Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Tubert matures during time on tour.
ROGERS — Emily Tubert is still getting used to her new life on the LPGA Tour, including all of the mundane activities pros deal with on a daily basis.
“People don’t realize we’re in charge of our own airfare, rental cars, where we’re staying, just the day-to-day logistics of how we’re getting to our next place,” Tubert said. “There’s definitely a learning curve.”
But even with the new challenges the Tour brings, it’s been worth it to live out a lifelong goal, she said.
“It’s been super cool,” Tubert said. “This is every little kid’s dream, every college kid’s dream, heck, every 50-year-old man’s dream. It’s easy to get caught up in the struggles and what’s going on, but it’s important to take a step back sometimes and realize this is super cool.”
The California native played on the amateur Symetra Tour for two years after she graduated from the University of Arkansas. She appreciated her time as an amateur because she could work on some weaker areas of her game before she reached the Tour, she said.
“It’s a safer place to struggle, that’s for sure,” Tubert said. “For me, it was a blessing to not get status right away because there was some stuff I needed to work through and figure out. Every time you make a jump from one level to the next, there’s things to learn.”
She has already had to learn how to handle difficult situations in order for her to succeed at the next level, like knowing when something’s not working. In Tubert’s case, what wasn’t working was her coach.
“Their schedules weren’t rolling together, and she needed someone who was going to see her do her thing,” Tubert’s caddie, Michelle Simpson, said. “She needed someone who would come out, and that’s a decision you have to make as a professional.”
Two nights before the tournament began, Tubert made the call to let him go.
“It was just time for a change,” Tubert said. “I appreciate everything he’s done for me, but I didn’t think it was working out anymore.”
Simpson, an 11-year veteran in the golf world, applauded the young player on her choice.
“She’s trying to make the right decisions, and it’ll turn out for the best,” Simpson said.
Even with the setback of not having a coach, Tubert said she thinks her experience playing at Pinnacle Country Club will give her confidence going forward at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
“As a rookie, one of the biggest things is that every week you’re at a new course, at a new place and trying to figure things out,” she said. “To come back to Arkansas and play on a course I’ve played 20-30 times makes me feel like a seasoned veteran.”