Category: Golf

Hello birdies!

Here’s an update from the desert! After moving  here in the Spring to play professional golf on the Cactus Tour, I have completely fallen in love with state fourty-eight! The competition on the Cactus Tour is intense, and the experience of playing tournaments at this level is great. My next tournament is August 6-8 in Palm Springs, California. Then it’s Q School time at the end of August! (Q School is LPGA Qualifying School where you can earn your tour card).

I have been training and practicing daily for the tournaments on my schedule, as well as Qualifying School. Chasing this dream is expensive, so along with playing in events, I decided to pursue one of my other passions on the side- teaching golf! After passing the qualifying exam and taking the Player Ability Test, I am now officially a member of the PGA of America. Part of being a member of the PGA is working for a PGA recognized golf facility. I am an Assistant Golf Professional at a Club in North Scottsdale, which I love. Legend Trail Golf Club is where I practice and play, and have had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people!

It can be confusing when someone says they are a golf professional, because they can be either a touring pro or a teaching pro; or in my case, both. I am a playing professional first, and a teaching professional second. A touring professionals job is to  play and finish well in tournaments, whereas a teaching professionals job is to give lessons. I like to clarify that I am both, because I love both aspects of the game, but playing comes first!

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Some days you can find me playing in tournaments, and other days you can find me working at Legend Trail, or giving lessons. I have a busy schedule, but every day is an adventure and that is what I live for! This is an amazing opportunity that I have the privilege of pursuing, and I am thankful every single day that I not only get to play this game, but that I also get to grow the game and share it with others.

So if you’re in Scottsdale and you need a lesson, I’m your girl!

Until next time, birdies!

Morgan

If you want to be great at something, you have to practice it every single day. Athletes train and practice constantly to perfect their sport,  and the mental game should be no exception. There are so many ways to train your mind and body, but for me personally, I love reading books that help me hone in on my skills that I’m trying to focus on. Reading is my favorite way to work on my mental game because it combines two of my favorite things; books and golf! I can throw a bookmark on the page that resonates with me and come back to it when I need a reminder!

There is so much emphasis on the mental aspect of golf because unlike many other sports, you have time to think between shots. You don’t have teammates out there with you, and you have to rely on yourself to be your own cheerleader. As a player, you must have the mental capacity to stay calm when you’re nervous, and to pump yourself up when you need to.

I have compiled a list of ten amazing mental game books that I have read/am currently reading. As I mentioned in one of my first blog posts, Bob Rotella is the guru of sports psychology and all of his books are incredible. However, this list includes other authors that may be harder to find.

I found all of these books at my local library, but I included links to each of these books on Amazon so that they are easy to find if you wish to have them on your own bookshelf:

1. Mastering Golf’s Mental Game by Michael T. Lardon

2. Golf for Enlightenment by Deepak Chopra

3. The Seven Personalities of Golf by Darrin Gee

4. Mistake Free Golf by Robert K. Winters

5. Golf in The Zone by Adrian Fryer & Dr. Karl Morris

6. In Pursuit of Excellence by Terry Orlick

7. Zen Golf by Dr. Joseph Parent

8. Golf Flow by Gio Valiente

9. Head in the Game by Brandon Sneed

10. Perfectly Balanced Golf  by Chuck Cook & Roger Schiffman

 I hope that you guys get a chance to check out some of these incredible books. If you’re a golfer, I am positive that these will be an asset to your game. Until next time, birdies!