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Interview by Courtney Hooton
As Tiger Woods’ niece, Cheyenne Woods certainly had the bloodline to be the golf phenom she is today. But as any competitive golfer knows, even the best gene pool can only go so far in the complex sport of golf. Cheyenne possesses unbelievable athletic talent and she has worked incredibly hard at her craft. She has put in hours of practice and play; endured heat, cold, and rain; forgone social activities that other teenagers take for granted; and traveled to some highly unlikely places to achieve her extraordinary level of play.
Selfless guidance provided by her soft-spoken, loving mother has helped her rise to junior golf prominence. The love of her grandfather, Earl Sr., comes through in every interview Cheyenne grants. Encouraging pep talks from Uncle Tiger strengthen her focus. Cheyenne has a wonderfully supportive family who all want her to achieve her dreams and who are all intricately woven in the beautiful fabric from which this beautiful young lady comes.
Cheyenne’s overwhelmingly winning record is testament to her sweet swing, long drives and nerves of steel. And that record began at an early age. In 2000, she won the U.S. Kids Golf World Championships at 10 years of age and secured the victor’s spoils again at the age of 12. In 2005, she won the American Junior Golf Association’s Nike Golf Junior, the Bill Dickey Invitational, and the prestigious Big I Junior Classic. She also emerged as the top player for Phoenix’s Xavier College Preparatory (her private high school), which recently won its 26th state championship. She won the 2006 and 2007 Arizona state titles, the latter on November 6, shooting rounds of 69-70 for a 139. Cheyenne has placed in the top five in four national tournaments over the past year and, according to Junior Golf Scoreboard, is ranked 19th in her class of 2008.
I had a delightful opportunity to interview Cheyenne. She was exceptionally humble, sweet, bright, and forthcoming. We laughed about music and funny things. She has movie star looks and a personality so endearing that you definitely want to hang out with her. Her passion and skill for golf resonates so strongly that it is impossible not to imagine her as an LPGA superstar.
I hope she is an inspiration to all of you. She certainly was for me!
Courtney: You obviously have the genes to be a great golfer. How did you get started?
Cheyenne: I got started in my grandpa’s garage when I was about 5. He had given me one of Tiger's old cut down clubs, and I just started hitting balls into a net that he set up.
Courtney: Have you always like sports? Have you played any other sports competitively?
Cheyenne: I've always loved sports. My whole family is very athletic. So, I've grown up watching and playing sports all the time. I used to dance competitively, and I also ran track, played basketball, and was the MVP on my volleyball team.
Courtney: Did you take an instant liking to golf or did it kind grow on you through the years?
Cheyenne: I always liked golf growing up. I tried a lot of sports, but golf has always been my favorite. As I have matured, I've grown to love golf, now that I have a better understanding and appreciation of the different aspects of the game.
Courtney: You played in the USGA-LPGA Girls Golf program. Would you recommend this program to other junior girls?
Cheyenne: The USGA-LPGA girls’ golf club played a tremendous role in my golf career to date. My first tournament was an USGA-LPGA girls’ tournament, and I actually got last place! But being a part of the club was so much fun, and I made so many friends that I still keep to this day. The USGA-LPGA golf club made every tournament fun and encouraged me to keep playing golf and to have fun with it. I would definitely recommend it to junior girls because it is a great experience. I am so happy I was able to be apart of it.
Courtney: What’s your favorite part of your golf life?
Cheyenne: My favorite part is getting the opportunity to travel all over and play amazing golf courses across the country. I really enjoy meeting people.
Courtney: Was there a particular moment when you thought, wow, I may have a future in golf?
Cheyenne: Growing up, the only thought that ever went through my mind was that I was going to turn pro. To me, there was no better career, and I never gave a second though to being anything else when I grew up. So, I guess you could say I always knew I'd have a future in golf. I first realized I could actually compete at a national level and do well was when I was 10, and I won the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship.
Courtney: Your high school team, Xavier College Prep, maintains one of the biggest dynasties in girl’s high school golf. Tell us what it’s like to be on that team.
Cheyenne: Being on Xavier's golf team has been a great experience. All four years I played on the team, I've been surrounded by extremely good golfers. Our team is very competitive so it pushes me to do my best during the high school season.
Courtney: It gets more and more difficult to keep up the practice time with all of the distractions that come in high school. How have you balanced the academic, social, and sports facets of your life?
Cheyenne: There are so many things that go on during high school and playing a sport makes for a very busy schedule. While in high school, I had to set my priorities. My first priority was my school work, followed by golf, then all the social activities with my friends. Time management is a very important skill to have in high school and is crucial to get everything you want accomplished.
Courtney: I saw that you signed with Wake Forest. Congratulations! What was the recruiting process like?
Cheyenne: The recruiting process was very stressful, but it was fun at the same time. I got to learn about so many good schools, and it was amazing to see how many schools were actually interested in me.
Courtney: Was Wake Forest your favorite all along or did you make up your mind during the recruiting process?
Cheyenne: Wake Forest was my very first unofficial visit to a college campus, and I have loved it ever since then. There were a couple of other schools I was looking at, but when it came down to it, I knew Wake would be the best fit for me.
Courtney: Do you think college golf will be as exciting after such an amazing high school experience?
Cheyenne: I definitely think college will be as exciting. Being on a high school team that won states all four years I played was amazing. But I think college golf will be a completely different experience. I will get to travel, and the tournaments will be much more competitive than high school tournaments.
Courtney: You’ve had a lot of success in golf. What do you consider your biggest accomplishment so far?
Cheyenne: So far, I consider winning the state championship my junior year as my biggest accomplishment. It was the first year I had won state as an individual, and it was my goal from the start of the season to win that title. Arizona has a very competitive group of high school golfers so I considered it a major accomplishment to have played against other nationally-ranked juniors in my state and to have won.
Courtney: You’ve had a number of amazing people who have influenced your golfing experience. Who was the most influential and what are the key lessons that you have learned?
Cheyenne: The most influential person would have to be my grandpa. He is the one who got me started with golf, and he always supported me in all my tournaments. He kept up with the progress I was making. I learned from him that in order to be number one, you have to work harder than everyone else. He also taught me that education is essential to becoming successful, and that it is very important to do well in school so that you can do well in the real world.
Courtney: Do you ever feel pressure to perform because you are Tiger’s niece?
Cheyenne: In just about every big tournament I play, I feel a little pressure to perform well because people usually know that I am related to Tiger. But that is something I have to put to the side and when I get on the course, I have to ignore that and play my own game.
Courtney: Looking good is obviously important to every golfer girl. What are your favorite brands of clothing?
Cheyenne: One of my favorite stores to shop is Express. I love all their clothes. And I couldn’t live without Nike!
Courtney: What is your favorite fashion accessory?
Cheyenne: My favorite accessory would have to be earrings.
Courtney: Do you like to listen to music? What are your favorite songs?
Cheyenne: I love music. I take my iPod everywhere I go. Some of my favorite songs right now are Falsetto by The Dream, The Anthem by Pitbull and Lil Jon, and Superstar by Lupe Fiasco. And anything by Chris Brown!
Courtney: What is your favorite TV show?
Cheyenne: I have a couple of favorite T.V. shows. I love Desperate Housewives, Family Guy, and Making the Band 4.
Courtney: If you could be anyone else in the world, who would you be and why?
Cheyenne: I would want to be Beyoncé. She is beautiful and I desperately want to be able to sing well. She is extremely talented and has an amazing voice.
Courtney: We always ask for the one or two tips that you would you like to tell our readers who want to get to your level of golf someday.
Cheyenne: I would tell all the readers to have fun with golf or whatever you end up doing in life. In order to get where you want to be, you have to work hard and never give up. If you enjoy what you are doing, then it’s easier to make progress and improve your skills. |
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