and keeping scores hard, like it's not like it's match play. So I mean, I understand, I understand there's no world ranking points, but maybe some soulheim points would be nice, but I get it. And I think I was, I, this is kind of funny, but I looked at Elizabeth,

because like she tried to qualify for the US Open this year, like lost in a playoff, and I looked at her, I was like, you don't have to qualify for the US Open next year, she's like, it doesn't count. I was like, oh, sorry, fun. I was like a different way, a different way. You partnered with Elizabeth Sokol. How did that partnership come about?

We are best friends. Okay. Yeah, we've been friends. Honestly, I don't know how we're friends because the first time I was really like, I met Elizabeth. We were staying in an Airbnb in Australia together in 2020 like right before COVID and I booked an Airbnb with no Wi-Fi. So the fact that she still chose to be friends with me, I don't know why but yeah she's

one of my best friends. Well it had to be nice getting back in the winter circle. I want to ask you, and you can, I'm just gonna throw it out there. But at some point, have you tried adding distance to your game? Is that something that you've been working on, and when did that start if so?

Yeah, I've never been like the longest hitter by any means, and it's not like I'm gonna gain a bunch of weight in like a lot of muscle or anything. Well, greater's ice cream, never say never. Yeah, no, hey, hey, that's right. I know, I talk about my metabolism, like I'd have to a bunch of weight in like a lot of muscle or anything. Well, greater's ice cream, never say never. Yeah, no, hey, that's right. I know, I talk about my metabolism. Like I have to keep it in check. If you're looking to add weight,

it's a great way to do it. Okay, right, right, right. Yeah, mix with the Skyline chili. I would say, and so like for me, like I feel like I, well what I've learned, I've worked with like super speed this year and they've, I've kind of, and we did the biomechanics and I like have a lot of

speed that I just don't use correctly. Like I feel like people always hear like don't use a ground correctly but I don't use the ground that great and I don't really load into my right side. I have a little bit of a reverse pivot so just with them learning kind of like my proper weight transfer in my back swing and just kind of how I can just kind of use my body a little bit more and like mixed with in their speed training has definitely helped. How what are you looking are there certain metrics whether I don't know be swing speed, ball speed, are there certain numbers that you're working towards or how do you approach trying to add distance? Because I asked that, you hear some horror stories, but it's out here on the

men's side of people who've tried to chase distance gains, right? And kind of their whole games follow. So I'm curious, I'm sure you considered that. Yes, correct. And I think I went through that in 2021, but I wasn't chasing distance. I was just trying to change my whole golf swing. And I would say, like, was super speed. Like, I was a, you know, it's always, it was always something that could help me.

And it wasn't, it wasn't, like, it wasn't gonna change my swing, or like my body, or anything like that. It was just there, like, as a tool to help me and I think that's One thing that's a little tricky like because I do all the training Then I just go out and like play but I think You know golfers or just any like athlete like anything that might kind of affect their craft like they're very like skeptical about it

But I think and it's like hey like I'm pretty good at what I do. Like, don't tell me, you know, kind of a little sensitive about it. But I always viewed as something that could help me. And, you know, like my coach, like, I've done biomechanics before. And so I always know I had like a little bit of a funky thing in my golf swing, like with my weight transfer, but just kind of working on a program like off the course to just help that was always just gonna be like beneficial. So what are your baseline?

Where did you, and I don't know, I don't know what you put the most emphasis on again, swing speed, ball speed, swing speed. So I look at what was kind of the baseline going into your work and where are you now and where would you like to get to yeah yeah so for me I've always looked at swing speed you can look at ball speed and all that I've always been around like and every mile per hour you go up is like three yards of carry. So, and I have always, I've always swung

in like 80, 90 miles an hour and I am up to like 90, 3, 94 and sometimes you know I can get to another level but I'm just not confident or comfortable like swinging that on the course. Yeah and so like my goal, you know, everyone says the goal's 200 and so maybe one day I can get there, but yeah, I would love to do like 95, 96, but definitely like it's a tool that has helped me a lot, but it's definitely not something I get like caught up in. Like when I'm on my track man or doing the radar,

I'm more like playing like wedge games and stuff, but then all, you know, for me, it's important for me to hit the fairway. And so, but if I can, you know, start to carry some more bunkers and stuff like that, it's definitely gonna help me, but I think some people, you know, I've seen like over the years what Bryson has done and just like these guys that hit the ball so far.

And in the woman's game, we don't have the muscles or the strength. Like if we hit it in the rough, or like way far right off the tee and in a bad spot, we're not built the same. We can't hit that out of the rough, like the guys do, or like generate that much speed or that power.

So it is a little bit different and I kind of see all the cliches about, like, well, girls had a lot of fear it was because they hit it short, you know, you see everything. But yeah, the distance thing is a little tricky. And I think there's some girls out here that absolutely smoke it.

But I mean, they have, like, what I see that's different. It's like, yeah, they'd swing fast, but how they, like, kind of like their way shift and the lag that they create and like through that is. Who are some names that you look at that would be like either some of the fastest swing speeds in your opinion or some of the largest carry numbers out there. Yeah, Angel smokes it. Yeah. Lynn Grant. I think you can really see in Lynn's swing just like the lie that she creates and how she gets through the ball really well. Ronnie, who won KPMG, um, smokes it. Yeah, and I think just like a lot of girls like, yeah, just like how they, like it looks kind of effortless.

Like they're not like swinging out of their shoes, but just, um, yeah, I think kind of like they're the weight transfer and just how much they kind of like spring up from, yeah, I think kind of like they're the weight transfer and just how much they kind of like spring up from the ground. I think you can kind of see it and some of like more guys swings a little bit more just like with their footwork. Do you think just because Ronnie I think is 20 Lynn is, Lynn's 24 obviously new to the LPGA tour. Do you think that we're gonna,

like is that the way the women's game is moving? It almost feels like there's a distance revolution coming on the women's side here in the next four or many years. Yeah, to go with that, I think that's a huge point. I was talking to someone about that recently, like me, like I'm 26, I'm not that old, but definitely not the new generation that's coming out. I mean, so when I was growing up, it was like, okay, hit it straight.

Gotta hit the fairway. We gotta hit it straight, hit it solid. Now they're teaching kids, like just swing as hard as you can, and then we'll figure it out, and then we'll figure out how to hit it straight from there. But I think kids like learning at such a young age, how to swing it fast and how they do that by body footwork, whatever it may be, and then figuring it out. I mean, and technology ball, sure, that's

a whole other thing, but I think just, that's just not something that was popular when I was a kid. It was all about hitting the fairway, hitting the green, like, putting, I don't know, but like the kids that hit it so far and I think, you know, like girls that are like coming out here from college is like, man, they hit a long way. Like talking about like the woman's game, I was talking to Stacy Lewis about it.

Like as we get older, like we hit it shorter. I mean, just like if you have kids, like your body evolves, like it's just, you know, they're not, you're not 20 years old anymore. Like your body is constantly changing. And yeah, if you decide to have a family or kids and stuff, like it's always, I mean, girls are playing pregnant out here. They have babies. Like it's definitely something that like is just something to think about. We could do a whole nother podcast and I don't mean to derail it, but it is fascinating when you think about the wider technology rollback discussion. And I think it's usually framed with the men's pro game in mind and people like Bryce and for instance, but really

like everybody that plays on that side is, yeah, it's just, hit it as far as you can if you're in the rough, that's fine. They swing it fast enough to be able to generate the club speed to, you know, get it out of the rough and still generate some spin and that's fine. The women's game, it's fascinating because I look at your game, the game out here on the LPJ tour and it's honestly why I've become such a big fan, it's just so much more relatable to how I play golf, how I think about golf, that the distance is, it seems like it fits at a scale on like the courses you're playing.

But you know, what the rollback is, is it like, well, if we do want to rollback, is it a uniform rollback? How will affect the women's game? Those are all things that are like, oh, there are so many aspects to it. And there is not a question in there that I've asked you anywhere, but I'm just thinking about like, it's such a mess. And I don't envy the people trying to figure it all out, because I don't know what the right answer is. I know, I don't know what it is either.

I mean, the LPG came out with a statement, was like, yeah, we've seen what the USA and RNA have said, and like, we don't have, like, we haven't seen that problem. And I mean, when I watched the guys, I'm like, man, they hit us so far. But I mean, yeah, so it is interesting with the, I know what they're trying to accomplish, like the guys, like, yeah, I mean, no golf courses, like too long for them.

And like I think it, I think maybe it'll, because I mean, when I, like there's some guys that, you know, I know that are like where I practice or just like that C. Joey and like them trying to make it on frickin' corn fairy is so hard. I mean, you see what they have to shoot in at Q school or to get on PJ Tour Canada or a lot in America. Like you gotta go so low.

And I mean, it's like a chip and put for like some of these golf courses that they play and they're just trying to get the corn fairy toward, you know, I mean, it's really hard to like make it on the feeder tours for them. So yeah, I'll be really really interested to see kind of what happens. I know it's in a few years, but I feel like those guys, I mean, if they, I mean, the technology has changed, but like the golf ball is like really interesting to me. It is.

And just to go back to Bryson because I know it was a couple weeks ago. He was quoted with his new driver. It's like, yeah, essentially I just hit it as hard as I can. And I'm not even really worried about where I'm hitting it on the face of the club because it's both the club, the ball. It's pretty optimized to not spin. And it's like, and like one thing I will say. So what are we doing?

Yeah, right. What are we doing? Like, this is not a bash to the LPGA, but it's just a fact. We don't have a lot of people that come watch. And so if we hit it off the map, we got one spotter looking for it. So the amount of lost balls that we have, we have three minutes to find the ball.

Like you don't have a bunch of spectators. It's like, yeah, I just got hit in the leg. Like your balls right here. You know, it's like, where the heck did that go in the volunteer might have not seen it? So like us spraying it all over the golf course, like you may lose a golf ball or we don't have, yeah, like a lot of the crowds to hit into and like, oh, yeah, your balls over here. Like you don't know where it is half the time. So if you're like spraying it all over the map, you may have some issues. Maybe I'm just an old, funny guy, but it's like, I feel like golf should be,

you should be rewarded for like center striking the golf ball. That feels like an inherent skill that should have a premium within the game. So I don't know. Shion, we could spend, sorry, we could spend like two, three, well, God, we could spend two, three weeks talking about it, I'm sure. Oh, yeah.

Let me ask you about Soulheim. Obviously, huge honor, huge deal. This is gonna be your first Soulheim cup. And I just caught you saying in the press conference, which I did not realize that you've never represented the United States at any level. No. How cool is this for you?

Yeah, yeah. Never made Curtis Cup was always kind of like right there. So, you know, I'm very proud of, to be American, very not a cliche thing. But yeah, like I love my country so much and get the chance to represent it. It's always a huge goal. And, you know, I, like getting all the gear and stuff, I mean, it's so special and I'm so excited.

And, you know, I've, yeah, I've never done like a team format like this before. So I'm really excited, like eager to learn and ready to go over there. What if, if you don't mind, can I ask, where were you? what was receiving that? I don't know if it was a phone call or an in-person thing. What was that like receiving the news that you had made the team? Yeah, I finished the round in Canada and I did not have I had Four pars and I shot even that day. So I had seven birdies and seven bogeys So I was a little frustrated

to say the least. Like a second. Yeah, psycho. Total psycho bad out there. So I was a little like, what the heck just happened today? But I saw Stacey in the locker room and she was like, Hey, can you come here and talk? And that's when she told me I was super excited. And did your stomach drop? Was it like, I'm being called to the principal's office? Yeah, I was like, well, it's gonna be one thing or the other, you know, I'm gonna be excited or kind of disappointed, but I had like a good feeling about it. I kind of like talked to Stacey and Angela kind of after Dal and even though I didn't get any points, you know, they were kind of already asking me a little bit, like, would you be okay playing with so and so or so and so and I was like,

what does this mean? Are they just curious or like, what else does this all mean? So I was super excited and yeah, I had to wait until, I mean, I could tell my family and stuff, but I had to wait until Monday to like kind of make it official, but it was super cool and like I had and like just kind of the other picks, like just kind of went to dinner with them. I went to dinner with Ali on Sunday and just got to like kind of share that with her.

It was really cool. Did you know coach Sabin was going to do your official announcement? No, I was so excited. So we're sitting in the chair and everyone's going through. You got like Alex Morgan and Mia Ham him and Nick Sabin pop stuff. I was like, oh my gosh, wait. Like I think this is for me. Wait, we haven't had them.

Like, could I actually do this? Yeah, I was like, this is for me. And just the fact that like he said my name, I mean, I've met him before. But I was like, you know what the LPGA is or like the Soulheim. And so I was like, I was so cool. Like, and everyone knows who Nick Savon is. I feel like you love him or you hate him, but that was really special to have him.

And it was, I mean, I'll have it forever. That was a really cool video they put together. And our very own KVV, his daughter, Kegan, got to announce a big, which was. Yes, yeah, that was cool. That was very nice to include her. The Stacy Lewis connection was something I wanted to ask you about. You've said how much to include her. The Stacey Lewis connection was something I wanted to ask you about.

You've said how much you admire her. But I was looking at your resume and see that you are the 2012 KPMG Stacey Lewis Jr. Girls Open Champion. Oh, yeah. I just kind of come in full circle here. I know. Life's kind of cool though. Yeah.

So, I was born and raised in the woodlands, which is where Stacey grew up as well. So when I started playing golf, she was at Arkansas, and you know, I have, at my parents house, I have a sign flag from Stacey, I think when she won in Mobile, Alabama, I don't know if it was 2013 or 2014, but we got a lot of like memorabilia from Stacey. But yeah, and that was my first AJGA win. And I remember she hosted a clinic in Rogers where we have our LPG event and got to win that one. And yeah, that's throwback.

So I've known Stacey for a while. And her husband is now the head coach A&M, but he was at Oklahoma and recruited me there. So yeah, and they're great. The whole family stays. He's great, too. So I'm very excited to be playing for her, like her first being a captain. Right. Right.

Yeah, gosh, that's, that's really cool. Just a couple more questions. Do you know much about Finca, Cortizen? Have you ever been to Spain for golf or just for vacation? I've never been to Spain. So first time, I've heard that it is hilly and it's kind of tight off the tee. I'm not not funky is not the right word but you kind of just have like a lot of a lot of slow ball above your feet. Heard that you can get to the par 5s and 2, so those will be kind of exciting,

but yeah, I got to hit it straight off the tee, and apparently, you can get a little bit windy there, so I think that might come into play too. And is it nice? There are five rookies, you're one of five rookies on this year's US team. I almost think that's good for you. I don't know, I'm just trying to put myself in that position.

I almost would love to join a team where it's like, hey, there are a lot of other newcomers. I mean, you guys really have a chance to put your own stamp and to kind of create some new, I don't know, traditions or just it's not like you're walking in as the only rookie. Right. Yeah. It was nice to experience some of like, yeah,

just experience it together and learn together as a group from the other veterans that have been there before. And yeah, there's definitely, it's definitely a new team that they've had in the past. And I haven't been on those teams, but I think Stacey kind of has an idea of what didn't work the last few years, and so I think she's going to change some things.

We are the underdog going on foreign soil and are lost the last few. I think is a good, I would love to be in that position. Kind of that underdog mentality, you're lost against the world. Exactly. It's been, you know, we had a team dinner last night, so it's been nice to kind of know their girls a little bit more. And, you know, I grew up playing a lot with Lillia and Alison,

who have had a great year. One, three majors between the two of them. So, yeah, and I think we have a really good team. And, you know, but I think, have a really good team. And I think, yeah, I can't speak on what didn't work the last few. But I think Stacey is really trying to gather that kind of team mentality and be like, OK, asking everyone that's been on the team the last few years

like what didn't work. What do you think we need to change? And definitely, Stacey is it's Dacey's so smart and so wise and definitely hearing from the other girls. And yeah, like I'm, you know, I was already talking to Ali and Angel about kind of like their experiences and what to expect and stuff like that. So, but yeah, just having five rookies,

definitely being able to take it in. And Rose has been on Curtis Cup. And so she kind of knows a little bit of what to deal with. And Junior Soulheim Cup and having her on the team is great. And just, yeah, like, just quality, like good people on the team. Well, it's awesome. We're going to be over there.

So best of luck. You'll see a lot of us. I'm sure that week I've been looking forward to it for. I was at the 2021 Soulheim for the first time and just had a blast and have kind of had the next Soulheim circle on my calendar. So it'll be here in a couple of weeks. Cheyenne, thank you so much.

Good luck this weekend in Cincinnati. I hope you find some good coffee. I hope you try Skyline. You may hate it, but give it a try. And thank you very much for the time. Thanks, thanks so much for the time. Thanks. Thanks so much for having me. Give it a right club. Be the right club today.

Yes! That is better than most. How about in? That is better than most. Better than most. Better than most.