Ashleigh Buhai

What a what a life changing event, UM, life change event from winning a major, which she talks about too, the prize of of winning a million dollars which is life changing for her. Um. And it was just it was a really really fun tournament to watch on a great golf course. Um, your field, And UM, I think

it was a really really good performance. And UM, if you don't know about Ashley, that's why I wanted to get her on the podcast, because, UM, I'm a fan and I watched that playoff and and afterwards I was really really impressed. UM. I want to thank everybody for listening to the first episode Son of a Buch last week with my dad butch Arm and if you haven't

checked it out, check it out. Lots of stuff to talk about from that, But I'm really excited for everybody to hear Ashley Blue High and for everyone to hear her story and her journey to becoming a major champion. So my guest is the twenty twenty two Women's British Open champion, Ashley you High. I hope I got that right. Yeah, it's all good. Um, I mean your week out from winning, I'm sure the last week has been somewhat of a world wind. Um. I've been lucky enough to be worked

with players that have one major championships. I don't think the fans realize that. Um, not only how much winning one of those from aly takes so much out of you, but also all of the stuff that goes along with winning one. Obviously great problems to have, but um, it still takes a lot of hard a lot of work. Yeah, I'm sure it does. Um, you know, a lot of time management. I think that's going to be something I'm

going to have to learn to do a little bit better. Um. There might be a few more things asked to me when I get to tournaments. But you know, it's been a very busy week or so. There's a lot of press out of South Africa and with the six hour time change, I was waking up early to do those interviews and then had interviews locally here in the US. So but like you said, it's all good problems to have. I mean, are you still kind of pinsion yourself that for the rest of your life you will be called

a major champion? Yeah, definitely. Um, you know when I think about that, and you know I said to mys when the cool thing is, nobody can ever take that away from you. So to be called a major champion, it's it's a dream come true. I mean's and there are there are golf courses that you win majors on, and then there are golf courses that you win majors on. Gary Player in nine, Ernie Els in two thousand, soil I was there in two thousand and two and Ernie one.

The weather was Atrocis on the on the Saturday. But it's almost like those two kind of trailblazers for South African golf. For you to win another major chance or win a major championship your first at a venue where two of the icons of South African golf have one before that, I mean, it's almost like there are times

where things line up and it's like lined up for you. Yeah, they definitely odd times like that, you know, Like I said, they were my idols growing up, and you know, it was huge for us for the first time to be able to go to Murfield the women's game, and for me to be the first female winner it and again alongside Gary and Ernie. There were a lot of things when I look back now that you know, sometimes it's a little aerie or however you want to look at.

That's may be. It was just meant to be my week, and I think it's it's it's important to to say that was it. Two thousand seventeen was the first time that they allowed I think it was two thousand seven and the first time they started to allow women to

be members at Merefield. It was it was a staunchly, staunchly men only club, um where all of you um that we're playing their conscious to the fact that this was obviously a major championship venue for the guys, but for the for the ladies to be there for the first time and to be the one that won the first one as a woman there that that that's also I mean, that's that's you said in one of your interviews.

The times are changing, and um, listen, I was there in two thousand two, and then when Phil one in two thousand thirteen. Um, that place can be kind of stuffy. Um, it was kind of the one in the road of that. Everybody kind of knew that you know your field. Um. You know, at times they can be not the most user friendly, especially um um if you're a female. Yeah,

you know where. Like you said, times are changing, and UM, I think they've obviously realized that, and in order to get back on the Open roster, they knew what they had to do and provide us with an opportunity to play there. And I'll tell you what then, we didn't feel unwelcomed the whole week. They were fantastic. Um. That opened us. They welcomed us with open arms. Um. And obviously you know, being there, what a fantastic golf course. And I think so it's even it's one of the

fairest links golf courses I've played. But obviously it's the history and how old it is, and you know, it just creates us all around it. And for me to be able to call myself the first female Women's Open champion there, Um, I know I'll go down in history forever. It is a very very difficult golf course. You said that it is very very fair when you got there. Um, had you played there before you? Had you ever seen the golf course before? Had you only seen it on

maybe television? And yeah, I only see it on television. My husband, he carries out an LPGA to He managed to play it a few weeks before that, and he told me it's going to be firm and face, which is what I was excited about. Um. And then once I got there, I just love the look of it, the layout and how it was playing from the first day. I think one of the things links golf is almost it seems like, at times an equalizer, because there are golf courses. If you have a tremendous amount of length

off the t it gives you a huge advantage. If you know short game, if the roughest thick similar to a US Open style, Um, you're not nearly short, but you're certainly not one of the bombers at the LPG game. So I think one of the things I like about the Open Championship is that it does test every single part of your game that you have to be able

to have all of the shots. So when you got there and you kind of saw that it wasn't going to be a bomber's paradise, that length was necessarily going to be a huge advantage all of a sudden, it's so like the playing field is is leveled when that happens. Actually, as a player, when you say, okay, listen, I don't feel like I have to do things I can't this week. I feel like everybody is kind of pushed towards the middle as opposed to pushed kind of short hitters, long hitters.

Does that give you a lot of Does that take the pressure off? Does that give you more confidence? What's the kind of mindset when you get to a golf course where you say, listen, everybody's got a chance this week, not just these kind of players. The office starts. I've always loved links golf, and like I said, I think it does even the playing field. I'm not obomber, and for me, links courses about plotting your way around and you have to be smart, and that's kind of golf

at once tournaments on on links courses. So we worked my coach and I dug where we work very hard on having an arsenal a lot of shots in my bag, and I feel that Open Championship has always catered towards that favors me. Um, and also I love to be creative and have to have that imagination and when the wound blows and you're able to run it up and you don't have to fly it at the pin, I

think it definitely does favor me. And that's why I always love every time I stand up at a Woman's British Open, I just get a really good feeling about it. One of the things I've heard, Um, you know, some of the guys uh you know, when they go to the Open Championship, they always say that it kind of makes him feel like because the challenge is so different, because it does test all the different aspects of your game. It almost I mean, DJ was saying this year he

had a chance to win at St. Andrews. This year at the Open Championship said he kind of likes links off because it makes him focus more because he feels like he can't take any holes off because every t shot kind of demands that you say, Okay, where do I want to be on the green? What do you feel like that as well that it kind of makes you focus maybe a little bit more that you can't

take some holes off. Yeah, I definitely. Um. A field in particular was like that every T shot you're going to stand up, You've got to commit and hit the shot. Lucky for us, the one was the same direction every day, So I just try to emulate and hit the same shot every day or every T shot um that I had so um, you know. And I also think you have to have that concentration um like you said. And there's just something about links golf that I just love it.

And I think it's also the history about it. You know, it's where and especially playing in Scotland, it's where the game started and I'm a golf nerd, so I just love it. What kind of golf course did you grow up on? Did you grow up on a golf course that had some links characteristic to it, which which is why you like links golf? No, not at all. I grew up in Johannesburg. I mean where at altitude the ball goes forever, park Land, Kakoi Fairways and Bank Green.

So nothing like links courses at all. Um. Let's go back to the beginning. What dot you what got you into off for you into other sports? When did you start playing? What was kind of the catalyst that that got you towards this path of being a professional golfer. Um. Yeah, from a young age, I always had very good handbar coordination. My parents picked that up and I loved all sports. Um could hit. You know, South Africa, we played crickets. That was so it's like picked up a cricket bat

or a baseball bat. I could catch a ball my dada, so let me see if she can hit a golf ball, because he plays and I could. And then you know, at the age of three, I was hitting balls, and about the age of six, I was saying to my dad, let's go play golf. Let's take me to the driving range. So it always came from me. But I played um tennis and field hockey at school until the age of sixteen. But I knew from a young age that golf was going to be it and I wanted to be a

professional golfer. Did I read this correctly? When you were fourteen years old, you won the In two thousand four, you won the Women's South African Open at fourteen. Yeah, at my home course. It was I mean, nobody expected that I should sixty three on the last day on my home course, to come from behind and win it. Um. And at the time, there was a bunch of ladies European to a place. They come down that we played the four events in South Africa at that time of

year because the weather were still bad in Europe. So that was kind of the start of it for me. And then went on to win some professional tournament in South Africa as an amateur every year until her termper at eighteen. Do you even remember as a fourteen year old what you were thinking going into you know, the national championship of your country. Um, your fourteen I'm sure nobody.

I mean even if if, even if you're a really good junior, I'm sure nobody expects a fourteen year old to win their national Open at such a young age. It's definitely not. I was just the fact that I'm playing at my home course. This is so cool. I remember obviously signing my car and shooting sixty three and I was hanging out with my buddies and we were having a coke afterwards. The next but somebody and told me you won, and I was like, excuse me, and it's a kind of giving for the prize giving. So

it was all a little sereal, you know. It was part when back in the day I used to work with Trevor and the woman who is still one of my very good friends, and Trevor one back to back essay opens at his home course, Aaron Vale. So I've never really been to South Africa. I went down and stayed with Trevor. We rented a house in Somerset West that week and um, you know he was going to that golf course and it's like he was like, listen, I know every single shot on this golf course. I

know we're all the putts break. I mean, when you play a big tournament at your home course, regardless of what age you're at, do you feel like it kind of takes a little bit of the pressure off to where you say, listen, I'm I've played here a million times. I kind of know what this golf course it does. Thank yes, I know, because obviously there's an expectation from everybody around you to do well with it being your

home of course. But I think also you play the course as it is, like you would on a Saturday or Sunday. Um, Whereas I think where we played tournaments ready to go into the details and you know, try to figure out where the exactly hit it. But when you played so much, it just naturally stands out and jumps out at you, and that's what you try to do. So you're fourteen years old, you win, you know, the

South African Women's Open. Did that make you think, okay, um, I can go on and do this, this is where my pathway is. I can be a pro, I can have a career. Was that the thought or did you just say listen, I'm just gonna see what happens and and see where things take me. Well, I mean from a young age, like before that, I was telling my parents I wanted to be a professional golfer. Um. So

the thought was always there. And then I think when in that tournament again some really good players from Europe at the time, obviously made me think, well, I really can do this, um. And then I went on to when many tournaments in South Africa represents South Africa in the world and we won the world them in two thousand and six, and you know, it was like a cross roads. Do I go to college dot im professional? But I knew that I just wanted to play golf.

So at eighteen, I made the decision to turn professional. And I started off saying, you're about to that. Did you have any offers to go to college in the States. I don't. I had a few, but my grades were never going to be good enough, unfortunately. And like I said, you know, I was just wanting to play golf, and I felt I was really I've proven that I could win, proven I could win against you know, players playing in Europe,

and that's where I wanted to start off. So I kind of felt that it was the right progression for me. Two thousand seven, in your third start on the Ladies European Tour, you win the Catalonia Masters. So I mean, what a what a progression, right? I mean, most people it takes them a while to get out on tour find their feet. But you win in your third tournament. Did did it feel like, Okay, I wanted an early age,

I want a big tournament. Now I've turned pro. I one in my third event, did it just seem like, Okay, that's the natural progression. Where you surprised? Were you shocked? What was the feeling, you know, winning so soon on a big stage after you turned prom Um. Yeah, I think it definitely was my thought of all, this is the progression, and this is how it's going to be, and if this is how it's going to be life, it's going to be great. Um. Things happenuntil the in camera.

It's so easy, but as we all know, in this game doesn't always work out like we want too and there's ups and downs and we've got to ride them. Um. And then you know, that year it was great because I had the expectation of my shoulders. I had secured a Europeans to a card for two years, so I knew I could go to lpg Q school and play free um, knowing that I had a fallback plank kind

of thing. Um. And then I went to lpg Q school and was in it all the way until the last two holes and finished BERGI bergie and missed out by one. And you know that that was eyebreak. That year there was also only I think sixteen cards nowaday well, then years after that there was always guaranteed twenty. So I was like the first real heartbreak and lodge ship

that that I felt in Professional Goal. Did you feel like, Okay, I need to reset, kind of re kind of evaluate my goals or did you say, listen, go back to Europe. I'll keep playing. Um I know my game is good enough because I've always won. Because a lot of people, you know, they they do that, they went early, they get that. So the next stage, Okay, you're secure in Europe, but obviously everybody wants to play on the LPGA in the States. Did you feel like, okay, do I just

keep doing what I'm doing? Did that force you to maybe say, okay, maybe I need to make some changes. Um? No, I kept doing what I was doing That next year wards, so it was two thousand and eight conditional status, but I still managed to play fourteen events. But it was difficult. I was living in South Africa. You only need two weeks before if you're in the event, You hop on a plane, you flower over eighteen years old, conran a car.

You know. It was a lot um, but hey, it made me who I am today a short add resilience. I went back the next year. I got my card for full card and played what twenty ten, four, two dozen and nine full season, but I still wasn't quite quite ready to compete on the LPG. I lost my card and then I decided I'm gonna take a step back. I switched coaches, and I went back to Europe and played there for three years. And did the switching coaches

payoff immediately? Did you? Did you see immediate results or was there kind of that kind of period where you're like, okay, you know, maybe switching coaches big decision. You know I had successful early because I always think that's interesting actually as as as someone that that is a as a coach,

you know, the thought process from a player's standpoint. I mean, I've been fired by guys that you have been number one in the world, and um, that process is the player to say, Okay, I feel like I've got to make a change. I feel like I've got to get to the next one. Talk me through what that process this is like. I actually don't think I've ever asked any of the guys that have fired me what what the process is like, because you know, after what you

don't really talk to him that much after they fired. Um. For me, it was a very difficult decision because my coach at the time is it was a very good family friend of ours, was very good friends of my dad, and but I knew in order for me to progress in my career that I needed to make a change. And you know, at the time it wasn't easy and we were both hurt, but you know, later down the line, he knew that it was the best thing for me. Um. And then in terms of when I switched coaches, that

took some time. We had to do a few changes, and then I took about a year and then I want in two thousand and eleven again on the Ladies European Tour. UM. So it showed well, what I was doing was working. And I've been with you, my coach that I'm currently with since then, since two dozen and ten. And Doug, I mean he works with some very very good players. I've seen them, you know, on European Tour. I used to see Doug a lot when he used

to go over to Abu Dhabi or Dubai with the guys. UM. I think he's done a fantastic job with Eric van Roy And I mean I love Eric's golf swing, right, I mean, I mean it's pretty. I will sit and watch Eric at golf balls, you know, if I'm sitting on the range and stuff, and Eric's hitting balls and I'm waiting for somebody. I'll go stand, you know, twenty thirty yards away and watch Eric hid golf balls. I mean, I think his his golf swing is is really really good.

So you you make the change, you go from the coaching change, Um, you win again. So again more validation that you're on the right path. And you know, from two thousand eleven until two were there more winds and where they're more near missus? Or did you just feel like, Okay, I'm just kind of plodding along and just seeing what I can kind of get out of this. Yeah, there

was plotting. I mean I was pretty consistent, and I mean I finished top fifteen I think every year on the on the money lost day, so I was competitive. There was a setback in I had to have hip surge reef, so that put me out a good six months left left labor and shave of the bones. So I kind of played half of injured and when knew I needed to get it done, so I did it in the off season and then yeah, we went back to Q school at the end often and got my

card back. Um, and that was the validation and I was like, okay, now I felt Then I felt like I was ready ready to come back and finally plan on LP chair four time. When did you make the move from s A over to the States full time? Only during COVID. COVID forced us to do it. Um so with my husband Caddy and told me he caddy for me for eight years and then when we decided to get married, we thought we'd separate the responsibilities and

rather stay married. Smart move, so you know, it took a lot of pressure off me um with us deciding to do that. And then we still had our place in South Africa and we would come over for three months and then go back for two weeks because our families there and we it's just in our blood. But you know, it's not conducive if you want to compete at you and if you want to set on. So his brother lived in Illinois, lives in Illinois, so we used that as a base um in the summer, which

was great. But then when the tour got shut down so that FOGA was completely shut down, we couldn't get enough out. Eventually it was July twenty. We've got a repatriation flat. I packed our apartment up in ten days, put everything in storage and came over and then when we couldn't get back in the December of twenty twenty, we landed up in Palm Beach Gardens with a host family that we stayed without a tournament up in New York at a second home down here. They said coming

up with us, and we're like, okay. So we stayed with them for I think six weeks, and we thought, well, this is a pretty good spot for golfers. Let's let's see what we can do. And it's it's been great for us. It's been great for my game, and obviously you know, being done in this era a so many good golfers and golf courses around here. The move I mean the Aussies and the South Africans have played professional golfer, either on the men's side of the of the women's side.

I mean the amount of miles and travel that you all are used to doing now that you don't have to make those big trips back home because it's not like you can. You know, if you miss the cut, you just hop I mean hop on a plane and go to you miss the cut, go to Essay for a couple of days, see the family, get recharged, and then get back on another plane and go back to where it is. I mean, it's just it doesn't work

like that. I mean, you've got a plan ten to ten day two week trips and stuff has being settled in the US and kind of being able to travel out of one place without all of the long haul. I mean, you still have the long haul flights when you want to go home and see family and friends, but the travel if you're going to base yourself in the US and travel on on the LPG, you still have to go to Asia and and and somewhat to Europe.

But have you noticed that it's been easier for you to just try and focus on some of the other things that you couldn't focus on when you were traveling so much. Most definitely, um, you know, those long haul facts take it out of you and the jet lag. And also for me, I played so much because I didn't have somewhere to go, so I'd be like, oh, I'm going to play seven nights in a row. I'll just take like Monday and half Tuesday off and that's

not conduced too good tournaments either. So having a base here, having somewhere for me to come in off weeks, recharge it's been huge, and this year I've taken a few weeks off more than I would usually, but it's proven proven to be the best then because when I have come back, I'm refreshed and I've played better. How how cool is it going to be moving forward as a major champion where you can just sit look at the

LPJ tour schedule and go yes, no, no, yes. I don't think people realize that when you're trying to play that many tournaments in a row with no break, with no time off, I mean, you're when you don't have that kind of security, full status, you know that you can kind of set your schedule. I don't think the fans realize how not only mentally exhausting that is, but physically exhausting, because as an athlete and as a goal

for you need time off. It's it's hugely important to be able to go, Okay, I'm gonna shut it down for three weeks, go take a vacation, or just do nothing. Mm hmm. Yeah. I don't think people do realize, and I've started to realize it as I've got an older um. Like I said, I'm thirty three and on LPG that's old now. I don't feel very older. Um, but yeah, it's definitely it's conducive to go play. And that's what I've started to realize. But before I just used to

play play play and it wasn't great. Um, And I think, what's going to be so helpful to be able to choose? You know, there's certain courses that suit us and don't suit us, and I'm going to be able to go, well, I've never really performed that. I'm not going to go there instead of forcing myself to go because I need a plan and I need to try play well to get up on the CME or keep my card. So you know, it's huge short of my shawls failed to

pick and choose my schedule going forward. So let's go back to your field lead another kind of you know, World's Colliding. In two thousand two early Els, he held the fifty four whole lead. Um, I read it was his fifty first major. It was your forty or forty one, it was your forte. You guys both have the list. You've got a five shot lead. What was what was your sleep like on Saturday night? Because one of the things that I don't meet people if they've never been

to Scotland in the summertime. It's midnight and the sun's not down. Yeah. Um the Saturday evening, I was actually pretty good at call and we stayed in our house so I went back and it helps having people around you. We just chilled, we played something, you know, try to go to sleep later so I would wake up later. Yeah, because you're not seeing off until I was off ten to four, which is the latest I ever tead off

in my life. Um So yeah, like, try to go to sleep later, which I did, but I didn't wake up later. I wake up at like quarter plus six. I'm like, oh, well, this is going to be a long day. So what did you do? You wake up at six six am, not teeing off until four. Even if you say okay, I'm gonna get the golf course three hours before, you're still getting the golf course, I mean six hours later early, Yeah, exactly. Um So I

try to just procrastinate, to be honest. Um, I did laundry the charges past the time, and you know, I did my parents, went through my ottage book and then I finally I got to the course like two and a half hours earlier. It's much earlier than I would normally, but at least that way, i'd be surrounded by people, talk to people, you know, just to keep my mind occupied when you've got a big lead like that five shots. And also you're saying yourself, okay, I've got a five

shot lead in a major championship. Is it is it hard to stay you know, everybody says stay in the present, don't get ahead of yourself. But with that much time and a big lead like that, it's got to it's got to be very difficult to not start thinking ahead as to Okay, I got a chance to win a major championship, all of the things that go without with all of the exemptions, I've got a chance to win over a million dollars, which is life changing on the

LPGA tour, to have the opportunity to win that. Um, were you thinking ahead or you just staying in the present. Look, it's hard not to think ahead. Um that wagon you're gonna buy. My husband's thinking about all the new parts as you go by. Um No, it's hard not to not to think ahead and get last in it. But you know, people would have heard me talk about in reference the mental coach I've worked with and and He's like, I'm never going to stop you from thinking and ahead

and go in there. But as long as you can quickly come back to the presence, that's what we're going to work on doing. Um is it's impossible to make you stop that. So you know, I let myself go there and then as long as I pulled myself back. The good thing is once I got to the course, I didn't think about that once. I only thought about doing my job and doing it the best I could do that day, So you should seventy five. How was the warm up? Was the warm up good? I mean,

was the warm up normal? Did you feel like, Okay, I'm in control, I got everything going even though I got this big lead and stuff. It's it's it's it's an open championship, it's a major. What was the warm up? Like? The warp was maybe not as good as the previous days because the nerves were there. It's you know, you

can't get away from them. But you know, I just try to focus on doing the one thing while and that was keeping my rhythm because that's all I tried to do the whole week, and that would take me away from thinking about the outcome and gave me my one swing thought for the week that I could control um. But you know, once I got out there, I finally settled around the fifth hole, and it played tough. On Sunday,

the pins were attacked. Um, nobody was ready making too many bodies, So I felt I was playing very steady obviously until that one must have on fifteen. All right, to talk us through, you stand on the fifteenth tee, you end up making a triple bogey, which brings in Chung right back in the tournament. But I think the Open more, wouldn't you agree that the Open Championship more

than any other venue. You can make one bad swing and you get out there and you're like, okay, I know that was a bad swing, but I sure as hell didn't deserve this line. I mean, I know I made a bad swing, but you walk up and you're like, dude, you can't get any worse than this. I mean, there's not there. So when when you make that shot you get up to the ball, does your mind start racing or you going or do you just say to yourself, okay,

damage control? Yeah. I mean, first of all, when I hit it, said, obviously the worst thing I made a week, but I didn't even know there were bunkers there. That's you know, and played that whole hit it up the ride every day and I hit it and I said to Marcady, what's then looked in the ok I don't know there's bunkers, But I thought, oh, well, it's in a bunk. I'll just pop it out and back in

the fairway and we'll be okay. When I get up there and it's like half plugged off the bounce up against the face, I cannot go anywhere but left towards the longer rough um. And then it just all happened so quickly, to be honest, like I don't even know how. I didn't even feel like I read. I feel like I made one bad swing on that all they made a triple um. You stand on the fifty, make one bad swing and Allston you're saying, and you're like, what

the hell just happened? So it's almost like it happened so quickly that I actually didn't have time to really, I don't know, rethink it and relive it and just try more to get on with it. So you go to sixteen um um your Cadetonia who caddied for one of the great golfers of all time, Laura Davies. Um. I've been lucky enough to meet Laura and and do some stuff for for Sky Sports in the UK. I mean, Laura is one of my favorite people. I will sit and listen to her talk. Um, your caddy she caddied

for for Laura for long time. Did she say anything to you on that walk from fifteen to sixteen that that that that you remember? Yeah, she just said to me, Okay, all we gotta do is get back on it. Now, go do our job. And that was it. We didn't discuss what happened, didn't discuss the heart break. Looked at the leader board and I saw that all right, I'm not tired with the energy, and I said to myself, well, I haven't lost it. I haven't lost the lead, Um,

And we just stood on six sixteen. I had to I think it's six or seven on in my hand and just try to make a good swing. It's It's interesting when I worked for brooks Kepta Um when he won the p g A at Bethpage back nine, he had a big lead. He was in dominant control the whole day. DJ makes irn, he made a bunch of both. I think he bog did like three or four or

in a row. His caddy, Ricky Elliott, they were going to sixteen, which is one of the hardest driving holes on the golf course, and Brooks said that Ricky said to him, walk into sixteen. We are still leading the golf tournament. And he said. Brooks said that Ricky sang that to him, He's just made a bunch of bogies.

It seems like everything spiring out. And there was a long walk from fifteen Green all the way down a hill across the road sixteen and Brooks said, one of the great things that Ricky said was, hey, we're still leading the golf tournament. We make good swings coming down the stretch, and we're still going to have a chance to win this golf tournament. I always think that caddy's the great ones say the right thing at the right time and don't say anything at the right time as well,

because my dad's always told me listen, he said. One of the things that he told me as an instructor, he said, if you're gonna work with professionals tour players, he said, I think one of the most important things you need to realize is sometimes it's what you don't say that makes all the difference. Right, And so you're Caddie saying to you, listen, we're still in you know,

we're still in the lead. That's to make you kind of go, Okay, I can put what just happened behind me because I still have a chance to win the Gulf Room. I got three holes left. Yeah, definitely. Um. And that's where she's so good for me. She's so good at keeping me calm in the pressure moments, keeping it last heart and making me laugh when I need a laugh, and you know, kicking me in the but doesn't happen very often when I do need a little click every now and then we all do. But yeah,

we've got a great relationship. And what she said to me walking off fifteen, like I said, we're still in it, she just said, get back on it. And and then when we stood on what we stood on seventeen and obviously reachable part five, and she said, Okay, I want four good swings going in. You know, if I had two good swings there and two good swings on eighteen, I still had a chance to win it. So she was very good at saying the right thing at the right time. That way. All right, So you finished tied,

go to a playoff Inji Chong, I mean major champion. Um, you know there's a long drive. You've got to go sign your car or you've got then you've got to getting the gotta getting the carts and drive all the way back to the eight and again it's very similar early Els one in a playoff on the eighteenth hole. Um, so talk us through the mindset. Okay, you get to eighteen, Um, you just played it. Um. I mean you hit beautiful

shots in the playoff. Um, off the tea, so you put yourself right in the position that you want to put in. Let's go on the first hole. Yeah. I think obviously what was huge as for starters, I hold at like six ft to make sure I got into the playoffs. So you know that was like all right, we're in this, let's go. Um. And then I think the T shirt favored me. I mean it's one of the most the morning tea shots I've ever stood up and had to hit to my career. You know, Bunker right,

we can't carry it on the flower. Bunker's left it where we have to land at a rolls left and the ones off the right. But because I hit a little fade, it favored me and I knew I could just hold it on that one, and I tried, like I said, I try to stand up and hit the same shot as I did every day on that whole um.

And once I got through that, then it was a case of try hit the second shot, which was a little bit more demanding, obviously having the bunkers on both sides wounding off the right, and you know, I got cold, like I had six on your regulation and then I was hitting in seven woods, so they got cold in the wind picked up a lot in those playoffalls. You're in a match place situation at that point, Um, how much are you just based? Are you trying to stay

in my own world. I'm just going to kind of stay locked in do my own thing and not really try and be affected by what Inji is doing. Are you in your category? Are even telling you? You looking and kind of going, Okay, she's just done this. Maybe I kind of change my strategy and maybe I'm going to do this. No, I stayed in my own world, and I think that's what I did so well. And

while stayed so colm in that playoff. I mean I remember even on the first playful, I didn't even know Inji had hit it in the bunker because I was so focused on she had to it first and doing what I had to do. Um. So yeah, even though she was playing first every time, it didn't alter my decision in the shot I had to hit into the

green ye. Um. Cliches I think are cliches because they're true. Um. They say in in in a matchplace situation like that, you've got to expect your opponent to make shots right, expect expected the unexpected. So she hits it in the bunker, um, and then and gets it up and down. Let's go to the second plan. So now we go back to Now we go back to eighteen. Mm hmm. So we go back to eighteen and again I just stand up

there like, okay, same shot, same shot. I just said to myself, you know, um, like my swing thought for the week was the type in terms of rhythm and pace, because that kept me at rhythm. So that was my only thought on every shot for the week. So that's what I tried to do. Hit another great drive, and you hit another one down the middle. Um. But then we're both hit poor seconds halved with fives and then um, yeah we went back. By this point, um I was

getting dark. Um I had good drive, she had a good drive, and then she went long I think all long left, and I was sun highwall. I still can't even remember some of her to be honest, did you get so lost in the moment? And then I remember reading the pats and thinking, man, it's getting dark. I

don't know how much longer we have. And I had a pattern, to be honest, like two ft out I thought I had it and just started off at the whole and then a jie made U made four and we went back and I said to Tania, what some does it get dark? And Scott She's like mate and stark for Evan. I mean it's light for ev in Scotland, like you were saying. And I'm like, it doesn't feel

like it right now. Look, I don't think people realize that when they're watching golf on TV, it looks brighter, but they on the cameras they turned the iris is up, it's actually a lot darker. And you could tell actually that, you know, I lived in Scotland for five years. I'm thinking, okay, it's getting colder, the winds picking up the ball isn't going to fly. You mentioned it, I mean six iron in regulation, and then seven would in the playoffs. Alright,

so fourth playoff hall. So now you've played the eighteenth hole for the fifth time in the last hour and a half. And I didn't even realize that we had played four holes once it was all done. So that just showed how in the moment I was, which was good obviously. Inji hit first and hit it in the bunk, and then I was like, all right, well this is my shot. Hopefully stand up, stand up. They hit the two shot great, obviously had to play out. She had a really good third shot in I was like, okay,

you just gotta hit the green. I don't hit the green, you know, And I was like, oh my gosh. And if you've never been there, um, I don't think people realize how narrow that little sliver of bunker to the right of their I mean it's probably not even three or four steps across. Yeah, it's a yard and a half maybe, you know if two yards max. But you got like you had a good were you on the flat where you're on a little down slope. There wasn't

a little down slope, which I know. I got in there and I was like, okay, this is this is perfect little down slope downward. You know, if I commit to the shot, I only have to landed on one or two ms and it's going to roll out to the whole. So obviously on TV it looked really difficult obvious see the moment and what you can accomplish if this pulls off is huge. But for I think most professional golfers, we would have stood there and most of us would have been comfortable trying to hit that shot.

So that was your mindset. You're standing over it, you're in the fourth hole of a playoff to have a chance to win your first major championship. You just basically got up and they say, all the sports psychologists play the shot. You're playing one shot at a time. So you just got into that bunker and said, okay, this is a pretty easy bunker shot. Um, stand up and

hit it. If I said easy. But yeah, well, you know, like I said, you know, Tania pool off a great line exactly what you've said, you know, saying there are things at the right time, Um, and she said show them why your number one in bunkers this season? So I was like, okay, let's do it. I've talked to a couple of girls on the lpga UM about um interviewing, and I said, if you could take something from her game, what would you take? Everybody said your tempo, but almost

everybody said your bunker game as well. Ernie Els is a great bunker player. Blue Yu Stays is a great bunker player. Gary player. I mean it's the short game with the Spanish. They talked about the Spanish hands. Um. I think that's all bullshit. I just think there's some great shops. But I've seen it up close. What is about people in essay? And I mean Trevor Immelman was a pretty good bunker player too. I don't know. I don't know what it is. Something in the water down there.

I don't know, it's nothing in the sand, you know. Maybe I just say, you know, when I was a kid, that's all we did. He just used to chip in pats and got dark. Um. So I don't know if it's just comes from us when we're kids. That's it dropped off at the golf course and you chip impertin that's what you do. So you're standing over how how long was the pot? Three? Four ft longer? Um? No, I was just under three feet, all right? And so talk me through the thought process. Are you thinking all

the cliches? I've had this pot to win a big tournament since I was a kid. Are you focused or you trying to turn your brain off? Um? One of the things I love about what I get to do is, um, I'll never I'll never have that opportunity, right, I have to watch other people do that. So I'm always fascinated as to what is the mindset because I've watched players that I've been lucky enough to work with that have one major championships and I'm standing over going four ft

and I can't even breathe. And I honestly I say that I've said this before on the podcast off. I don't have any idea how you how you guys do? I don't because I know how hard it is to watch, right. I know how ford it is outside the ropes, not hitting any shots. I know how nervous I am trying to watch a player win a tournament, let alone win a major championship. I don't understand how you can even

get your body I mean I've spilled drinks. I've missed my mouth before trying to drink while watching one of the guys trying when I've missed my mouth with the water and it's gone all over it. Yeah, what I think of most people that were watching would have seen that. Everybody watching, and Dave, my husband particularly was more was unbelievable. I thought that was I thought that was I thought

that was amazing. Um yeah, but I didn't. I think that's what's been so good is since I've started working from the mental aspect. If I had was in that same situation four months ago, I don't think I would have been able to pull off any of it. Um let alone stand over that pat and not think about this is what you've dreamt of as a kid. This is for the one. All I said to myself was

what I said the whole week. All right, do your process, do your steps, and that is and we've got me to have this routine whereas I close the door, and every step so it goes from lining it up. You know, I plumb, that's another step, blind the ball up. Okay, step back, close the door, close the door, and everyone, so you've completed every step and then once once everything is completed, all you gotta do is hit the path. So that's all I said to myself. And another thing

I said is I do this draw every week. It's six ft draw I started six ft and every time I make it, I go in, so I go around the hole. I was like, all right, you do this draw every week and do you know miss it? So just think of your drawer and get up a shogo. I've never heard anyone talk say that before. But so the idea behind the process that you and um your

mental culture doing. So you've got the process, and the idea is to go through and basically tick the boxes off and once they're ticked off, you leave them behind. You don't second guess the read you make. Whatever the read you make it mhm, precisely so that you're not in between. Because I found, like, you know, so I was plumbing and then reading and then second guessing well over punder right ever read it right? Well? No, you have to do everyone individually and close the door on

every step. And then once you've linded up right, you've you've done what you had to do. Now you just hit the part if it misses well, was it a battery was a bad but okay, then go and hit

the next one. To have the opportunity to share that with your husband, who basically is in the same world as you are, right, I mean, I mean, if you're not in professional golf, if you're not a player a caddy involved in that, I don't think you understand the significance how hard you have to work to to have the opportunity to win one of these for you too, to be able to share that moment. The fact that he caddies on the same tour as you do, I mean that that is just and that's one of the

things that I that UM. Since I've started working more, UM, I've spent a lot of time with Marine Alex, who's a good friend of yours. UM, I saw all the pictures you. She she messaged me after the party you guys she had and she's like, I'm still I'm still I'm hungover. But it's been cool to watch the the relationships of the boyfriend girlfriend's husbands and wives that there's

players and their caddying for other people. UM. To get to share that with your husband, The fact that he does basically the same stuff that you do, that's got to be just an amazing experience for the two of you. Yeah, it was huge, And you know it's also a case of you know, he gave up so much to come

out here. Um. You know, well when we started dating with a life long distance for three years and it became too difficult, he said, well, let me come caddy for you and I was like, no, that's not gonna work. And I said, ok, well take some leave from your job, will go to Australia for three weeks and let's see how it goes. And yeah, you see, he still hasn't gone back to that job. Three weeks turned into eight

years on the bag. Yeah, eight years on the bag and obviously many and he was there for it all has in loads of We one together twice on the Ladies European Tour, which to wins together is so special. Um. Yeah, for him to he's part of the journey and part of the hard work that's gone into it. So it's also affirmation for him and what he gave up to be our chair with me and for it to all pay off. What is the feeling when the part goes in?

Is it relief? Is it? Is it just are you just I mean, at that point you've got to probably just say I'm just glad this thing's over. I don't know, you don't really know, because it's just so many emotions go through you. At first it was like I think relief, and then it was like, oh my gosh, I've actually done this. Um, and then it starts to hit you

with luck. Wow, you're a major champion. This is what you used to stand on the putting green in the dark to hold parts um you on that third play or for I was reading the part and one of my good friends that I used to play junior golf, but he obviously takes me saying congrats, And I thought of the moment when we were kids and we used to put on the dark on Friday evenings. Four cooks you know, um, and I used to say, and I

said to myself, well that didn't bother you in. Don't let a body now, because as professionals we start to let those things get to us. Are it's too dark, we shouldn't be out chair. You know. You didn't let a body in, So just carry on. And there was everybody just ran on, which was so cool to have so many friends that had family there from South Africa, and then the emotions just obviously overtook. Okay, Marina told me you're not a big drinker. Cam Smith who won

the Open championship. The first thing, Cam if anybody knows, he's gonna try and figure out how many how many beers he can get in that thing. Have you had alcohol out of the trophy? Thanks to Marina? Yes, Marina made sure that was going to happen, you know, so we had I had obviously a few steps on the Sunday, but we got done so late. And then on Thursday this past week we went around to Marina had all celebration.

Cary was there too, so it was it was very cool and sorry Dave's Dave knows that two pints go into the trophy. There you go, what is I mean? So? Now what I mean? You you've proven to yourself that you can win a major championship. Um, you're going to

be a major champion regardless. So now that puts you in the conversation that when the next batch of majors come around, you're going to be in that conversation of someone that has one a major that wanted in style, wanted against one of the best players on the lp did do you now reset your focus? Reset your goals? Um, and you know what is what is the goals for the rest of the year. I think I still need to kind of sit back and really look at it. I don't feel like I've had enough time to process

goals for the rest of the year. Um. But I know that when I get to a tournament there's going to be a few more eyes on me, but more expectation. But and yeah, I will be in the conversation obviously. It gives me the belief to know I can win on the LPGA, and I think in the fashion that I wanted with the grits and the determination to come back after that triple uh makes me believe even more so. So I think next time I am in contention, UM,

I just know that that I'll be able to. I don't know if you're going to pull it off, but I can handle it. And I think next year will be definitely reassessing goals and choosing the right tournaments to play in order to to play well. You also have, I think now a very unique and amazing opportunity to inspire the next generation of female golfers from SA I mean, obviously you said you mentioned your golfing heroes Ernie Gary Player, I mean Retief, all of the great great men that

have come before you. Um. But I think it is so important for junior golfers to have someone to look up to to say, listen, she's from Johannesburg. I'm from Johannesburg. She she I'm a member at the same club that she's a member at. And and and are you aware that you have the opportunity now to inspire this next

generation of young um female golfers in South Africa. Yeah, I mean for me to be able to put on that so called pedestal is it's a huge honor and I'm hoping it will inspire many many young girls in South Africa to take up the game. And I think it was so great is in South Afria we don't get all the coverage of the LPGA events. Only in the last few maybe three or four years, as it started to get the coverage. And obviously it's also most

of the time tape the late at strange hours. And I think the great thing about the Women's Open, it's one hour time change and so many people were tuned in from South Africa, so they actually got to witness it and live it with me. Um, which I think is why the love and the support I've had from SOD Africa has been even more than than usual. Lastly, did any of the golfing heroes you've got, Ernie Garrett, did any of them reach out to you and say

congrats and and that I mean hopefully they did. Yeah, I know they did. Gary actually sent me a voice note after the Friday to say you'd seen I was leading. Um, you know, gave me a few little good tips to stay patient everybody's going to hit bad shots, to keep my head still in on Patty. Um, this is very one. And then to think when you know so and then you Ernie reached out, you know, Eric obviously reached out a lot of the South African players, Brandon Gray. So no,

it's it's all been very cool. And do you feel like now you've arrived and you belong? I do. I think it's gonna probably only really hit me when I rock out to Canada and actually not havn't seen a lot of players, and then I do feel that, you know, hopefully when I get to the tournament, they will I will have a little bit of a different feeling and belief in myself when when I rock a bit of tournament weekend and week out. Now, well, I watched you know,

the entire back nine. Um, you know, I thought the way that you handled what happened on fifteen. Um, I always think that, you know, when you're watching golfers, how they handle adversity, what happens. I mean, anybody when when you're playing good, when you're hitting good shots, it's ez right,

I mean everybody, everybody's good at that. But I really thought the way that you handled that, the way you played the last three holes, and then the focus that you had um down the stretch in in in the playoff, you win majors. Are a lot of people win majors, but winning there in the fashion that you did, Um,

that's a hell of an accomplishment. You must be really really proud, And uh, I think it's going to be really really cool because you've got to think the next time you get a chance to win a golf tournament, you're gonna go, I can get this done. Hopefully, That's how I feel. But yeah, somebody asked me another podcast, actually, well, you know, you know, if you thought back would it have been better or nice? And to obviously have walked up easy and with a few shortly and I said, yeah,

I would have been better for everybody's nerves. But I think the way it went down, it's going to be far more memorable. And like you say, when you stand up at another tournament, hope it will feel like you've got this. You're you're now a millionaire in US dollars. But give us the rand on how much one? How many millions of rand South African rand did you win? It's gotta be I'm thinking it's got to be close

to twenty million. Uh, I think it's like fifteen to one at the moment, so probably just over fifteen million. But we don't get all that money and some Texas and we've got there you post that they obviously, I mean that's a huge pressure off my back to have that, and you know, it's life changing. Like I said, we don't get to play for that bunny on the whole PG and for me to win that as my first tournament is huge. Well, congrats it's um it was a

hell of an accomplishment. UM, thanks for talking to me, and uh, we'll look forward to UM. How teach Marina how to get out of a bunker. Okay, thanks for having one, appreciate it. Great to talk to you. Actually, yes, So that was actually Buhai major champion for the rest of her life, and I think that's just such a cool thing, you know, to be able to work your entire life towards a goal and to to be able

to come away. UM the way she won. UM, you could hear her talking about it, all the crazy things that goes into winning a major champion, major championship, and she got it done. So hats off to her and really looking forward to seeing UM if this is a springboard for her to UM, you know, continue to win tournaments and to win more major championships. UM. I didn't put questions up uh for the pod this week because

I didn't want to be inundated with live questions. Hell of a week last week, Rory McElroy, what a performance, UM, Scottie Scheffler, those two battling it out down the stretch. I mean, Rory has been front and center UM as kind of the spokesperson for the PGA Tour, and Scottie Scheffler had a breakout year and just played fantastic golf. UM disappointed. UM for him, I'm still not too sure about that format. UM. I wasn't sure about it when

Dustin Johnson won a couple of years ago. UM I was working with Brooks CapCo and when Brooks had a chance to win the FedEx Cup, I still can't figure it out. UM. I know they they've got to try and do something. You know, they're trying to figure out a way to wait it so that you know the play that you've had UM at the beginning of the year,

throughout the year. UM, you go in there with you know, a little bit of a cushion, but you can miss the first He missed the cut in the first FedEx Cup playoff event and still win the FedEx So UM, I think they still need to tweak that. But Rory McElroy, I mean, he plays unbelievable golf. UM. I love his golf swing. I love the way he plays golf. UM. I'll sit on a driving range and watch Roy McRoy hit golf balls all day long. And uh, you know, Scotti Scheffler opened the door for him and Rory. He's

done that before. UM. That's his third UM FedEx Cup championship. UM where he's If I'm not mistaken, I think he's come from behind in all of them. I know he came from behind in this one. I know he came from behind when when he beat Brooks in nineteen and uh, you know, just a dominant performance and just a hell of a hell of a player. And to have three FedEx Cups, to do something that even the great Tiger

Woods hasn't done. Um, I take my hat off, hats off to him because you know I said it in the first episode UM of the Son of a Which podcast with my dad. When Rory's firing on all cylinders, you can make it a case that that he's the best player in the game because he can make golf look easy. He can do things that other players can't. You can drive the golf ball in places other players can't. And what a performance. And I think Rory played with the weight of the entire p g A Tour and

all the boys in Ponto Vidro. He played with them on his shoulders. He put the PGA Tour on his back this year and went out and got it done. So hell of a performance and great to see Rory winning golf tournaments. UM. Six new guys coming to live this week, and the biggest one is cam Smith. If you're following the live PGA Tour battle, I think when you lose the players champion and the Open champion and the number two player in the world, UM, it's hard to continue to say that. You know, live is a

flash in the pan, and it's it's going away. Hopefully, and I keep saying this, Hopefully everybody can just get back to playing golf. You want to stay on the PGA Tour, stay on the PGA Tour. If you want to go play live, go play live. UM. But I saw a tweet today which I thought was pretty interesting, UM from Kyle Porter. He said, with the addition of camp smith lives collection of golfers have one twelve of

the last twenty four majors. So this narrative that it's a old folks home, it's a bunch of husbands and there's a bunch of people that can't play golf, I think if that's your stance, then, UM, you're not looking at it through an objective lens. UM. I'm looking forward to see and how can plays this week. UM. I'm looking forward to another live event this week. UM PG Tours on UM their seasons ended and we'll be starting

back up. But UM should be really really interesting to see UM the fourth live event UM and see how it plays out. Son of a Buch comes to you every Wednesday. I want to thank everybody for listening, and again if you haven't gone back and listened to the episode with my dad butch arm and check it out because it is a good one. We will see you next week.