The steel - Stacy Lewis

pp 13-16 Stacy Lewis
16/4/09
11:56
Page 13
The steel
She almost won the 2008 US Open – her
first event as a pro. But Stacy Lewis’s
biggest achievement is defeating scoliosis.
Meet a young Texan destined for the top
lady
E
VEN as the LPGA Tour bade
farewell to its brightest star,
it was preparing to welcome
the game’s most promising
young female.
Just six days before Annika
Sorenstam brought her competitive
career to a climax with a birdie in
Dubai last December, 23-year-old
Stacy Lewis was signing for a 69
and a three-shot victory at the
gruelling five-round Q-school.
This event is never a walk in
the park, but pressure for the
class of 2009 was cranked up
by the presence of one
Michelle Wie, who
eventually qualified in
seventh place, six shots
behind Lewis.
“There was a lot more
pressure and
coverage,” recalls
Stacy.
“There were even
bleachers and
stands, for LPGA QSchool! To have all
that attention was
fun, but truthfully
it’s just great to
have it over with.”
That Stacy was at
Q-School at all was
something of a
controversy; last June she made
an astonishing debut to her pro
career, leading the US Open
after three rounds before sliding
to a 78 and finishing tied third.
pp 13-16 Stacy Lewis
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Page 14
Exclusive INTERVIEW
She won £117,000, but a
quirky LPGA Tour rule does
not count cash won at the US
Open for the official money
list because of the inflated
purse. Stacy was left with
six sponsors’
exemptions to make
the 2009 Tour, but
fell short.
“The US Open
was surreal,” she
admits. “I
played okay
the first two
days, and then
all of a
sudden my
putter catches fire and I’m
leading.
“It happened so fast, and I
wasn’t prepared for the final
group on the fourth day.
Each day, after playing, I
would go through my warmdown practice routine.
“But after my third round I
did a bunch of interviews
and just wanted to get out of
there; I didn’t do what I’d
been doing to get into that
position. It wasn’t clear at
the time that it had a big
effect, but looking back I
wish I’d just hit a few and
calmed down a little.”
pp 13-16 Stacy Lewis
16/4/09
11:57
While ending in
disappointment, Stacy
believes her US Open
experience ultimately proved
beneficial: “Those six LPGA
events I played in? They felt
like I was in Q-School the
whole time. So getting to QSchool was almost like a
relief; all I had to do now
was get out and play, just for
one week.
“My goal was to win, and I
felt calm and in control.”
At age 11, three years after
her father introduced her to
the game, Stacy underwent a
routine school medical that
revealed scoliosis – a curving
of the spine.
For the next seven years she
wore a corrective body brace
for 18 hours a day.
“The only time I was
allowed out of it was to play
golf. I guess that’s why I
loved playing so much!”
Page 15
But the brace didn’t work.
At 18, she faced a spinal
fusion operation – and the
possibility that she would
never play golf again.
A month after graduating
from High School, Stacy went
under the knife.
“I had a rod and five screws
put into my back. In fact,
they did the surgery a little
different on me because the
doctor found out I played
golf.
“Usually they go in from
the back and put rods on
both sides of the spine.
For me, he went in
from the side and
only used
one rod.
That
allowed me to keep more
rotation.”
Besides the rod and screws,
the operation involves
grafting bone on to the
vertebrae to help support and
straighten the spine. They
used part of one of Stacy’s
ribs for the fusion.
“The grafting can help
straighten the spine but it
also tends to restrict
movement.
“In fact I
did
lose some of my turn. But the
one blessing is that the way
my spine was turned and
rotated it put my left side a
little higher, and actually set
me up to play. Had I been
left-handed, I wouldn’t be
able to swing a golf club.”
Stacy talks about the
operation matter-of-factly,
In Stacy’s bag
Driver: Mizuno MP-600 8.5˚
Fairway: Mizuno MX-700
Fairway Wood 15°
Hybrid: Mizuno MX-700 17°
& 20°
Irons: Mizuno MX-200 (4-PW)
Wedges: Mizuno T Series 53°
and 60°
All Stacy's clubs have graphite
shafts, which help reduce
vibrations and are more
comfortable for her to use.
She uses Golf Pride
Multicompound grips.
pp 13-16 Stacy Lewis
16/4/09
11:57
Page 16
Stacy’s spine
PRE OP
POST OP
but there is no denying the
ordeal she went through.
“It was the worst pain I
could ever imagine; I
wouldn’t wish it on anybody.
“They had to move a bunch
of organs out of the way, so
everything was hauled
around in side of me.
“It gave me a new
appreciation of enjoying
what you are able to do.
“It didn’t matter how good
or bad I played, I was just so
excited to be out there at all.
That made me play better.”
Since the operation, Stacy’s
game has just got stronger. A
“After the operation, everything hurt. I lost around
25lb and the painkillers made me sick” – Stacy Lewis
Stacy Lewis
Born: February 16, 1985
Age: 23
Lives: The Woodlands, Texas
Achievements: 2008 Winner,
LPGA Qualifying School; 3rd,
US Open; First player to record
five wins and no losses in
Curtis Cup history
2007 Winner, NCAA Individual
Championship; 5th, Kraft
Nabisco Championship (as an
amateur)
No 1 ranked amateur in the
US, 2007 & 2008
Winner of 12 collegiate
tournaments
16 LADY GOLFER
Everything hurt. I lost around
25lb, and the painkillers were
making me sick.
“For probably a month and
a half, I just stayed at home,
I didn’t want to leave the
house.”
Stacy didn’t swing a club for
six months. And while her
game certainly moved to
another level after the
operation, it is surprising to
hear her credit a mental,
rather than physical, change.
“Coming back, I saw the
tendencies I had in my swing
reappearing.
“But what did change was
my perspective. Before, I
would get mad and upset but
I went six months where all I
could do was watch my
college team-mates practise
and play.
glittering college career at
Arkansas peaked with
triumph at the 2007 NCAA
Championships.
Also in 2007 she actually
won an LPGA event, the P&G
Beauty NW Arkansas
Championship. Rainshortened to one round,
though, the event was
rendered unofficial.
An emphatic 5-0-0 Curtis
Cup record at St Andrews last
May heralded her decision to
turn professional.
She has since signed
sponsorship deals with
Titleist and FootJoy for balls
and shoes, and become an
ambassador for Mizuno.
“I’ve played Mizuno since
college, where I picked out
and played the MX-25 irons
for years,” she explains.
“They set up well to my eye,
were consistent, and I loved
their fit and feel. The pocket
cavity also made them quite
forgiving. Many pros go to
blades but I can still shape
the ball and that remains the
case with the MX-200 series.
“I also put the MP-600
driver in my bag last
September. Modern drivers
are getting so big, but this
one has a smaller look to it,
which I like. The adjustable
Fast Track system is set up to
the standard numbers
though in practice I’ve
played around to hit it
higher or lower.”
Ominously for Europe,
Stacy openly states her main
goal is to make the Solheim
Cup team in August and her
dedication to making the
team means we may only see
her over here for the Evian
and British Opens.
“I’ve always been the kind
of person that when told I
can’t achieve something, will
do it. I’ve been through a lot,
and the one thing I’ve
learned is not to set
boundaries on what you can
and can’t do.”
Annika may just have got
out while the going was
good.
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