Ahead of Women in Golf Month and Pride Month, we caught up with PXG Tour Professional Ryann O’Toole to check in on everything from PXG equipment, swing thoughts, advice for young LGBTQ+ golfers, and life on the LPGA Tour.
TALK TO US ABOUT HOW YOUR SEASON’S GOING SO FAR? WHAT EQUIPMENT CHANGES HAVE YOU MADE THIS SEASON?
I changed to the PXG 0211 ST’s and I love them! They are my favorite iron because of feel and consistency. Plus, they look really sharp! The new GEN4 Fairways and Driver are also by far the best ones yet. The new driver crushes the ball! As for my season, the year has started off really well, I’m playing consistent golf and scoring well on the weekends!
HAVE YOU MADE ANY CHANGES TO YOUR SWING OR ARE THERE ANY PARTS OF YOUR GAME THAT YOU’RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
Golf is funny, it is always a work in progress. Constant work is being done to improve the swing to make it more consistent. Plus, there are always new shots to learn around the greens. I feel the putter has been something I am really trying to work hard on. I switched to the Closer Putter and am really liking it. As for my swing, like I stated above, it is always a work in progress, but right now it seems to be little tweaks or minor changes that I’m doing vs anything drastic. My swing is feeling the best it has ever felt.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PXG CLUB IN THE BAG AND WHY?
I’d have to say my favorite PXG club is the driver. Driver is always my favorite club. But I am super happy with this GEN4 Driver.
WHO’S THE FIRST PERSON YOU CALL AFTER YOUR ROUND?
My fiancée, Gina Marra. I call her walking to the tee before the round and after I sign my score card. She always asks how I did on 18 because we talk before the scores update online.
TALK TO US ABOUT FAMILY AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE A TIGHT SUPPORT CREW WHILE YOU’RE ON TOUR?
Traveling as much as we do is actually really tough. We are gone around 28 weeks a year, at least. I keep in touch with my family most every day. I am lucky to have them come watch a lot of my events. I love having their support. It is also very nice to have them there in the evenings to have dinner with, hang with, take my mind off golf. For a while I had my grandparents out following. They’d travel the world watching me play, which was such a treat for both them and me. Unfortunately, my grandfather has had some health issues and can no longer travel. Bright side, they are always following, text me before and after each round. So, their support is still with me. Traveling on tour can be very lonely, a lot of nights spent alone in hotels or rentals. However, competing and doing what I love most makes it all worth it!
GROWING UP – WHICH FEMALE ATHLETES INSPIRED YOU AND WHY?
There are so many amazing female athletes. From the Williams sisters, to Kathy Witworth, Lorena Ochoa, Annika Sorenstam, Mia Hamm, and Rhonda Rousey. I admired athletes from all sports and wanted to be amongst them.
AS A MEMBER OF THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY, WHAT HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE BEEN LIKE AS A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE?
As a gay pro athlete, I have to say my experience has been far simpler than others. I feel I live and lived in a generation with much more respect and understanding towards the LGBTQ+ community. I only ever heard terrible stories from the generation above me, but never had to live through any of those terrible stories myself. Do I laugh when I think of myself as a gay professional athlete? Yes, because I totally live up to this old ‘stereotype’ of all female athletes must be gay! (LOL). However, I have to say I am very much a minority amongst my competitors. Random fact, I was the only athlete in college at UCLA who was gay, or at least openly out. Go figure!
HAVE YOU SEEN ATTITUDES TO THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY BEGIN TO CHANGE WHILE YOU’VE BEEN ON TOUR?
I think even during my time spent on tour attitudes have changed and for the better. With that being said, the girls on tour have always been accepting and have loved me regardless of who I go home to at night. As a whole with general public, and through social media, I’ve never experienced anything negative. Anyone who follows me or knows me, seems to be super supportive of my relationship status.
HOW HAS THE LPGA SUPPORTED ITS LGBTQ+ ATHLETES?
They don’t discriminate, but I wouldn’t say there is anything that stands out that they do. Which is great. To me, being gay isn’t what makes me. It is one piece or one thing of many about me. I personally don’t want to be treated any different. Rather, I like how there is nothing more or less that I feel the LPGA does in support of me or someone else who’s straight.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A YOUNG LGBTQ+ GOLFER?
Advice I’d love to share with any young LGBTQ+ golfer would be, stay true to yourself. Never stop loving who you are, regardless of what you may feel from others. The truer you stay with who you are, the more others around you will learn to see how amazing you are. We can’t change people’s opinions, nor should we. If we stay true to who we are, what others think won’t matter. I spent many years fighting the ones I love most because they didn’t understand or accept that I was gay. At times it was extremely tough, and it hurt a lot. However, because I stood my ground and stayed true to who I was, they eventually came around. They saw that love is love. They saw me happy, and in time they began to understand what they couldn’t understand before.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARS?
In five years? Wow, long time from now. Married with a kid or two would be ideal! I have major baby fever, and I’m ready to start a family!
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