LPGA Rookie and member of the #PXGTroops, Haley Moore joins us for a Q&A to discuss life on Tour, her much talked about feature in the LPGA’s Drive On Campaign and of course, her favorite PXG club in the bag!
HOW DID IT FEEL WHEN YOU KNEW YOU’D EARNED YOU LPGA TOUR CARD?
I felt a sense of relief and gratification when I was holding my LPGA card. Stage 2 and Q-Series is a tremendous grind and earning my card was validation of all the hard work and preparation that I had put into my game.
HOW DID YOU PREPARE FOR YOUR FIRST LPGA TOURNAMENT?
I tried to prepare like any other tournament but, of course, there are always jitters. I was nervous when I was on the tee, but my nerves quickly disappeared as I shot my lowest round as a professional, a bogey-free 66!
YOU ENJOYED A GREAT START TO THE SEASON – WERE YOU WORRIED THAT THE BREAK FROM LPGA TOURNAMENT PLAY MIGHT IMPACT YOUR RUN OF FORM?
I wasn’t too worried. I know that there are ups and downs in golf, and my goal was to stay sharp and continue to prepare like I had been doing so that when we received the all clear to play again, I would be ready to go.
HOW DID YOU STAY BUSY DURING THE LPGA BREAK?
I was fortunate enough to play in quite a few Cactus Tour events. These events are mostly held in the Phoenix-area, so I was able to compete fairly close to home and on some great venues. I also was able to win three events that I played. The last two events I broke the 18-hole course record. My best round was the final day at Troon North where I shot a 62. I’m hoping to bring that momentum into Royal Troon this week at the Women’s British Open.
YOU WERE RECENTLY FEATURED IN THE LPGA’S DRIVE ON CAMPAIGN, TELL US WHAT THAT MEANT TO YOU?
I was honored to be featured on the Drive On Campaign. It allowed me the opportunity to get my story out there and to emphasize to all the boys and girls, who are labeled “different,” that it’s what makes you different that makes you stronger.
The response has been amazing. One example was at the Marathon Classic on hole 14. The family who lives there made a sign on their fence that said, “We Want Moore.”
I was very touched to see that and found out they were on social media. I reached out and got the names of the two children and on the final round I went to their backyard and gave their two kids, Emma and Cooper, a signed golf ball. The support has been amazing.
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR HOPES FOR STARTING A CHARITABLE FOUNDATION.
My hope is to start a foundation that helps girls and boys overcome bullying. We are in the process of getting things started so look for more to come in the future. The initial vision is to maximize my personal story of overcoming bullying and utilizing my platform as an LPGA player to help inspire and educate people on how to believe in themselves, allowing them to achieve their dreams.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR BIGGEST PIECE OF ADVICE FOR YOUNG GIRLS AND BOYS LOOKING TO GET INTO THE GAME?
Work hard and set goals each time. Also always learn something when you walk off the course. Golf is a game of ups and downs, but, if you learn something each time, then you will learn more about yourself and your game. Dream big. I did. Dream and then believe. Once you believe, you can achieve whatever you set out to do.
TALK TO US ABOUT YOUR NON-TRADITIONAL GOLF GRIP…
When I first started learning golf, my family just gave me the standard 10 finger grip to start off with. When I started hitting it with that grip, it felt perfectly comfortable and was getting the best results. We had tried the other grips, but there wasn’t much success, so I decided to stick with the normal old-fashioned 10 finger grip or aka the baseball grip!
DESCRIBE IN ONE WORD WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO SWING OUR PXG 0811 PROTOTYPE DRIVER?
STRIPESHOW!
SELECT JUST FOUR PXG CLUBS TO PLAY 18-HOLES…
- PXG 0811 X PROTOTYPE Driver
- PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy 56-degree milled wedge
- PXG 0311 GEN3 7 Iron
- PXG 0317 GEN2 X 4 Hybrid
YOU’RE TIED FOR THE LEAD ON SUNDAY, SELECT A FELLOW MEMBER OF THE #PXGTROOPS TO PLAY YOUR FINAL 120-YARD APPROACH SHOT…
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PXG CLUB IN THE BAG?
PXG 0811 X PROTOTYPE Driver – It’s a stripeshow and the sound is just so pure.
Follow Haley this week as she takes on her first major tournament as a professional player at the AIG Women’s British Open!
