Professional golf on the LPGA Tour is no casual Sunday stroll down the fairway. Throw motherhood into the mix, and you’re looking at a balancing act that could rival the Cirque du Soleil. Yet, as of 2025, 17 incredible women are pulling it off with grace, grit, and a whole lot of logistical juggling. These moms show that family life and dominating the leaderboards aren’t mutually exclusive. Turns out, you can be a superhero off the course while draining putts on it.
The Motherhood Hustle
Take Stacy Lewis. She’s not just a two-time major winner and former world No. 1; she’s also a mom who rejoined the tour after having her daughter. And, we’re not talking about a slow, “dip your foot back in the water” return. Nope, Stacy jumped right back into the deep end like only Stacy can, juggling diaper changes with practice swings and managing to inspire a whole generation in the process. It’s not just about hitting fairways, it’s about showing young women everywhere that they can thrive in two very different worlds.
Then there’s Gerina Mendoza, who embraced motherhood and continued her career with undeterred determination, proving that nap schedules and backswing timing can indeed coexist. These women are rewriting the script, showing that motherhood doesn’t pause ambition. If anything, it fuels it!
Meet the Moms of the Tour
The LPGA’s roster of competing moms in 2025 is as inspiring as it gets. These women juggle the joys and challenges of raising kids while climbing leaderboards. Here’s the lineup of moms who are breaking barriers on the tour:
- Brittany Altomare – Wyatt Stanislawzyk (2024)
- Nicole Broch Estrup – Expecting 2025
- Chella Choi – Si-heon Cha (2024)
- Paula Creamer – Hilton Kennedy (2022)
- Austin Ernst (Dods) – Charles “Charlie” Dods (2023)
- Jaye Marie Green – Paisley Casello (2023)
- Mi Jung Hur – Ji-An Wang (2022)
- Jessica Korda – Greyson DelPrete (2024)
- Stacy Lewis – Chesnee Chadwell (2018)
- Caroline Masson – Benton McDede (2023)
- Azahara Munoz – Lucas Vickers (2022)
- Inbee Park – Two children, including Rio Nam (2024)
- Sophia Popov – Maya Mehles (2023)
- Mel Reid – Kai Reid (2023)
- Rachel Rohanna – Two kids, including Greenlee Virgili (2023)
- Emma Talley – Expecting 2025
- Lindsey Weaver-Wright – Crew Wright (2023)
These players embody resilience, not to mention some serious multitasking skills! From newborns to toddlers, their stories highlight the beauty of balancing family life with a professional sports career.
Support Systems That Deliver
Even heroes need a little help, and the LPGA recognizes the unique challenges their athletes face. Thankfully, since 1993, the LPGA has stepped up in a big way with a free childcare program available at tournaments for moms and staff alike. Picture this: one minute, you’re practicing your putting stroke on the green, and the next, you’re reading “Goodnight Moon” to your mini-me. Convenient childcare ensures these rockstar moms can do it all.
On top of that, the LPGA’s maternity policies give new moms the flexibility to return to the tour without sacrificing their careers. Moms retain their tour status post-birth, getting up to two full years to transition back to competition. It’s a level of support that has set the LPGA apart as a pioneer for working moms in sport.
PGA Tour’s Matriarchs in Action
Shifting gears to the PGA Tour, while the focus is on the athletes, the contributions of their mothers are impossible to miss. Just ask Jordan Spieth. Hailing his mom, Chris, as a major influence, he credits her for instilling discipline, perseverance, and an encouraging nudge or two when he needed it. And if Chris didn’t occasionally remind him to fix his posture or practice his short game, who knows where his career might be?
Eric Cole’s story echoes that impact. Growing up with Laura Baugh, a former pro on the LPGA Tour, he got firsthand lessons in persistence and performance. Her guidance wasn’t just about technique; it was about resilience. Turns out, those tips work wonders on and off the course (and probably come with some home-cooked meals, too).
The Legacy Lives On
Then there’s the undeniable beauty of golf families where talent, passion, and tenacity flow from one generation to the next. Nelly Korda is a prime example. With an Olympic gold medal and a World No. 1 ranking pinned to her name, her success isn’t a lucky one-off; it’s rooted in a family that knows how to hustle. Her mom, a former professional tennis player, played doubles with her dad, who was also a pro athlete. Imagine Thanksgiving competitions at that house?
Meanwhile, Japan’s Rio Takeda continues the family tradition blazing across fairways. Her mother, Satoko Hirase, once competed professionally, and her aunt, Mayumi Hirase, claimed 18 wins on the LPGA of Japan Tour. With those genes and that mentorship, Rio’s rising-star status feels like destiny.
A Celebration of Strength
The stories of mothers in professional golf go far beyond birdies and bogeys. These women demonstrate unwavering dedication, whether they’re teeing it up to sink that critical putt or teaching their kids to walk. They’re a testament to how far support, determination, and maybe a little late-night coffee-fueled perseverance can carry you. These narratives aren’t just shaping the game; they’re rewriting the rulebook for what’s possible.
Golf might be played over acres of manicured grass, but it’s the grit, love, and tenacity of these mothers that really keeps the sport moving forward.
P.S.
As the dad of a two-year-old, I’ve had the privilege of watching the incredible grind that moms go through. Seeing my wife juggle me, our little one, and everything else life throws at her has given me the utmost respect for mothers. The moms who manage to balance the demands of motherhood with a professional golf career are on another level entirely. They’re the perfect example of brilliance, perseverance, and hard work, and I’m in absolute awe of what they achieve.
Also, being the product of a mother myself, I feel I have a unique perspective on just how amazing moms are. Happy Mother’s Day to all the incredible moms out there!
