The IX: Golf Thursday with Sarah Kellam, February 18, 2021
By The IX Team
WATCH: Oneda Castillo discusses women of color in golf — Interview with Abby Liebenthal — Must-click women's golf links
(Hi! Howard Megdal here. The IX helps build the necessary infrastructure for women’s sports media. By connecting these worlds, it gives women’s sports the networking boost men’s sports can take for granted.
Continue reading with a subscription to The IX
Get unlimited access to our exclusive coverage of a varitety of women’s sports, including our premium newsletter by subscribing today!
Already a member?
Login
Those of you who are our satisfied subscribers, tell the world! We are grateful for your support. And you can share the gift of The IX with those who would love us as much as you do.
Q&A with Oneda Castillo, LPGA Global Education Instructor
While I was considering and researching topics to write about for Golf Thursday the last couple of weeks, I stumbled across the name Oneda Castillo. To be honest, I wasn’t familiar with her story or her prowess as an LPGA Class A teaching professional but, as I delved into the Wikipedia page chronicling her life, I KNEW I had to speak with her.
Thus, for Golf Thursday this week, instead of the traditional written piece, I opted for a Zoom chat with Oneda, discussing her life both on and off the golf course and her experiences as a woman of color in golf. Let me tell you, Oneda is one of the most fascinating people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and the passion she has for bringing people to golf is palpable in her answers in this Q&A.
From picking up the game when she was a 30-year-old mother to playing golf in all fifty states to serving as a Global Education Instructor for the LPGA to even playing professional football, there isn’t much that Oneda hasn’t done throughout her life. Oneda’s work is what we all must take on, to make the sport of golf more accessible to women of color.
I’m grateful to have her share her story with The IX and am delighted to be able to recognize all that Oneda does to make this game more inclusive for all.
For more on how to support the Women in Golf Foundation, please visit https://womeningolffoundation.org/!
This week in women’s golf
(Reminder: First: the underlined words are the links. Second: CLICK these, even if you’ve already read them. ESPECIALLY NOW, as newsrooms are forced to make difficult choices. Clicks = Attention from editors, producers and webmasters. Third, if you want to push out stuff you’ve written or read, email me! sarahkellamgolf@outlook.com.)
Commissioner Mike Whan is the new CEO of the USGA. (via LPGA.com)
Mike Whan will replace Mike Davis at the USGA. (via Golfweek)
In his new role with the USGA, Mike Whan’s past experiences will be critical to his success writes Jaime Diaz. (via GolfChannel.com)
Whan seems to be a perfect fit for the USGA. Here’s why. (via Golf.com)
Mike Whan makes the jump from the LPGA to the USGA, replacing Mike Davis as Executive Director and CEO. (via Golf.com)
More on LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan’s move to the USGA. (via GolfDigest.com)
The LPGA has released the broadcasting plans for its slate of 2021 tournaments. (via Golfweek)
Here’s a complete list of where you can watch LPGA Tour golf in 2021. (via LPGA.com)
The 2021 Ladies European Tour schedule has officially been released, with 27 events and $23 million in prize money, a $7 million increase from the 2019 edition. (via Golfweek)
With the LPGA and Symetra Tour schedules being better than ever, the Ladies European Tour followed suit with a historic 2021 schedule of their own. (via LPGA.com)
Titleist becomes an official partner of the LET for the next 3 years. (via LadiesEuropeanTour.com)
Meet the CEO of the Ladies European Tour, Alexandra Armas. (via LadiesEuropeanTour.com)
The LPGA Tour announced a new partnership with Mocha Moms, an organization bringing together and supporting mothers of color via service and sisterhood. (via LPGA.com)
Ron Sirak delves deeper into Annika’s return to play next week and what it means to both her and her fans. (via LPGA.com)
Annika Sorenstam stopped by the Fairways of Life show, hosted by Matt Adams, to talk more about her upcoming LPGA Tour start at the Gainbridge LPGA. (via LPGA.com)
Maria Torres on what she wants her social media to look like, striving to be her real, authentic self both on and off the course. (via LPGA.com)
Lydia Ko will tee it up at the Gainbridge LPGA in spite of recent surgery because the event is taking place at her home club, Lake Nona Golf & Country Club. (via Golfweek)
Check out this video featuring Lakareber Abe. Hear her takes on what needs to change to make golf more inclusive. (via LPGA.com)
Cheyenne Woods and Seema Sadekar appeared on Golf Central to promote the Trailblazers Virtual Golf and Lifestyle Classic, an event focused on celebrating diversity and culture in the women’s game. (via GolfChannel.com)
Check out this Q&A with Jessica Korda as she plays a par 5. (via Golf.com)
Tiger’s mother, Tida, taught him a lot more about ferocity than you might think. (via Golf.com)
Amy Olson isn’t the only LPGA star who has picked up pickleball. So has this major champion. (via Golf.com)
Cypress Lake Golf Club in Fort Myers has decided to further honor one of their more notable members, Patty Berg, hanging a commissioned painting of her in the lobby that bears her name. (via Golfweek)
Amy Alcott, the original Poppy’s Pond jumper, discusses her connections to Riviera Country Club in this Golf Central interview. (via GolfChannel.com)
The Midnight Golf Program is 20 years old. Check out this interview with founder Renee Fluker that ran on Golf Channel. (via GolfChannel.com)
The University of South Carolina women’s golf team captured the Moon Golf Invitational, winning by 6 shots over LSU. (via Golfweek)
Golfweek’s women’s college golfer of the week is Maja Stark of Oklahoma State after winning her second event in only her sixth ever college start. (via Golfweek)
Oklahoma State is the women’s college golf team of the week according to Golfweek. (via Golfweek)
Pauline Roussin-Bouchard fired a 9 under 63 in the first round of the Moon Golf Invitational, the lowest round in school history, helping to propel her team to the eventual victory. (via Golfweek)
Check out Golfweek’s updated college golf blog for updates from the women’s and men’s college events that took place last week. (via Golfweek)
You don’t HAVE to play ladies flex clubs if you’re a female golfer. Golf Digest’s “Hot List” of golf clubs can be tailored to women just as well as to men. (via GolfDigest.com)
Tweet of the Week
Five at The IX: 2020 ROLEX LPGA Celebration
The 2020 ROLEX LPGA Celebration took place last night, an event that typically consists of the rolling out of a “green carpet”, players appearing in their best off-course getups, and plenty of acceptance speeches from award winners. Obviously, the COVID-19 pandemic derailed any chance of having this ceremony in its normal format so the LPGA created this virtual celebration to recognize the incredible achievements of its members over the past year.
Here’s a list of notable honorees from the 2020 ROLEX LPGA Celebration:
ROLEX LPGA Player of the Year: Sei Young Kim
Vare Trophy: Danielle Kang
ROLEX First-Time Winners: Mel Reid, Madelene Sagstrom, Sophia Popov, and Ally Ewing
Ellen Griffin ROLEX Award: Renee Powell
In case you missed it, you can watch the 2020 ROLEX LPGA Celebration by following the link above or by clicking here!
