WEBVTT - An Irish Goodbye with Mel Reid 0:00:00.760 --> 0:00:03.440 Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where any company 0:00:03.480 --> 0:00:07.520 that's making money off of Pride while canceling DEI policies 0:00:08.000 --> 0:00:11.680 is dead to us. It's Monday, June second, Happy Pride 0:00:11.720 --> 0:00:15.080 Month slices. On today's show, we'll be chatting with former 0:00:15.200 --> 0:00:19.000 LPGA pro and Quiet Please podcast co host Mel Reid 0:00:19.320 --> 0:00:23.200 about her irish goodbye to professional golf, coming out because 0:00:23.200 --> 0:00:25.880 a company pissed her off, and giving a middle finger 0:00:25.920 --> 0:00:28.440 to the expectation that women in golf should be quiet 0:00:28.880 --> 0:00:32.200 plus depleted rosters, a debut worthy of a fine wine. 0:00:32.600 --> 0:00:34.800 And if I give you this sign, it's time to 0:00:34.840 --> 0:00:37.839 steal home baby. It's all coming up right after this 0:00:43.000 --> 0:00:45.440 welcome back slices. Here's what you need to know today. 0:00:47.520 --> 0:00:49.800 Let's start with softball, where the semi finals of the 0:00:49.800 --> 0:00:53.639 Women's College World Series are set. The number six Texas 0:00:53.680 --> 0:00:56.760 Longhorns were the first team to clinch a spot, upsetting 0:00:56.840 --> 0:01:00.640 number two Oklahoma, the four time defending champions, four to 0:01:00.680 --> 0:01:03.959 two on Saturday. It marked the Longhorns first ever win 0:01:04.040 --> 0:01:07.360 against Oklahoma at the College World Series in Texas's two 0:01:07.440 --> 0:01:10.040 previous appearances in the tournament in twenty twenty two and 0:01:10.120 --> 0:01:13.839 twenty twenty four. They lost all five times they got 0:01:13.840 --> 0:01:16.920 matched up with the Sooners, which included two sweeps in 0:01:17.000 --> 0:01:20.279 the best of three finals. Texas Tech, in its World 0:01:20.360 --> 0:01:23.560 Series debut, also clinched a spot in the Semis thanks 0:01:23.560 --> 0:01:25.959 to a three to one win over UCLA on Saturday. 0:01:26.319 --> 0:01:29.360 But while Texas Tech is making the program's first tournament 0:01:29.480 --> 0:01:32.920 and semi finals appearance in Oklahoma City, the Semis are 0:01:33.080 --> 0:01:36.840 familiar territory for Red Raiders star pitcher Nijerie Kennedy, who 0:01:36.840 --> 0:01:39.479 made the World Series semi finals with Stanford for two 0:01:39.560 --> 0:01:42.600 straight seasons before she transferred to Texas Tech last year 0:01:42.600 --> 0:01:46.319 as part of a record one million dollar contract signed 0:01:46.319 --> 0:01:50.120 with the university's nil collective. Kennedy allowed just four hits 0:01:50.160 --> 0:01:53.000 in that win over UCLA, but the highlight had to 0:01:53.040 --> 0:01:57.160 be pinch runner Mikayla Garcia stealing home at the top 0:01:57.200 --> 0:01:59.760 of the bitinning. It's the third time the Red Raiders 0:01:59.760 --> 0:02:02.400 have and home this season. Will link to the play 0:02:02.480 --> 0:02:06.800 in the show notes. Sunday afternoon's elimination game between Tennessee 0:02:06.800 --> 0:02:09.840 and UCLA was a marathon, but after nine innings, the 0:02:09.919 --> 0:02:12.880 Lady Vowles down the Bruins to become the third team 0:02:12.960 --> 0:02:16.919 moving onto the semis and send UCLA home. This one 0:02:16.960 --> 0:02:20.720 had a couple lengthy video reviews, one that upheld a 0:02:20.760 --> 0:02:23.760 crucial time run by UCLA's Megan Grant in the top 0:02:23.800 --> 0:02:26.440 of the seventh inning, and one that confirmed that a 0:02:26.480 --> 0:02:29.280 long ball out to left field by Tennessee's tailor Panel 0:02:29.320 --> 0:02:31.639 in the bottom of the ninth did not leave the field. 0:02:31.919 --> 0:02:34.320 It was ruled a double and not a game winning homer. 0:02:34.760 --> 0:02:37.640 In the end, Tennessee senior Laura Meeler hit her second 0:02:37.720 --> 0:02:40.239 walk off winner of the year, a walk off single 0:02:40.280 --> 0:02:43.120 to beat UCLA five to four. In extras on the 0:02:43.120 --> 0:02:46.200 play by play call, Beth Mowens mentioned that Meeler transferred 0:02:46.200 --> 0:02:48.560 from Middle Tennessee State because she wanted a chance to 0:02:48.560 --> 0:02:51.560 plan a bigger stage, and she didn't just play. She 0:02:51.800 --> 0:02:56.079 saved the Bowls season Tennessee advances. By the way, if 0:02:56.080 --> 0:02:58.320 you want to know more about the controversial review that 0:02:58.400 --> 0:03:02.560 upheld Megan Grant's homer and understand why everyone's talking about 0:03:02.600 --> 0:03:06.359 Appendix G today, we'll link to a USA Today story 0:03:06.400 --> 0:03:09.560 detailing the call. In our show notes. The final game 0:03:09.639 --> 0:03:12.840 Sunday night saw the four time defending champion Oklahoma Sooners 0:03:12.880 --> 0:03:15.919 playing with their season on the line in an elimination 0:03:16.040 --> 0:03:19.800 game against Oregon, Sydney Sanders crushed two home runs to 0:03:19.800 --> 0:03:23.320 help Oklahoma to a four to one win, knocking out Oregon. 0:03:23.680 --> 0:03:26.160 Sooners head to the Semis for a ninth straight year 0:03:26.280 --> 0:03:29.760 and keep their hopes for five alive to soccer at 0:03:29.760 --> 0:03:32.440 The US women's national team defeated China three to nil 0:03:32.480 --> 0:03:35.200 in a friendly in Saint Paul, Minnesota on Saturday, with 0:03:35.320 --> 0:03:39.280 goals from Katerina Macario, Sam Coffee and Lindsay Heaps. A 0:03:39.320 --> 0:03:41.440 little history was also made in the win when Low 0:03:41.520 --> 0:03:44.280 Labanta became the oldest player to ever debut for the 0:03:44.360 --> 0:03:47.680 US women's national team at thirty two years and seventy 0:03:47.720 --> 0:03:50.520 four days old. She entered the match in the seventieth 0:03:50.560 --> 0:03:53.680 minute and per ESPN, completed all of her pass attempts. 0:03:54.080 --> 0:03:55.800 Next up for the US women's national team as a 0:03:55.840 --> 0:03:58.920 friendly against Jamaica Tuesday in Saint Louis. Ahead of the match, 0:03:59.000 --> 0:04:01.680 the team will celebrate the career of recently retired legend 0:04:01.760 --> 0:04:05.640 and friend of the Show Becky sowerbrun to Golf and 0:04:05.720 --> 0:04:09.800 the US Open. Maya Stark is your Winner at Aaron Hills. 0:04:09.800 --> 0:04:12.000 The twenty five year old, who represented Sweden at the 0:04:12.000 --> 0:04:14.880 twenty twenty four Paris Olympics, is the third Suite to 0:04:14.960 --> 0:04:17.920 win the US Open. The win is her first at 0:04:17.920 --> 0:04:21.160 a major. She finished second behind Nelly Korda at last 0:04:21.200 --> 0:04:25.039 year's Chevron Championship. A little more context on this tourney. 0:04:25.080 --> 0:04:27.240 Among the one hundred and fifty six golfers in the 0:04:27.320 --> 0:04:30.800 US Open field, three of them were just sixteen years old, 0:04:31.080 --> 0:04:35.440 including Star in the Making asterisk Tally from the Athletic 0:04:35.520 --> 0:04:39.920 Tally is quote the California prodigy who racks up junior wins, 0:04:39.960 --> 0:04:42.640 who finished runner up at both the US Women's Amateur 0:04:42.880 --> 0:04:46.159 and US Girls Junior at just fifteen, who not just 0:04:46.279 --> 0:04:48.279 made the cut at last year's US Open as the 0:04:48.320 --> 0:04:51.480 youngest player in the field, but also contended through two days. 0:04:51.880 --> 0:04:54.200 She then took all that expectation and made a late 0:04:54.279 --> 0:04:57.880 run at ANWA last month to finish just one off 0:04:57.920 --> 0:05:01.520 the lead. Tally is an undeniably a star in the 0:05:01.560 --> 0:05:05.160 making end quote. I highly recommend checking out the full 0:05:05.200 --> 0:05:07.919 story on Tally by Brody Miller, who writes about the 0:05:07.920 --> 0:05:09.880 pressure put on young women in golf to be quote 0:05:09.960 --> 0:05:14.400 unquote saviors of the game, especially young American players. He 0:05:14.480 --> 0:05:18.040 references thirty year old Lexi Thompson's retirement speech last year, 0:05:18.279 --> 0:05:21.000 in which she said, quote, Since I was twelve as 0:05:21.040 --> 0:05:25.240 a golfer, my life has been a whirlwind of constant attention, scrutiny, 0:05:25.279 --> 0:05:28.880 and pressure. The cameras are always on, capturing every swing 0:05:29.080 --> 0:05:32.000 and every moment on and off the golf course. Social 0:05:32.040 --> 0:05:35.600 media never sleeps, with comments and criticisms flooding in from 0:05:35.640 --> 0:05:38.880 around the world. It can be exhausting maintaining a smile 0:05:38.960 --> 0:05:42.200 on the outside while grappling with struggles on the inside. 0:05:42.320 --> 0:05:44.960 End quote. It's a really interesting piece. We'll link to 0:05:45.000 --> 0:05:48.520 it in our show notes to the WNBA, where we've 0:05:48.600 --> 0:05:52.440 unfortunately got a few new injuries to report. This year's 0:05:52.480 --> 0:05:55.400 number one overall draft pick, Paige Becker's, was placed in 0:05:55.480 --> 0:05:58.799 concussion protocol after her Dallas Wings lost to the Chicago 0:05:58.839 --> 0:06:02.080 Sky on Thursday. Becker's missed the second of their back 0:06:02.120 --> 0:06:04.279 to back with the Sky on Saturday and will be 0:06:04.320 --> 0:06:08.480 reevaluated after Tuesday's game against the Seattle Storm. Meantime, the 0:06:08.520 --> 0:06:12.040 injuries in Indiana are adding up. In addition to Caitlin Clark, 0:06:12.040 --> 0:06:14.040 who's still out for at least another week with a 0:06:14.120 --> 0:06:17.560 quad injury. The Fever are also now without Sydney Coulson 0:06:17.600 --> 0:06:20.360 and Sophie Cunningham, who both went out during a loss 0:06:20.400 --> 0:06:23.039 on Friday to the Connecticut Sun. The good news is 0:06:23.120 --> 0:06:26.279 On Sunday, Fever coach Stephanie White said Coulson and Cunningham 0:06:26.320 --> 0:06:29.640 received good news from their MRIs. She called both of 0:06:29.680 --> 0:06:31.920 them day to day and said they should return quote 0:06:31.960 --> 0:06:34.760 sooner rather than later. The team is still looking to 0:06:34.800 --> 0:06:37.680 add a player on a hardship contract, though, We're keeping 0:06:37.680 --> 0:06:40.560 an eye on veteran Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes 0:06:40.640 --> 0:06:43.120 as well. She got hit in the face again in 0:06:43.160 --> 0:06:45.720 Sunday night's game against the Minnesota Lynx and went to 0:06:45.760 --> 0:06:48.520 the locker room immediately with a towel over her face. 0:06:49.080 --> 0:06:51.719 Now you'll notice, I said again. She also took a 0:06:51.720 --> 0:06:53.440 shot to the nose and came up bleeding in the 0:06:53.480 --> 0:06:56.480 Valx duel with the Washington Mystics back on May twenty first. 0:06:56.920 --> 0:06:59.160 The action she saw against the Link Sunday was her 0:06:59.240 --> 0:07:03.400 first since that game against DC. Also over in Phoenix, 0:07:03.480 --> 0:07:06.440 five time All Star Alyssa Thomas missed her second game 0:07:06.480 --> 0:07:08.320 in a row on Sunday, dealing with an injury to 0:07:08.360 --> 0:07:11.160 her calf. We'll continue to keep you updated on these 0:07:11.200 --> 0:07:14.600 Hoopers and on any other notable injuries in the meantime. 0:07:14.920 --> 0:07:20.320 Has anyone asked the WNBA for comment? More WNBA We 0:07:20.360 --> 0:07:22.960 got a only in Women's sports moment over the weekend 0:07:23.000 --> 0:07:26.520 with the Chicago Skuys Courtney vander Slute setting franchise records 0:07:26.520 --> 0:07:30.440 for both career points and field goals, breaking the previous 0:07:30.480 --> 0:07:34.239 mark set by who else but her wife, Ali Quiggley. 0:07:34.800 --> 0:07:37.200 Now you may remember back in twenty twenty, Slute also 0:07:37.200 --> 0:07:39.880 set the WNBA record for most assists in a single 0:07:39.920 --> 0:07:43.320 game with a pass to Quiggly. Caitlin Clark best died 0:07:43.360 --> 0:07:45.320 the mark in a game last year. But we'll always 0:07:45.320 --> 0:07:48.160 have the memory of the Vander Quiggs connection, and we 0:07:48.200 --> 0:07:52.040 will always celebrate only in Women's sports moments like breaking 0:07:52.040 --> 0:07:55.320 your own wife's record. Here's hoping one day the m 0:07:55.520 --> 0:07:59.600 NBA can celebrate moments like that too. Still more hoops. 0:07:59.640 --> 0:08:02.280 A hand full of Sunday games kicked off Commissioner's Cup 0:08:02.280 --> 0:08:05.080 play in the WNBA, including the seven to zero New 0:08:05.160 --> 0:08:08.320 York Liberty putting in absolute beat down on the now 0:08:08.360 --> 0:08:12.040 one in six Connecticut Sun one hundred to fifty two. 0:08:12.520 --> 0:08:15.920 That is the second largest margin of victory in WNBA history. 0:08:16.320 --> 0:08:18.640 As for the largest margin of victory, that still belongs 0:08:18.680 --> 0:08:20.840 to the Minnesota Lynx who beat up on the Indiana 0:08:20.880 --> 0:08:23.720 Fever one eleven to fifty two back in twenty seventeen. 0:08:24.400 --> 0:08:28.000 Ps I gotta shout out the Liberty for celebrating mascot 0:08:28.040 --> 0:08:32.720 Ellie the Elephant's fifth birthday in style. Besides all the 0:08:32.760 --> 0:08:35.640 celebrations that they had for her, they got her that 0:08:35.679 --> 0:08:38.679 blowout win. And if anyone deserves a blowout win, it's 0:08:38.720 --> 0:08:42.480 my girl. Ellie. To tennis and the French Open, where 0:08:42.520 --> 0:08:46.280 five American women advance to the fourth round, which concludes today. 0:08:46.600 --> 0:08:48.880 By the time you hear this, Coco Goth will either 0:08:48.920 --> 0:08:52.320 be on too the quarterfinal round or out of the tournament. 0:08:52.840 --> 0:08:55.480 I guess there's a third option two in the event 0:08:55.520 --> 0:08:58.080 that her match, which started at five am Eastern, is 0:08:58.160 --> 0:09:00.839 still in progress. You could be an earlier bird who 0:09:00.880 --> 0:09:03.280 listens to our show right when it hits. Or maybe 0:09:03.280 --> 0:09:05.559 the match is just really long. Maybe the match is 0:09:05.640 --> 0:09:08.640 setting the world record for longest tie break ever recorded 0:09:08.840 --> 0:09:11.640 and is still in progress as you listen to these words, 0:09:12.600 --> 0:09:14.920 never say never. As for the rest of the field 0:09:14.920 --> 0:09:20.240 IGAs Fontek, Elina Spittolina King wen Zen and Arina Sablenka 0:09:20.360 --> 0:09:23.679 already clinched quarter final berths. On Sunday, we'll link to 0:09:23.720 --> 0:09:26.720 the full Fronch Open schedule and results in the show notes. 0:09:26.840 --> 0:09:29.320 If I said all of those names correctly the first time, 0:09:29.640 --> 0:09:33.440 I should get a gold star more French Open. We 0:09:33.520 --> 0:09:35.599 mentioned last week that, for a second straight year, on 0:09:35.840 --> 0:09:40.320 Jaburg called out tournament organizers for continually prioritizing men's tennis 0:09:40.520 --> 0:09:44.760 when scheduling night matches. Coco Goff supported Jabur's remarks after 0:09:44.800 --> 0:09:47.360 her second round win, saying the tournament needed to quote 0:09:47.400 --> 0:09:51.440 unquote improve its scheduling. While on Friday, French Open director 0:09:51.480 --> 0:09:55.079 and former player Omlee Moresmo pushed back against the idea 0:09:55.120 --> 0:09:58.400 that they were discriminating against women, as during a press conference, 0:09:58.440 --> 0:10:01.400 why women's matches were the only ones placed during the 0:10:01.440 --> 0:10:05.520 noontime slot, which is typically less attended, She replied, quote 0:10:05.640 --> 0:10:08.160 the funny thing is that it's the same questions year 0:10:08.200 --> 0:10:12.400 after year end Quote yeah, no, shit, sherlock. The questions 0:10:12.400 --> 0:10:16.520 are the same because the problem is the same. Former 0:10:16.559 --> 0:10:19.520 pro Pam Schreiver called out Moresmo in an episode of 0:10:19.559 --> 0:10:22.480 the Tennis podcast over the weekend, Take a listen. 0:10:23.559 --> 0:10:28.520 It's extremely triggering, painful and disappointing to have a player, 0:10:28.679 --> 0:10:31.640 a former WTA Tour player who got to number one 0:10:31.679 --> 0:10:33.760 in the world, it's in the Hall of Fame, who 0:10:33.800 --> 0:10:37.800 basically earned her fifteen million plus prize money, not including 0:10:38.040 --> 0:10:41.960 all the endorsements, exhibitions, every opportunity that she had on 0:10:42.000 --> 0:10:44.440 the back of the original nine led by Billy Jean 0:10:44.559 --> 0:10:48.600 King Furthered along by Martina and Chrissy. And to have 0:10:48.760 --> 0:10:54.520 a tournament director with that CV that background basically slapping 0:10:54.559 --> 0:10:58.560 women's tennis the modern day version twenty twenty five is 0:10:59.200 --> 0:11:00.000 horrendous to hear. 0:11:00.800 --> 0:11:03.520 We got to get Shrever on the show. Absolutely spot 0:11:03.559 --> 0:11:07.080 on More Tennis. There was also a very cool, serendipitous 0:11:07.120 --> 0:11:11.199 moment at Roland Garris on Thursday, as Venus Williams, Sloane Stevens, 0:11:11.200 --> 0:11:14.040 and Cocoa Goff all ended up sitting together at the 0:11:14.080 --> 0:11:17.560 TNT desk. Stevens is currently nursing a foot injury, so 0:11:17.600 --> 0:11:20.760 she's doing commentary for the tournament alongside Williams and others. 0:11:21.000 --> 0:11:23.280 When Goff sat down, she spoke about what it meant 0:11:23.640 --> 0:11:25.440 to be at the table with Venus. 0:11:25.559 --> 0:11:28.240 You, Serena, the reason I started this sport, and like, 0:11:28.320 --> 0:11:30.760 being here is surreal. I didn't know that you were 0:11:30.760 --> 0:11:33.720 going to be at the nest, so I'm really happy 0:11:33.760 --> 0:11:37.480 to be here. And yeah, I'm having a little moment here, 0:11:37.559 --> 0:11:40.080 so I'm trying to get the words out, but honestly, 0:11:40.160 --> 0:11:41.920 it means a lot to be here and hear that 0:11:41.960 --> 0:11:45.719 from you. And yeah, I never would have thought when 0:11:45.760 --> 0:11:47.560 I pick up a racket, I would be here, sitting 0:11:47.559 --> 0:11:49.200 here with you and having this conversation. 0:11:49.280 --> 0:11:51.680 I'm so glad you're here, you and Sloan. There's so 0:11:51.720 --> 0:11:54.960 many generations of girls who are picking up rackets. Stevens 0:11:55.000 --> 0:11:56.960 later posted a photo of the trio at the desk 0:11:57.040 --> 0:11:59.800 on her Instagram, writing quote, this isn't just a photo, 0:12:00.240 --> 0:12:04.640 It's a page in the history books. We got to 0:12:04.679 --> 0:12:07.199 take a quick break. When we come back. My conversation 0:12:07.320 --> 0:12:09.360 with mel Reed, who I caught up with last week, 0:12:09.679 --> 0:12:19.640 stick around joining us now. She's a recently retired professional 0:12:19.640 --> 0:12:22.680 golfer on the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour, 0:12:22.720 --> 0:12:25.200 now at broadcaster for NBC and other networks, and co 0:12:25.280 --> 0:12:28.720 host of The Quiet Please with Melan Kira podcast right 0:12:28.720 --> 0:12:32.080 here on the Iheartwomen's Sports Network. A Darby, England native, 0:12:32.120 --> 0:12:34.319 she won her first LPGA Tour event in twenty twenty 0:12:34.320 --> 0:12:37.840 the shopwrit LPGA Classic, and reached her highest ranking that year, 0:12:37.880 --> 0:12:40.600 thirty ninth in the world. Now she's a mama and 0:12:40.679 --> 0:12:44.040 a broadcaster who calls the broadcast booth a cage. We're 0:12:44.040 --> 0:12:46.160 going to work on the It's Mel Reid. 0:12:46.040 --> 0:12:49.520 Hi, Mel, how you doing. I actually thought my word 0:12:49.559 --> 0:12:51.680 ranking was higher than that, so that makes me feel great. 0:12:52.080 --> 0:12:55.600 So thank you. Wikipedia says, what do you want to 0:12:56.440 --> 0:12:57.840 just like might be done in the world. 0:12:57.880 --> 0:13:01.800 It's some perfect in my head. Let's talk about that 0:13:01.880 --> 0:13:03.920 our word that I used in your bio, a word 0:13:03.960 --> 0:13:06.839 you seem to be uneasy about saying aloud. On the 0:13:06.880 --> 0:13:09.400 first episode of your podcast, you said you just irish 0:13:09.440 --> 0:13:12.640 goodbye to your golf career, and you actually hoped everyone 0:13:12.679 --> 0:13:15.839 on your team had already heard about it. But if not, well, 0:13:15.880 --> 0:13:18.320 here I am on my podcast. I'm done. So what's 0:13:18.360 --> 0:13:20.120 your beef with saying the word retired. 0:13:20.920 --> 0:13:23.040 It's not even the beef of saying the word retired. 0:13:23.200 --> 0:13:25.760 It's the fact that, like I feel like every player 0:13:25.800 --> 0:13:28.679 that retires has like a big sing and dance about it, 0:13:28.720 --> 0:13:31.440 and that's not my style. So I just wanted to 0:13:31.440 --> 0:13:33.559 just go out quietly and not have a big fuss 0:13:33.559 --> 0:13:36.000 about it. So I just didn't tell anyone. I just 0:13:36.840 --> 0:13:39.440 I The rumor was kind of getting around between players 0:13:39.480 --> 0:13:41.400 because I was doing a little bit more broadcast and 0:13:41.640 --> 0:13:43.839 a few players strove past me, like Nelly and stuff, 0:13:43.880 --> 0:13:45.200 and I was like, yeah, dude, I'm done. 0:13:45.520 --> 0:13:48.720 Nelly Porter decent person to have inquiring about your career. 0:13:48.760 --> 0:13:51.560 Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. 0:13:51.720 --> 0:13:51.920 So. 0:13:53.120 --> 0:13:55.320 But yeah, so I did tell most of my team. 0:13:55.360 --> 0:13:59.720 I forgot to tell like one member, which was pretty significant, 0:13:59.760 --> 0:14:02.240 but I did. I did. I was pretty good at 0:14:02.280 --> 0:14:03.760 telling most of my team. But yeah, it's kind of 0:14:03.800 --> 0:14:06.240 been in the works for a few years, so yeah, 0:14:06.360 --> 0:14:07.360 I did mention it. 0:14:08.000 --> 0:14:10.480 So this is a weird question potentially, But as someone 0:14:10.480 --> 0:14:14.240 who really enjoys attention and loves to talk about myself, 0:14:14.600 --> 0:14:17.400 what is going on inside when you're like, I just 0:14:17.400 --> 0:14:19.880 don't want people to even care or know that I've done. 0:14:19.920 --> 0:14:22.200 I just want to do it quietly and disappear, Like 0:14:22.200 --> 0:14:23.280 what what is that? 0:14:24.400 --> 0:14:26.800 No? I love attention on myself as well. I do. 0:14:27.080 --> 0:14:29.840 I just I don't know it's just the whole like 0:14:30.240 --> 0:14:32.160 I feel it. Players that retire they get like big 0:14:32.240 --> 0:14:36.120 bunch of flowers and like a big parade, and I 0:14:36.200 --> 0:14:38.320 just didn't really want that. I just wanted to kind 0:14:38.320 --> 0:14:40.800 of listen. I'm sure at some point in the next 0:14:40.800 --> 0:14:42.760 couple of years, because I'll be on tour still obviously 0:14:42.760 --> 0:14:45.720 with broadcasting, I'll get like a bunch of players and 0:14:45.760 --> 0:14:48.400 like we'll have some beers and like go to a bar, 0:14:48.600 --> 0:14:51.280 and that can be my retirement party. I just didn't 0:14:51.280 --> 0:14:54.680 want this whole like song and dance about it all. 0:14:54.720 --> 0:14:57.280 I just wanted to just believe quietly on my own terms. Plus, 0:14:57.840 --> 0:14:59.760 Plus I am very good at an Irish exit on 0:14:59.760 --> 0:15:02.520 a night, and so it just felt fitting for like 0:15:02.520 --> 0:15:03.880 a twenty year career to do it. 0:15:05.120 --> 0:15:07.160 You actually thought about retiring in twenty twenty two. You 0:15:07.200 --> 0:15:10.040 were frustrated by an injury, but after a few months 0:15:10.080 --> 0:15:12.080 of thinking about it, you actually came back to the 0:15:12.080 --> 0:15:14.560 tour and said you felt some joy and playing. Did 0:15:14.560 --> 0:15:16.640 you feel like you got to go out on good 0:15:16.760 --> 0:15:19.480 terms the last year or so of playing. 0:15:20.080 --> 0:15:22.960 Yeah, I mean I've thought about retirement for a while. 0:15:23.040 --> 0:15:25.600 To be quite honest with you, I thought about it 0:15:25.720 --> 0:15:30.720 firstly back in twenty twelve, and then I've kind of 0:15:30.760 --> 0:15:33.040 thought about it a lot. It's funny, I don't think 0:15:33.080 --> 0:15:34.920 I was meant to be a golfer, like I just 0:15:35.080 --> 0:15:37.200 I grew up playing teen sport and I really missed 0:15:37.200 --> 0:15:41.200 team sport, and so I've always kind of struggled with 0:15:41.320 --> 0:15:43.760 the isolation of golf and be on your own quite 0:15:43.800 --> 0:15:46.520 a lot. It's not really my it's just so against 0:15:46.600 --> 0:15:50.280 the grain of my personality. But I created like some 0:15:50.280 --> 0:15:52.680 really good friendship groups out there, and I did I 0:15:52.720 --> 0:15:54.320 create a good team around me to make it as 0:15:54.400 --> 0:15:57.320 enjoyable as possible. But there's always been in the back 0:15:57.360 --> 0:15:59.360 of my mind, like I wanted to do something else 0:15:59.400 --> 0:16:01.600 with my with my life in terms of a career 0:16:01.760 --> 0:16:04.760 outside of golf, and so I've always kind of been 0:16:04.840 --> 0:16:08.280 very proactive, Like broadcasting is kind of the natural direction 0:16:08.360 --> 0:16:10.880 that a lot of people go in. I actually I 0:16:11.000 --> 0:16:13.400 generally really enjoy doing broadcasts. I love I love the 0:16:13.440 --> 0:16:15.400 team aspect of it. I love talking about golf. I 0:16:15.440 --> 0:16:20.560 obviously love watching golf, and that hopefully is going to 0:16:20.640 --> 0:16:23.240 kind of lead me into other stuff that I'm also 0:16:23.360 --> 0:16:26.440 very interested in. But yeah, I mean, it's not easy 0:16:26.440 --> 0:16:28.640 to retire, like even when I knew, I knew years ago, 0:16:28.720 --> 0:16:31.200 like I probably should have retired or wanted to retire, 0:16:31.240 --> 0:16:34.600 But it's quite hard to step it into the comfortableness 0:16:34.600 --> 0:16:36.960 of not being a professional athlete anymore. It's a bit 0:16:36.960 --> 0:16:40.480 of an identity thing, like I still should a little 0:16:40.480 --> 0:16:43.240 bit like saying to people like I'm an ex professional athlete. 0:16:43.400 --> 0:16:46.320 I still like, I still call myself a professional athlete. 0:16:46.440 --> 0:16:49.840 So we're going to hang on for that forever an athlete. Yeah, 0:16:50.000 --> 0:16:52.280 you know you mentioned in there that isolation, and I 0:16:52.320 --> 0:16:55.560 heard you talking on your podcast about how it used 0:16:55.600 --> 0:16:57.960 to be different, how it felt like, And I think 0:16:58.000 --> 0:17:01.160 in particular, you were talking about the European Tour. You 0:17:01.280 --> 0:17:05.119 played together, you hung out together, you traveled together. If 0:17:05.200 --> 0:17:07.800 you if you miss the cut, you'd find yourself at 0:17:07.800 --> 0:17:09.760 a pub with some other players talking about how shit 0:17:09.800 --> 0:17:12.120 you played and how it felt like, particularly coming over 0:17:12.160 --> 0:17:14.800 to the LPGA. And in recent years it's got more 0:17:14.840 --> 0:17:17.240 professional in a way that's great in some ways, but 0:17:17.359 --> 0:17:21.320 also does make it less of a friendship of a 0:17:21.400 --> 0:17:24.359 group activity. Is that part of what contributed to you 0:17:24.440 --> 0:17:26.320 kind of losing the love for it a little? 0:17:26.880 --> 0:17:30.440 Yeah, definitely, I think that you know, especially when you're 0:17:30.440 --> 0:17:31.679 on tour as long as I am, Like a lot 0:17:31.720 --> 0:17:33.800 of my friends quit or kind of got pushed out 0:17:33.840 --> 0:17:35.159 of the game as well. So a lot of the 0:17:35.160 --> 0:17:38.080 ogs were not there anymore that I grew up with, 0:17:38.280 --> 0:17:41.240 or I was kind of the young one around the group, 0:17:41.280 --> 0:17:45.480 they'd all gone. I think that in Europe, it's listen, 0:17:45.520 --> 0:17:48.400 there's a cultural difference, you know, with such a global 0:17:48.400 --> 0:17:51.280 tour in the LPGA. If a lot of reasons are 0:17:51.640 --> 0:17:54.080 like a lot of things about that is incredible, majority 0:17:54.080 --> 0:17:56.720 of it is incredible, but there's a lot of cultural differences. 0:17:56.760 --> 0:17:58.960 And so that was one thing that I kind of 0:17:59.000 --> 0:18:02.120 struggled with because in Europe, you know, if you don't 0:18:02.119 --> 0:18:04.680 play well, you do you kind of go to dinners anyway, 0:18:04.960 --> 0:18:06.439 And if you play well or don't play what, you 0:18:06.440 --> 0:18:08.280 go to dinners and you have a beer. And you know, 0:18:08.320 --> 0:18:10.439 you wouldn't have a beer as of players if you 0:18:10.520 --> 0:18:12.679 were kind of playing good or whatever. But like if 0:18:12.720 --> 0:18:13.720 you miss the cut, of course you can have a 0:18:13.760 --> 0:18:15.439 couple of beers and like the caddies joined you, and 0:18:15.480 --> 0:18:17.280 like it's just a very yeah, you just shoot the 0:18:17.320 --> 0:18:20.040 shit and just forget about it and reset for next week. 0:18:20.119 --> 0:18:23.040 That's the thing like about golf is just consistently you're 0:18:23.119 --> 0:18:26.080 just moving on all the time. And so yeah, I 0:18:26.119 --> 0:18:29.080 definitely did struggle with that In America. I obviously found 0:18:29.160 --> 0:18:30.879 like my group over here that kind of are a 0:18:30.880 --> 0:18:33.960 little bit still old school like that, but it's really 0:18:34.000 --> 0:18:36.119 tough and it's so competitive out there now that you 0:18:36.400 --> 0:18:39.879 just I feel like it gets so regimented and you 0:18:40.040 --> 0:18:41.880 just have to be one hundred percent all the time 0:18:41.920 --> 0:18:45.639 to compete because the talent and the work ethic and 0:18:45.680 --> 0:18:49.160 the commitment from these young athletes is just a joke 0:18:49.359 --> 0:18:52.439 and they are just so good and they just travel 0:18:52.480 --> 0:18:54.720 really well. They don't have any responsibilities. My life has 0:18:54.760 --> 0:18:57.679 obviously changed with having a little boy, and so I 0:18:57.680 --> 0:18:59.560 think that kind of I was like, is it worth 0:19:00.240 --> 0:19:02.400 Is it worth the commitment? I'm gonna have to recommit 0:19:02.440 --> 0:19:04.920 myself And it just was a no for We spoke 0:19:04.920 --> 0:19:07.440 about it as a family, and for us it wasn't. 0:19:07.560 --> 0:19:09.439 I didn't love it enough. I would rather grind at 0:19:09.480 --> 0:19:11.680 something else that I truly loved. That took me away 0:19:11.680 --> 0:19:12.679 from that my family. 0:19:13.440 --> 0:19:15.440 You mentioned your son Kai, So you and your wife 0:19:15.520 --> 0:19:18.520 Carly had your first kid in twenty twenty three, He's 0:19:18.600 --> 0:19:21.520 already been around the globe supporting mom out on the course, 0:19:22.160 --> 0:19:24.440 and you actually said in an interview that ever since 0:19:24.480 --> 0:19:27.919 you found out she was pregnant, golf became secondary. And 0:19:28.080 --> 0:19:30.679 did taking pressure off the game at all impact your 0:19:30.720 --> 0:19:32.240 play positively or negatively? 0:19:34.000 --> 0:19:37.960 Yes, no, I think Listen, it's not I have so 0:19:38.320 --> 0:19:40.760 I didn't give birth to Kai. I actually don't know 0:19:40.800 --> 0:19:42.520 how these women do it and then come back and 0:19:42.560 --> 0:19:44.000 play like I can do it. 0:19:44.040 --> 0:19:45.159 I don't know when they do it period. 0:19:45.200 --> 0:19:49.160 Not to mention just any woman doing that exactly. I 0:19:49.200 --> 0:19:53.199 honestly a whole newfound respect for women. And so we 0:19:53.280 --> 0:19:55.080 found it quite difficult on the road with him because 0:19:55.119 --> 0:19:58.560 Carli was still working full time and so she yes, 0:19:58.640 --> 0:20:01.560 she can work remote, but it's it's just a lot, 0:20:03.160 --> 0:20:05.040 and like, yeah, we do get daycare on the LPGA, 0:20:05.080 --> 0:20:06.800 but it's a certain amount of hours and the daycare 0:20:06.880 --> 0:20:09.560 women are unreal. But it's still a lot to kind 0:20:09.600 --> 0:20:12.399 of navigate that and I'm trying to do my training 0:20:12.400 --> 0:20:14.159 to a certain degree in that. But Carli's not off 0:20:14.200 --> 0:20:16.400