After finishing fifth in the Marathon Classic in early July, Caldwell County’s Emma Talley has had a rough stretch on the LPGA Tour.
She has missed the cut in three of her last five events — including the last two — and her best finish was 21st at the Indy Women in Tech Championship in mid-August. However, she’s still won almost $370,000 in her rookie season and has a chance to add a lot more to that.
Talley, a three-time state high school champion as well as a NCAA champion at Alabama, will be playing in the Evian Championship in France this week before playing six straight weeks in Asia — where there is no 36-hole cut. She’ll finish her rookie year in the Tour Championship Nov. 15-18 in Naples,, Fla.
Veteran LPGA Tour caddy Missy Pederson says the Asia swing could be the perfect time to re-energize Talley.
“The places we go are very interesting and cool and amazing. But also there is a little less mental stress because there are no cuts. You can just show up and play pretty free and make some money,” said Pederson. “For the most part the expenses are low. For a young person, it’s a great opportunity and you can set yourself up for the next year (on the LPGA Tour) to get an early start on the year.
“When I first started caddying I was caddying for players who had not reached that level, but were working toward that to make the Asia swing. It’s a huge head start to the year and players use that as incentive to push through, make more money and get in those early events for the next season.”
Pederson, who caddies for Brittany Lincicome, knows it is hard for players to adjust to the grind of play on the LPGA Tour. Talley has four top-10 finishes but fatigue and injury can be problems for any player.
“You have to be very conscious of how you are feeling, especially female athletes. We have a tendency to push through it, but at this time of year we are worn out,” Pederson said. “We have travelled I don’t know how many thousands of miles on cars, planes, trains. You have to recognize when the quality counts more than the quantity.
“If you recognize how the golf course is playing, don’t spend all day out there. Go home, rest, Do your work and go home. Look at veteran players and they know exactly what they need to do, they get it done and they leave the golf course. That keeps them from the mental burnout but also the physical burnout where you body is just wore down by this point. But younger players have to learn that because it’s different for every player.”
Pederson thinks Talley is destined for greatness and is one of the tour’s rising stars.
“She is such an easy-going girl and so kind. She thanks everybody on the golf course from the attendants to the volunteers to players and caddies she is playing with. You can’t go wrong with that,” Pederson said. “She is friendly, so most people like it when she talks. She is not complaining. It’s in a conversational way or just being friendly.
“The tour absolutely could use a player like her to win. We need a lot more of those. She’s very talented, friendly, great communicator on and off the course. It would be great to see a lot more players like Emma Talley out here and great to see her win a tournament because not only would it be great for her, but it would be great for the tour because of the attention it would bring.”