Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where I just arrived in Arizona for the She Believes Cup with the cide of Cubs Baseball and it's Sonny in seventy five degrees, no snow insight, I've got my sun screen on and oh sorry, Mishan Alex. I would bottle up some sunshine
if I could. It's Friday, February twenty first. On today's show, we'll be chatting with Tisha Allen, former pro golfer and host of Iheart's Welcome to the Party podcast about how she got her start as a golfer, getting to preach her love of golf to half a million Insta followers, and why golf lags behind the other sports when it comes to women's empowerment and activism. Plus No Dumb Questions, LPGA Tour Edition and NWSL Denver's asking for your help.
We remember a tennis pro who traded a racket for a bag of clubs, and Flage Johnson get some well deserved flowers.
It's all coming up right after this.
Welcome Back, Happy Friday slices. Here's what you need to know today in tennis news. Venus Williams the first black woman to achieve a number one ranking in the Open era is hitting the court again. The seven time Grand Slam singles winner hasn't played in a WTA event since last March, but she's been granted a wild card to compete in the BNP Paribus Open in Indian Wells, California.
Starting on March fifth.
This will be the forty four year old second straight year competing at the event. She received a wildcard last year too, but she lost in the first round. This is the same tournament you remember that Williams and her sister Serena boycotted for fourteen years. Yeah, in case you weren't tapped in then, Serena played and won the two thousand and one tournament final against Kim Cleister's in front of a crowd that directed racial slurs and booze.
At her and her family.
Venus is currently ranked number nine hundred and seventy four in the world, but she's a legend in every sense of the word. In footy news, the Denver NWSL club is asking fans to help name the team. The Colorado franchise announced it's name the club campaign on Wednesday and released a short list of six names to choose from. They include Denver Peak FC, Colorado fourteen Ers FC, Colorado Summit FC, Denver ELEVATEFC, Denver FC, and Denver gold FC. Fans can cast a vote for their favorite at Denver
NWSL dot com slash name. We'll be sure to throw that link at our show notes. And hey, if you're a rebel and you don't like any of those choices, there's also a right in option. More footy news, there's
an NWSL docu series on the way. Prime Video released the trailer and key art for for the Win NWSL, a four part series premier in March sixth that grants viewers access to the twenty twenty four NWSL playoffs via some of the league's biggest stars, exclusive interviews, locker room access, match highlight throughout helping paint the picture of the race of the championship in Kansas City. We'll link to the
trailer in our show notes. In international soccer, Luis Rubiellis, former president of Spain's football federation, has been convicted of sexual assault for forcibly kissing Spanish national team player Jenny Hermoso on the lips during the team's twenty twenty three
World Cup trophy ceremony. Prosecutors pushed for a one year sentence, but when the verdict came down, the forty seven year old Rubialis was ordered to not go within two hundred meters of thirty four year old Hermoso or contactor for a year. He was also fined ten thousand euros about ten thousand, four hundred and thirty seven US dollars. The
court also ruled on accusations of coercion. So Rubialis plus the team's former head coach Jorge Vilda, former Federation sporting director Albert Luke, and former marketing chief Ruben Rivera were also accused of pressuring Hermoso into claiming the kiss was consensual. Prosecutors initially sought an eighteen month sentence for coercion, but all four men were acquitted. After the ordeal took place in twenty twenty three, FIFA banned Rubialis from all national
and international soccer activities for three years. That band is said to expire in twenty twenty six. More international soccer, the She Believes Cup continues over the weekend. There are two games Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. Arizona. First Columbia versus Japan at two pm Eastern, then the US Women's national team versus the Matilda's of Australia Eastern. You can catch both those matchups on TBS and streaming on Max, with Spanish language broadcasts available on NBC Universo
and Peacock. Oh and shout out to friend of the show, Becky Souerbrun, who recently retired and came over to the dark side. She's working as media for the tournament and made her broadcast debut yesterday on TBS. In Pro Hoops, Marina Maybrey became the center of attention after news broke that the Connecticut s soun denied her trade request. Mayby made the ask earlier this month, and her agent, Marcus Crenshaw. The FAM agency, gave ESPNS Alexa Philip Who a statement
about the franchise's decision on Tuesday. It reads, in part quote, in this current age of women's empowerment and support of the players, the Connecticut Sun threatening to force Marina Maybrey to play for them after her trade request is mind boggling. He continued, Why would anyone try to force someone to play on their team?
When they don't want to be there.
It's counterproductive in a ton of ways, and everyone we've spoken to is perplexed about how they are handling Marina after trading away Hall of Fame caliber players end quote, Yeah, you remember, Connecticut's roster looks very different this offseason. The team notably traded Elisa Thomas, Dewana Bonner, and Bree Jones, who were all key pieces during a stretch of five seasons where the Sun made it to the WNBA semi finals.
Or further, Connecticut acquired Maybury in a shocking trade with Chicago last season, giving up their twenty twenty five first round pick, a twenty twenty six pick swap, and guards Rachel Bannon and Mariah Jefferson. Connecticut's Sun president Jen Rizzotti made her own bold statement after denying Maybury's trade request, telling Sportico quote, we knew at the time she had already forced her way out of two teams, so it was a bit risky for us to trade for her, but we felt like it was worth it.
End quote.
Rizzotti also noted that the franchise has a desire to build around Maybury, considering her versatile offensive talent. She told ESPN that it quote wasn't in our best interest to move her because of the value that we gave up together, but also that we place on her end quote. Maybury played twenty four games with the Sky before being traded, and in sixteen games with the Sun, she averaged fourteen point nine points, three point five rebounds, and three point
four assists. Speaking of the Sun, I don't want to stir up any more drama, but could the franchise be on the move? After the Sun sold out game in Boston last season, some folks from Beantown suggest that the team would be better off in their city and now. According to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, an ownership group led by actor singer Donnie Wahlberg and former NBA player Michael Carter Williams, both Boston Burbs natives, is planning
to prepare an offer for a WNBA expansion team. There's more, though, esp Nations Noah Dalzel spoke to Carter Williams, who said his group is open to purchasing an existing team like the Connecticut Sun. Of course, the Sun would need to be willing sellers. We'll keep you updated on that story. To college hoops a big ESPN tripleheader is headed our way on Sunday. Five ranked programs take the court starting at noon Easter with number one Notre Dame at number
thirteen NC State. Then it's number nine North Carolina at Louisville, followed by number seven LSU at number fourteen Kentucky. There are thirteen other top twenty five teams playing that day too, so we'll link to the full schedule in our show notes. Make your viewing plan or set your DVR now do people still do DVR? I still do DBAs I'm old. Also, number five Yukon plays Butler tomorrow, and we're on Pagebecker's watch because she continues to make her way up Yukon's
all time scores list. On Wednesdays, she passed Dinah Tarassi in the record books by scoring her two thousand, one hundred and fifty eighth point. She's now ninth on the list, and she's got three games left in the regular season, needs just twenty one more points to surpass Carrie Bascomb's twenty one seventy seven and Nikisha Sales and Kalina Mesgado Lewis's twenty.
One seventy eight.
We'll keep an eye on her all right, This one's for all you ruggers out there. Women's Elite Rugby is almost here. The new league announced its game schedule and complete rosters for season one this week. The regular season starts on May twenty second in New York with a match between the New York Exiles and Boston Banshees. The season we'll run for roughly three months, concluding on June fourteenth. We'll link to the full schedule along with the roster
announcements in the show notes. And if you didn't hear it, go back and listen to our January episode giving you the full one oh one on this new league. Also, you know the protocol, go choose which team you're riding with. It's always more fun when you got some skin in the game. At Rugby Evolved and Women's Elite Rugby dot us is where to find him.
And in pro vibes.
The PVF All Star Game takes place tomorrow in Indianapolis. More than ten thousand fans voted on who they wanted to see, and now twenty four of the league's best players will take center stage at Fisher's Event Center. They'll be led by two active college coaching icons Michelle Collier, who's entering her twelve year as head coach at Georgia Tech, and Dave Shandell, who's guided Purdue since two thousand and three.
The match will be available live on CBS Sports and streaming on Paramount Plus at one thirty Eastern.
Don't miss it.
We'll link to where you can find the match and ticket info in our show notes.
Some pretty awesome pop culture news.
Time magazine released its twenty twenty five Women of the Year honorees, and Asia Wilson and Jordan Chiles made the list. Now, we're a little confused about why we're announcing Women of the Year for the year twenty twenty five in February, but that's neither here nor there. We're just excited for Asia and Jordan. If you don't already know from listening to our show, we're big fans of both.
Here's a little refresher on their brilliance.
Wilson is a two time WNBA Champ, three time MVP, six time All Star, two tu time Olympic gold medalist. She just revealed her a one signature Nike sneaker, and she's got a best selling book.
Dear Black Girls available on shelves everywhere.
Chiles is a team USA gymnast with Olympic gold and silver medals who routinely destroys her competition as a member of the UCLA gymnastics team, and has a memoir titled I'm That Girl, set to release in March. We'll link to the time story and the video about the pair in our show notes.
We're going to take a quick break. When we come back, we're chatting with Tisha all In.
But first a quick note on some new LPGA rules that actually were announced the same day that we chatted with Tish so. In an effort to speed up play on the tour, the LPGA recently announced a new pace of play policy that calls for a fine friendy golfer who's one to five seconds over there allotted time on a whole for those six to fifteen seconds over a one stroke penalty, and a two stroke penalty for those
sixteen seconds over a more. The new rules go into effect starting at the Ford Championship on March twenty seventh. Golfers are still going to get warned and timed before find some stroke penalties are levied. Last year's LPGA player of the Year. Nelly Cortas said she's very excited about the change.
End quote.
I think that implementing harsh rules is going to be good for the game of golf. They were saying at the meeting. At the end of the day, we're a form of entertainment. If we're taking really long out there, I mean, that's not entertaining.
End quote. More on Nelly Corda.
And who else to watch on tour this year when we tea off with Tisha Allin next.
Joining us now.
She's a former professional golfer, host of the Welcome to the Party podcast here on iHeart Women's Sports, a professional speaker and social media star, A passionate advocate for junior golf, women's sports and the LGBTQ plus community. She loves a TikTok dance and she can do some mean tricks with a club of ball and two feet. It's Tisha Allin, Hi, Tisha, Hi, Sarah.
It's so good to meet you.
I know, we were at the same conference in New York and I was watching you flip around some balls from Afar, but we never actually got to chat's and now you're part of the team, So welcome to the iHeart Women's Sports Podcast.
FAM. Thank you.
It's very exciting. It's a new world for me. I am learning a lot. I commend you for just you just turn and burn this kind of stuff.
It's a lot, daily shows, a lot.
But we're happy to be here for the people and we're glad you're here because we have a lot of questions about golf. But before we get to our burning questions about the LPG and the new season, I want to know more about your story and particularly how you get to half a million Insta followers, dancing, doing tricks and sharing your love of golf. So let's go back to the beginning. You were born in Rockford, Illinois, which you grew up in Cali. How did you first get started playing golf?
So, actually, my dad got me into the game, and we got into the game at the same time, so it was kind of like our means of just bonding. He was a stay at home dad at the time, and he'd go to the range bring me with him. I'm three years old, and from that moment on, I never stopped swinging a club. So I literally don't have a memory where I wasn't a golfer. I don't know what life is like without golf. It's pretty crazy.
Oh cool, yeah, yeah, So how does he feel about the fact that I guarantee you can absolutely trounce him in golf, Like you started at the same time and you're infinitely better, I presume.
Yeah. I actually started beating him, I think at nine years old, so it really wasn't that much longer that I started to to kind of catch up with him. And then after that he just kind of became my coach and he was cool with it. He would just literally watch what he saw on TV. He'd like watch tigers swing and be like, Okay, I think it's what you need to do. So we were both just kind of like doing it like on the fly, you know.
But he accepts that that I beat him, and on occasions when we do play now, he'll see me hit a shot and he's like wow, and I'm like, ye, dad, you grew you grew up watching me do this, and it just like amazes him, and I think it's really it's a really cute kind of like full circle to be like this is where he introduced me, and now I'm able to make a living, not professionally anymore, but you know still very much around the game.
That's really sweet. And I bet I don't have kids, but I bet it is true. Like when the kid that you taught how to do something beat to you, instead of being mad.
You're just like, I did that. Yeah, yeah, I made that.
So you played golf at cal State Fullerton. There isn't a draft for the LPGA, so unlike other sports, you sort of have to like know and feel ready to go pro and also so qualify. So what's that process.
Yes, it's a great question, and I think it's a really it's a big differentiator between other sports. Right because we don't have a draft, it's really up to you to be like, yo, I think I'm good enough. All right, let's go do this thing. How do I do this thing? Oh, you have to fund yourself. It's truly all up to you. Really. The bottom line is that you do have to have a certain handicap, which is essentially like a certain level
of playability. You have to be a decent enough golfer to apply, and if you score too high on these qualifying tournaments to qualify you as a pro, you can't go back. So you can't like lie about this stuff. Basically. But essentially there's a few different ways you can turn professionally. But literally, you can graduate college and you can say, hey, I'm declaring myself as a professional. And really the biggest
difference is that you're now getting paid to play. So the moment that you try and enter a tournament for money, you are now a professional. Doesn't matter if it's a minor league event, a major league event, you know, even just any place where it's a it's a sanctioned tournament and you can win money, you are now a professional. So even if you don't win money, even if you don't win money, but you entered into a tournament, you
technically are professional. But like a lot of people won't declare themselves that until maybe they see a paycheck out of like their own pride.
You know, you could go back to amateurs at that point if you haven't won. But once you've won some money, then officially you're.
Yes, exactly, you're officially a pro. You can deem amateur status bags some people still like to do that. I never have, so I'm still considered a professional. I just haven't competed in a more legitimate event since twenty eighteen. That's kind of when I put the bag down. But the actual qualifying process, there's a thing called Q School or a Q Series that they keep changing the name,
and it's kind of like Hell Week. It's three different huge ass tournaments and you have to basically beat out like five hundred girls, go to second stage, beat out two hundred and fifty of the best girls, go to final stage, beat out one hundred of the best girls, and only top twenty get their card, like.
And then you do a kechstand and then that's it.
And then that's it, and then you're back on the road again.
You're ready to go, uh Hell Week for golf? Okay, wow, okay?
And then can you get funding from sponsors or other folks early on to help you fund this, like you said, if you're just starting out and not winning anything.
Yet, absolutely, And so I think the beauty but also the difficulty of it is is that it's all up to you. It's up to you to self promote yourself. If you get a sponsor, amazing, that's that's all on you. And one of the hardest things coming out of college because that's typically the traditional process. Some people, some women, some men have gone professionally before not even going to college,
but typically you go to college. It's it's really just like trying to showcase yourself, whether it's on social media or getting creating you know, partnerships and relationships with people, and really just having good game to be recognized, to get sponsors, and it's not easy when you're not on the LPGA Tour, which is the highest level. Right there's like a minor, middle, and major leagues. It's the way
I like to explain it. The minor leagues are are basically like the it's kind of like entry level tournaments. It's to kind of get your feet wet. Then there's like the middle leagues, which is considered it's called the Epsoen Tour or Ladies European Tour. And then there's LPGA. Well those that are starting out from ground zero or even on the EPSIN Tour, which is a really great tour. These girls don't often get sponsors. It's not easy to get noticed unless you're actually on the LPGA or you
have some type of media value outside of your ability. Right, So because women, you know, we actually we have to care about the way we look, how we present ourselves on top of our ability. It is a double edged sword in my opinion, compared to men's sports.
Right, So, did you always know you wanted to get into media and were you simultaneously building your media presence before retiring, like while you were playing.
Yes and yes. So when I went to CALCA Fullerton, I was there on a D one scholarship. I played number one. My college coach was a former LPGA player. I knew that I always wanted to try and professionally, but I fell in love with broadcasts and speaking at a younger age, like eighth grade, you know, high school. I was doing my my newscast for my high school
and all that stuff like that. I got an internship with like ABC when I was in college, and I have a broadcast journalism degree in communications, And so for me, I knew that if there came a time that professional golf wasn't it for me. I always wanted to talk about golf. But at the same time, when I graduated, which was in twenty fifteen, I said I'm going to turn pro. And then I said, oh shit, how am I going to afford to turn pro? Well, there's this
thing called Instagram. Now I guess I should probably showcase myself and let's see what happens. It was very very new at the time. The word creator or influencer was never a thing, and in my opinion, not something I ever wanted to call myself because I'm a professional golfer. At the end of the day, I was just using this thing as a tool to hopefully, you know, if I got just one view from someone who wanted to sponsor me, and maybe they liked my swing, maybe they
saw my scores, it can mean something. And then that's actually what happened. And then I kept growing and growing and growing from there. So I didn't wake up with half a million followers or a million on TikTok or what have you. It's just been a really slow growth since twenty fifteen. And eventually I learned to love the media side more than the playing side.
What did you see when you started to create content for up and coming women golfers or just golf fans. What did you see missing from existing content that you were like, oh, I want to put that out there.
Literally, that just up and coming, like like welcoming content for newer female golfers. I think that was the biggest thing, and I know I knew that for myself just being a female would already resonate so much because golf, just like I'm sure a lot of other sports, it is very male dominated, very very male dominated, a lot of
tradition that goes into it. And so if you ask any woman getting into golf, no matter how how long they've been playing or not, almost every woman can probably say or attest to the fact that they've had negative experience with a male coach, or they've been talked at, or they have been you know, just negative connotation. And for me, I was like, well, I don't have the ability to teach everyone every single day. What can I do?
Oh my gosh, I'm gonna share content where I can be relatable, make it digestible, make it very simple, because I know I'm good at explaining things and breaking things down, and also just like making women feel like, yeah, you can do this, and you can be really bad ass
and do this. So that's where I would balance like the teaching content of you know, beginner golfers and also showing like the badass like events they get to go to and the trick shots and the pros they get to be around, so that they can see like you can do it.
You can get there, yeah, and you can do cool shit. You can golf through golf yeahah yeah. It is extremely male dominated.
I actually spoke to the PGA of British Columbia probably like three or four hundred folks last January, and there were I think four women, because in Canada the LPGA
doesn't really have the same hold. If you're a professional up there, you're often in the PGA instead, even as a woman, and so all these pro it was like helping them understand whether their policies and their way of doing things was inclusive and actually welcoming women to their clubs, into their spaces, or whether they were unintentionally perpetuating some of those traditions that made women feel like they weren't allowed.
There's a great satirical video where they flipped the switch and it looks like a guy is being allowed to join his girlfriend at the club.
There's an all women's club. I love seeing it. Yeah, it's a Hailey Ledbetter I think, is that.
Oh Hollie, Yes, oh my cours.
I love how So I'll share that video in the show notes because it's such a great way of like rethinking and being like, yeah, this is what it feels like as women going into these spaces all the time, and like seeing it flipped really.
Brings it to light.
Okay, so we've got your background and how you've turned golf into this amazing thing and made it more accessible. We need our listeners and me too, to get a little more information so we can jump in and understand more about it. So it's time for No Dumb Questions Golf Edition. So for the listeners that know a ton, this will be a reminder, but for those of us that want to get started and watch more, we're gonna use my patented method for this stars Steak stats and stories.
So okay, I actually want to start with stakes first. What counts as a great season in golf is that like a couple of big tournament wins for a player.
Absolutely tournament wins really help your rankings. But at the end of the day, it comes down to rankings. There are two different ranking systems I believe one is called the Rolex Rankings. The other one I'm blanking on, but just know that they both matter because they weigh in for big events for like, for example, the Solheim Cup, which is our Team USA versus Team Europe event. It's a big deal. Like rankings matter for that rankings also
matter for your pay. Essentially you can get bonuses. It matters just for you know, you know, rankings because they matter, and so that is essentially. Yeah, that's that's how it rolls.
Okay, So a couple big tournament wins is good?
Yes? Absolutely?
Are those bonuses coming from sponsors? Are they coming from the LPGA, Like, if you're getting bonuses for your rankings, where's that money coming from?
So oftentimes it is a lot from sponsors. They do actually have a challenge. I believe it's also going on this year. It's called the a On Risk and Reward Challenge. And although that's not really a bonus, but it's another it's another thing to.
Go fight TwixT season long.
Yes, yes, essentially like a humul. Yeah, it's basically where Aon is a sponsor and they would at each event they would have a specific holding sponsor and whoever has the lowest average score on that hole and it's all comprised, you know, uh, the compilation of all the tournaments and they're a hole from each tournament. Whoever has like the lowest you know, scoring average will win a million dollars. Yeah, and my good friend angel Yann who's on the LPGA
tour one that was it. I would think it was in twenty twenty three and and it was just like, I mean, it's an amazing, amazing additional paycheck to end.
Kids in with, right.
Yeah, that's like when I play in the like low obviously clearly low level celebrity golf tournaments here where they pair me with a bunch of guys from like a construction company, there's always like one hole where closest to the pin and get surprised or longest drive, and it's specific to that hole. But it's like that on steroids because it's across the entire liter and for a million dollars, I did win.
Closest to the pin ones.
In case anyone was wondering, Okay, how can we tell by looking at the calendar which tournaments are the biggest and are probably featuring the top talent.
Absolutely so, usually when you're looking on a calendar, they'll they'll typically have it bolded of some sort, or there will be a note that it is a major. But there are a few tournaments that that are very notably clearly majors. For example, the US Women's Open, hands down, very big one. That one takes place in the States. Then there's a Women's British Open, which is essentially like the US Open, but of UK, and it's just as big and so and then.
And everyone can play in those.
No, you have to either qualify to be in there or you have to have the correct you know, a high enough ranking.
But I mean, like it's not a specific to British players. And it's like the French Open for tennis.
Everybody plays and it it's just in France exactly.
So British Open, US Open might have similar fields, it's just where they're being.
Held, correct, like Wimbledon or yeah right, yeah, US Open intests, Yeah exactly that.
Yeah.
So there's five big majors. One of them is another one is the Evon Championship. Again a sponsor name. I totally get. It's so funny because as a golfer, I don't think of it. It's just like, oh, I know that's a major, but I'm like, oh my god, no, other people may not know that's a big deal. So there has to be like an addition.
I like, especially when the sponsors changed, because like one year you'll be like, oh, I heard that's a big one and the.
Next year is a different name. You're like, I don't know, is that the same thing?
Good point? You know what, I'm gonna have to bring that back.
Yeah, okay, let's talk stars. Yes, last year even the most novice of watchers knew about Nelly Korda.
Yes, that's a good place to start.
Seven events that she won LPGA Player of the Year. Tell us more about her and what makes her.
So good, you know.
So Nelly has always been a very first late her and her sister are very strong players. So there's Nelly and Jessica Korda. So Jessica has taken a step back and it's actually more on the commentating side now, but she's had many wins under her belt too, And leading up into last year, Nelly was always a very solid player, like you would always see her in the top ten rankings.
But last year when she won six tournaments in a row and then finished out with the seventh, I think later in the season, like I don't think people really understand the gravity of how insane that is, Like that's a that's like a Tiger Woods year, you know. Like and when he was in his Prime and and she was literally unstoppable last year. And she even claims that
she went through a low point. I think any any high level athlete will consider themselves like there's a low point in any high But I'm like, girl, you still won seven events, I think every.
One of the best years ever.
So and I think she already had a really strong finish coming into this year. And this season just began, so we're just now getting started. Mayor just don't happen until the spring season, so it's really just warming up basically up until then. But Nellie Corda you absolutely have
to watch. She's also a great follow and you know she's growing to become more than just her ability, but also her personality, which I think it's such an interesting thing in golf because unlike other sports like WNBA and NWSL, women in golf we are kind of trained to not speak out right, like we've always been kind of like submissed, you know, you don't don't talk outwardly about you know, inequalities and stuff. And it's kind of just now becoming
more mainstream. And Nelly has also spoken about it, like, you know, slow play, we need to fix this girl, Like the girl's schedule. We need to fix this, and so she should. She can because she's the best player right now.
So like using that influence to speak out.
And you mentioned how golf culture has sort of historically relied on women not speaking up and how it's a different culture than other sports. And what we found is in some cases the activism is actually what draws fans to women's game, whether that's WNBA or NWSL, and maybe has kept fans away from golf. For instance, a LPGA has had some of the most restrictive policies when it comes to trans athletes. Organization didn't make much of a statement when Roe versus Wade fell. They had a recent
partnership with Barstool Sports, which I found really problematic. It just feels different from women's leagues. Do you think that the golf world realizes that the lack of activism and the partnerships they choose maybe has prevented the sport from growing a fan base.
I mean, I completely agree with everything you're saying, and I think the hardest thing with golf, as I mentioned, is that traditional background, right that you're raised and it's always been raised to be a man's sport and we have consistently pushed the boundaries, and I've always told everyone that golf is always just a few years behind because
of the tradition. Like if I could, if I were the commissioner and I got to have all to say, I would literally be following exactly what the other sports are doing. Because I truly believe too that the activism is exactly what draws outside fans into the game, a newer generation into the game. How can you play a sport that you don't simply feel welcome in. I'm a
part of the LGBTQ plus community. I didn't see I didn't see much voice in that until a lot later in my years when I really needed it most, you know. And that's why I speak so avidly about it, because I'm like, God forbid, there's someone younger than me who wants to golf and doesn't feel welcome, you know. Like that's why I feel the need to press so hard.
So I do agree with you that I think that the lack of activism or the lack of pushing harder, I suppose because they I can't say that they don't do nothing. They do, and I understand them to the degree where if you. If you try and put anything down your audience's throat, it will never be received well. And I know that they're doing their best to try and create change, but not in such a way that's so drastic that it then creates like a huge, you know,
a huge negative reaction. And I think that's a really hard balance with golf. Also, I think what's really difficult is that golf is an individual sport. So at the end of the day, for men and women combine. I if I'm feeding my people, I'm feeding my cam do I really need to look at her to get usher right? But when you're in a team atmosphere, I feel like, especially with like Women's Batall and the NWSLF, you have your other teammates to give you the confidence to speak up.
You have other strong women who are like, if you fall, I catch you. There is not a lot of that in women's golf, and golf is such a solo sport, literally blinders up because you're just training by yourself. That I don't blame these women too, because they weren't also given the tools and maybe not necessarily maybe also not
the knowledge to be able to speak on it. I think a lot of them also feel uncomfortable because they're still trying to figure out where they stand or the right words, or they're afraid to get canceled.
Yeah, we're with sponsors even you know, if sponsors are wanting to be more traditional.
Has there ever been conversation about a union for the players.
That's a great question. I think it's been brought up amongst the They have like a leadership advisory board that are the professionals, and I think that's I think that's something that they definitely bring up. But it's also something that they absolutely fight because there is not much protection for let's say, the players on tour who are mothers and need care right and or like paid to lead. We don't get that you take time.
Like a union might help and give that support that maybe individuals need. Absolutely, by the way, you mentioned if you were the commissioner. I know Molly Mark Cusimon is stepping down, so there's an opening.
Yeah, you know, just ring you know what.
I don't know how some of the players would feel about that, but I promise I would always just do right by them. I'll put the players first, you know, I very much care.
She's already getting she's already getting her platform ready to go. Okay, So who else has been atop the leader board pretty consistently in recent years.
What's another name or two we should know?
So Lydia Coe. Lydia Coe, she is amazing. She she won the Women's British Open last year and she has I think two or all three Olympic medals under her belt from the past, and she was a young starlight still killing it on the tour and she she's just someone that you want to follow, not only because she's a great player, but she she has she's genuinely such a really good human being, you know what I mean, Like not jaded by by the industry or the media.
She just keeps doing what she does and she does it very well. So Lydia Co. Absolutely, I'm gonna have to throw out my friend who I mentioned before, Angel Yan out there. She is a player who I feel like has always been on the rise and she's had one LPGA win, but I think she's just waiting kind of like for that consistent winning moment. But she's always
been right there. She just finished I think top ten in the last event, and she has a really big personality and I appreciate any big personalities on the tour. And the last one that I will say is Megan Kang, who is also another like always been top twenty player. She played in last year's Solheim Cup, which I mentioned was a really big tournament and Team USA took home the win. Thank goodness we got the cup back. And she's also just an amazing personality. She's not afraid to
dance on the golf course. She's not afraid to, like, hey, like pump up the you know, bring the crowd up and whatnot, and like that's that's I think what we need more of in golf. And I think that the younger generation of golfers that are now coming into the league or into the tour are bringing that energy.
And I think there's probably, even if it's unspoken or sort of subconscious, if you enter a space that's been more welcoming to women throughout the entirety of your life, you're more likely to bring some spice to it than women golfers who arrived at a time when there were still so many clubs that didn't even allow women members, and that's so clearly discriminated against women in the space. I think with every year that passes where it's more normal.
There's more sponsors and funding and interest and resources for women golfers, they feel more comfortable demanding more. We've seen that across every single sports space. When a league is more secure and solid, the athletes feel more empowered to speak out about the things that they want to need. Okay, let's talk stories. Are there any players you just mentioned a couple, but any other players we might fall in
love with if we knew more about them. I'm thinking about they're representing a group that isn't usually seen in golf. They've got a fun side gig, they're coming back from injury, They've got a great social media presence. I'm thinking in part like Charlie hall Oh, I hadn't really heard much about her. I saw clip where she's like bumming a sig off someone in the gallery in the middle of
I'm not advocating for that. I hate cigarettes, but I'm like, this is a unique person that I need to hear more about.
Why is she smoking heaters midway through the match?
Yes? I mean gosh. Charlie is also another big fan favorite and shout out to Malbourne. It's a it's a golf brand and the way they've brought streetwear into golf, and she is wrapped by them, and so she's playing well, she's ripping cigarettes and she's looking good out there, and she honestly, she.
Just gives no it's a vibe.
Yeah what we not. We advise, but but she is definitely a player to look out for because she she also just had a win last year and she is a player that she like nothing fazes her, Like you can, you can do no wrong by her. You can try and heckle her, you can do all you want. She doesn't. She doesn't care. She literally does not care. And I
love that about her. So definitely her, I think, gosh, I mean, I know I keep bringing up Angel, but she's she's such a good she's such a good story, and I think I'm waiting for that big moment for her. Lily Avou is another one. They're kind of like Angel and Lily kind of I feel like, always competed together when they were younger coming up, and Lily is a
very strong player as well. Was also in the Sol Hymn Cup, and I think she she also had a few injuries, and so I think for her, waiting for that big moment it's hard in golf because you you lose far more than you win, right Like, if anything, if you're you're lucky to have a win in your career period. But you know, I recently also began this podcasting journey, right and I just had a couple young girls on my pod, Christine Christine Wang and Amari Avery,
who are USC grads. They're in the Middle League tours, fighting the way to the top, and I think that they're just great personalities. One is a lot more social media heavy, really shows it behind the scenes of professional golf life. And amar Avery, who has been a star like golfer, was on justin Timberlake's documentary show called The Short Game or something like that on Netflix, and and
she's up there. She's already played a few LPG events and so just very excited to see the younger generation and come into the scene.
You've mentioned Starlight twice. Is that a lower level kind of golf?
No, I wouldn't say that. It's more just like they are just feature stars in the making.
Okay, got it. Yeah, And they are assigned that specific name or is that your own?
That's just my own?
Okay.
Maybe it was like all star Lights like I thought it was like a like a league or they're just like they're just cute, but.
You have your own my little star lights.
Yeah.
I just wanted to point out because this is something I was surprised by when I was researching for the show Lexi Thompson retiring. She has this massive name in golf, and then I looked, and she has fifteen professional wins. Okay, that's not a lot for how long she played. It is a lot for golf though, Like if you don't know about golf and you're like, she played how many
years and she won fifteen times? And that helped me kind of put into perspective and recognize that to your point, you're lucky if you get a win a season and you could still be one of the best players in the world.
Right I think that. Yeah, again, very different from other sports, right, like if it's not like basketball and soccer, where there is a winning team at the end of the day, right, like half of the people are going to be happy, right, Well,
in golf, there's really one person that's happy. And even though second and third and fourth and fifth, they're they're becoming great, you know, purses and money bags, but they're still not happy because they came here to win, and every tournament you're going up against ninety plus top female golf in the funeral, right, So when you look at it, Alexi's record at the end of the day, she turned pro when she was sixteen, so yeah, her career was
really long. But anyone who has double digit wins at the end of their career, in my opinion, I'm like, you're goaded because it's really which is why.
It's so insane that Nelly Quarter won seven times in one year. Yes, which is now we're putting it all together exactly how this works? Okay, stats for the novice interviewer, how can they look at a golfer's final scorecard and figure out how they've done, especially since it clearly depends on the course.
This is where golf gets kind of interesting and intricate. So what's what's really neat is like, if you actually are an avid golf follower, if you download the LPGA app, you can literally hit every player and you can do it live. You can see their shots live, and you can actually see their legitimate statistics live there, which I think is actually very interesting if you want to know. So for example, some statistics that you want to know
are like average score. That's that's like the very very basic. The lower your score, the better, And I think Nelly had like an average of a sixty nine or lower. And so for those that are completely brand new to golf, right, the average the par of a given golf course on average is seventy two. That means that you want if you want to beat the course, seventy two is a number. Well just to average seventy two is already a stretch. And Nelly averages a sixty nine three shots below averaging.
That means that she had a lot of scores that were like sixty three, sixty four, sixty five. That is incredible to be able to get an average at that, Like players would die to just have to score sixty nins all the time. So that is a stat you also want to look at. And then if you're really really into it, or maybe you're already a golfer that's like wanting to get into it more and you're like, oh, I want to compare my stats, then you can look at like the average fair aways hit, the average greens
hit on average, the LPGA Tour hits. I think about thirteen greens, so there's eighteen holes. If a player averages thirteen greens, that means that they're getting it on the dance floor around thirteen times per round. I think many people think that oh, every pro just hits the green every single time. Won't know they miss often, They just know how to recover. So it's actually a really interesting interesting thing to compare men's and women's stats because women
are just far more accurate. They may not pound the ball, you know, three hundred and fifty four hundred yards like the guys, but the accuracy in comparison, I think if I remember, it's like a woman's five iron is comparable to like a man's nine iron, which means a five iron is a much longer club, it's a much more difficult club to hit, and they're able to have the accuracy of a man's nine or eight iron. That's pretty crazy. So yeah, saying women are pretty cool, Well.
Yeah, and you can look at something like drive length and be impressed by it. But somebody could have the longest drives and not be and then have many more shots coming down the course that they have to make up for the fact that their drive one into the woods.
Or otherwise. Okay, so this is just personal for me.
When the average golfer, not a professional, talks about his or her handicap, what number should I pretend to be super impressed by?
Single digits?
It's like, yes, absolutely single digits. So remember when I said, like, okay, the if a score average is seventy two, and someone says they're a scratch golfer, that means that they average seventy two even with really, so scratch is good for the longest time, I was a scratch player. Now I kind of say I'm like a four because and people take the money.
That's in context of, like, obviously, since it's so impressive that Nelly Quarter is under that, that's a scratch golfer for like an average course you'd go out to at your local club, which is not the same as being a scratch golfer at professional courses.
Correct.
Well, actually, if you were to give Nelly a handed handicap, so when you actually average underpar, it's kind of like a mind twist. You put a plus in front of the number. So if I'm yes, like let's say I'm a four handicap, she's probably a naga or sorry, a plus like six point something if you actually were to do the numbers. Yeah, right, And it's just it's insane,
like how how good the pros are? So basically, if you're chatting it up and you're going to like a celebrity golf event and they're like, oh, I'm a single, I'm a single handicapper or I'm scratch. If they I think are saying they're under like a six handicap, I
think that's a pretty strong player. And very quickly, very quickly, when I'm playing in these events because I do a lot more celebrity events now that I'm doing media, they're like, oh, yeah, I'm like a two or three, and I can see if I can see there they're swinging their first swing on the first hole, and I see the result. I'm like, immediately, like your lives you just know too long?
I just know.
Yeah.
I just tell everyone when I arrive, I don't have a handicap, so that's.
A great how rarely I play, yes, and I'm gonna.
Blast the ball every once in a while, and then I'm also just gonna just take another ball out of my bag and drop it wherever we think my ball might have landed that we can't find. Yeah, okay, final question for you, what are some tips to help us be a better golf viewer? Like, what can we watch for besides just whether the ball goes into the fair wind then goes in the hole.
Well, if you want to have just like better education on it, I do think that whether it's just simply following your favorite players, like maybe you don't know much about golf, but but you love the idea of Nelly, We'll go follow her, go support her. I love that. If you want to actually get to follow golf, absolutely follow the LPGA tour and turn on your freaking TVs
and go tune in. Because the annoying fight that I'm sure other sports go through too, is like, oh why invest in women's golf, like the viewership and that there is no ROI yeah whatever, bs right, Like, I think it's unfair because we never had the platform given right.
You have to give it a chance.
You have to give it a freaking chance. Yeah, And I'm like, we can say tune in all this and whatnot, But then again, like the LPGA isn't even given as many cameras as a PGA tour, So how are we going to even showcase as many women, right, But the best we could do is tune in when the tournament is on, show some love, especially on social media, and really just like get that conversation going with other influential people around you.
I do it all the time. I'm constantly talking to whether it's investment funds or what have you, like, invest in women's golf. Investing women's golf and watch the culture change. You have to help the girls change the culture. It's hard to just count on them individually because it is an individual sport. Like, let's give them the tools and the confidence so they feel like they have a team behind them.
Well, you're doing that.
You're doing that whenever million followers, you're half a million followers and your podcasts, so everyone go check it out.
Thanks so much. I learned a ton on this, so thanks so much for coming on.
Of course, I'm so happy to be here.
Thanks again to Tish for joining us. We have to take another break when we come back. One two sport athlete who took things to a new level.
Welcome Backslaces.
It's Black History Month and we're continuing to highlight the journeys and contributions of black trailblazers in the women's sports space. In honor of our LPGA combo with Tisha Allen, we thought it'd be fitting to talk about the first black player on the LPGA Tour.
Althea Gibson.
Gibson was born in South Carolina in nineteen twenty seven. When she was about three, she moved to New York City to live with an aunt, and at twelve she started playing tennis at the Harlem River Courts. As you might already know, she was a star with a tennis racket in her hand. Althea went on to become the first black player to win a Grand Slam in nineteen fifty six and amassed eleven combined Grand Slam titles in singles, doubles,
and mixed competition before she walked away from tennis. As great as she was, she couldn't make enough money playing tennis to sustain herself, so she made a change before
her tennis success. When Gibson was a student at Florida A and M in the nineteen fifties, she took a golf class and, according to Rex Miller, who directed the PBS documentary filma, the things she learned and it stuck with her, so when she put her racket down, she picked up a golf club under the tutelage of Jerry Volpe at New Jersey's.
Englewood Golf Club.
Volpe was a local legend and was horrified by how little money Alpia made. Is the best female tennis player in the world, so he gave her an honorary membership at Englewood. Gibson honed her skills and joined the LPGA Tour in nineteen sixty three at thirty six years old. She never won any of the one hundred and seventy one events she played between then in nineteen seventy seven, but she was one of the LPGA's top fifty money
earners for five years. She also worked closely with LPGA Tour director Lenny Wurtz to help create a more welcoming tour for players from all walks of life. Her presence was arguably more important than any trophy she could have hoisted. Nineteen sixty three, the year she joined the tour, was
the height of the Civil rights movement. It was the same year as the March on Washington where Martin Luther King Junior gave his I have a dream speech, and it was only two years after the Professional Golfers Association of America got rid of the Caucasian only.
Clause in its bylaws.
With all the racism and bigoted vitriol toward black folks, Althia Gibson's desire to persist and to pursue what she wanted simply because she wanted to was an act of resistance. Althea's talents and curiosity didn't stop there, though. Over the course of her life, she also learned how to box, became the New Jersey Athletic Commissioner, released an album called Althea Gibson Sings, and wrote a memoir titled I Always Wanted to Be Somebody. Gibson passed away in two thousand
and three. To this day, only seven more black women have earned LPGA Tour membership. In our interview, you heard Tisha talk about how the intense tradition steep so deeply in golf culture makes it hard to see change. Well, it feels like it's long overdue to push back on that, and there's plenty of work left to do to make sure that golf is accessible to everyone. We love that you're listening slices, but We want you to get in the game every day too, So here's our good gameplay
of the day. Take a page out of Super Slice Amanda's book. You might recall that on Valentine's Day, we asked y'all to tell us what sports dating show you'd make if you had the power of a production company behind you. Well, Amanda wrote us with some awesome ideas. She wrote, Hello, Big Citrus. If I had the power of a production company behind me, there are two league or sports dating shows I would.
Want to watch.
Pimp My Bride WNBA fans bring their fiancees to a rotating team of fab five WNBA consultants for lifestyle advice and tips before the big day. Episode one, Skyler Digg and Smith Fashion, Dja Carrington Hair and Makeup, Diana Trassi Food and Wine, Natasha Cloud Dancing, Sid Colson Culture and social media trading. Okay, I want to stop there for a second, Amanda, because I obsessed with this idea. It's like Pimp My Bride, plus says to the dress plus queerye for the strake guy.
What do they call that now? Just Queeri?
Either way, it's one of my favorite shows that it brings me joy every single episode and I am obsessed with this idea.
We need to pitch it immediately.
Okay, back to Amanda, she also wants to see Beauty and the Beach hard knock style docuseries that follows the relationships and drama of the AVP Tour partner selection breakups, training, coaching changes. Okay, basically, I want an hour of guilty pleasure watching beautiful bodies and bikinis running around on a beach. Thanks again for crushing it. I love the show and appreciate the listener engagement call outs. It's a highlight of my day. We hear you, Amanda. Whether it's bikinis or shorts,
there is something for everybody at an AVP tour. And I say, this is someone who used to hop in my car drive to whatever beach had an AVP championship and they go to the bar and try to comfort the tall, lanky athletic men who lost that day.
I don't think we need to get into any more of that.
We're picking up what you're putting down, Amanda, and if any other slices have ideas, please send a bar way.
We always love to hear from you.
Hit us up, bunnymail good game at Wondermedia neetwork dot com or leave us a voicemail at eight seven two to two four fifty seventy and don't forget to subscribe a rate and review. It's easy watch rapper and LSU baller Flage Johnson, rating five out of five stars as a hooper and performer review. In a recent social media post, the LSU star shared the criticism that she hears as a young woman trying to live out two two big dreams.
Quote too dark, too tomboyish, not feminine enough pretty for a dark skinned girl, not focused, too skinny, no sex appeal, be a rapper, just twop. I can only be me. Just because I carry it well doesn't mean it ain't heavy. What I'm doing has never been done before. And I'm shattering expectations by pursuing multiple passions. And I won't be held back by doubts or comparisons. If I don't excel in one area, it doesn't diminish my abilities in another.
I'm a trailblazer and my path isn't defined by societal norms. How can I inspire young girls to defy limitations if I don't embody that courage myself. I know my worth, my work ethic, and my unwavering dedication. I will not be confined by the opinions of others. I'm an unstoppable force, breaking barriers and redefining what's possible. I won't be silenced, diminished, or held to unrealistic standards. I'm a beakit of empowerment, and if you can't handle the intensity of my greatness,
then this isn't the space for you. I'm fearless and I'm unstoppable. Love it or hate it. I am mean and you may never see this again, So enjoy it. Hashtag anomaly whoof damn yes everything you said, Keep at it, Flage. You are doing big things and you are changing the game. And it's clear that the haters are jealous and the doubters are small minded.
You believe in yourself and that's what matters.
Now it's your turn.
Slices, rate and review. Thanks for listening. Have a great weekend, See you next week. Good Gabe, Tisha, Good game out thea you cigarette smoke in Vegas hotels and casinos, The Absolute Worst. Good Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network.
Our producers are Alex Azzie and Misha Jones. Our executive producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan, and Emily Rudder. Our editors are Emily Rudder, Brittany Martinez, and Grace Lynch. Our associate producer is Lucy Jones and I'm Your Host Sarah Spain