STACY LEWIS
THE WOODLANDS NATIVE DOESN’T LET CONDITION AFFECT HER IN HER QUEST TO BE NO. 1
Catching up with the LPGA pro and native of The Woodlands.
It was supposed to be a quick trip to Florida to get a little warm-weather practice in before heading to the Bahamas for the first LPGA event of the 2018 season. It wasn’t close. Between a burst pipe at her house in Humble, Icemageddon here in Houston and all the delays that come with an Alberta Clipper and frigid temperatures, Stacy Lewis finally made it to Florida. Where — oh yes — it’s cold and windy.
“It’s always something, isn’t it?” Lewis chuckled.
Indeed. But the former No. 1 player in the world, 2016 Olympian, two-time Player of the Year and two-time Vare Trophy winner has had to overcome so much more in her career that this? It’s a minor inconvenience.
When you look at Lewis’ career, which also includes 12 victories, including two majors, what you don’t see is the road she took to get there.
At 11, the graduate of The Woodlands High School was diagnosed with scoliosis and spent seven years wearing a brace 18 hours a day. She only took it off to play golf. And when that didn’t work, she opted for surgery, which mean placing a metal rod and five screws in her back.
A few years after the surgery, she won the NCAA individual title as a junior at Arkansas and never looked back.
Earlier this week, Lewis was honored with the Golf Writers Association of America’s Ben Hogan Award, which is given to an individual who has overcome a physical handicap or serious illness. And, she’s the subject of a new ESPN 30-for-30 project that’s being pulled together this spring.
“They were asking my parents for old footage of me and my mom said, ‘She wasn’t that good,’ ” Lewis said, laughing. “I said, ‘Thanks, Mom, I appreciate that.’
“I did shoot 90 in my first high school tournament. I wasn’t a prodigy. I just slowly got better.’’
Even before the surgery, she had earned a scholarship to Arkansas, where she redshirted her freshman year. And, while she was a bit limited in college, the only issue she had was years ago, when two vertebrae below the screws popped out. They were put back in and — yes, she said, knock on wood — everything has been good since.
“I always felt like what I went through was for a reason, that there was always a purpose,’’ she said. “While I wouldn’t wish what I went through on any other kid, I wouldn’t change what happened to me.’’
Once her back muscles re-learned how to hold up her back, nothing stopped her. In fact, her trainer, David Donatucci, told her he hasn’t had to work around her back at all.
“He told me, ‘I’ve never written you a workout or done an exercise for you because of your back or said we’re not going to do something because of your back,’ ’’ Lewis said.
“After about three years after surgery, I could probably do as much as everybody else and now I probably do more than anybody else.’’
Climbing back up
As a teenager, Lewis never saw herself playing golf for a living, yet here she is, one of America’s top players and a former No. 1 working her way back up the rankings. She ended the season at 16th in the world after snapping a 39-month win drought with an emotional win at the Cambia Portland Classic.
Her husband, University of Houston women’s golf coach Gerrod Chadwell, surprised her by flying in for the final round and celebrating the win that came just a week after Hurricane Harvey had devastated the Houston area. Lewis gave her $195,000 winner’s check to hurricane relief, her sponsor KMPG matched that and Marathon Petroleum donated $1 million.
Lewis had won 11 times from April 2011 to June 2014 before settling into a frustrating period where she finished second a dozen times, but she just kept moving forward. She put in the work and, as anyone can tell you, she goes into every event she plays with one thing on her mind — winning.
The win was important for her — and the upcoming season — but so was the entire fall.
“I played some of my best golf the last six or seven tournaments,’’ she said. “Lots of top 10s, top 20s and I played really solid. Honestly wish we hadn’t had a break but going into this year, I felt toward the end of the year I was working in the right direction.
“Honestly doesn’t feel like a start to a new year. It just feels like a little bit of a break and I’m starting up again.’’
Lewis plans to work with coach Joe Hallett and Donatucci over the weekend, then will play in the seasonopening Pure Silk Bahamas Classic. After that, she’ll play events in both Thailand and Singapore before playing the LPGA’s three-tournament swing on the west coast in March, culminating with the season’s first major — the ANA Inspiration. She plans to keep her schedule to about 25 events.
She’s busier than ever and spends time with the Lady Cougars team whenever possible. She and Chadwell have them over to dinner and for Christmas parties and they’re feeling much more comfortable with Lewis at tournaments, too.
“At first it was tough to get them to talk to me,’’ she said. “I want to be around them more off the golf course so they can feel more comfortable. Then when you are on the golf course, they’re more willing to ask questions.’’
Lewis’ story? It’s an amazing one, as is her attitude.
The back brace and surgery, she has said, were blessings in disguise.
“I learned that if I put in the effort and the time, I could reach my goals and even surpass them,’’ she said a few years ago. “You never know how high you’ll be able to go if you don’t let the condition define your limits.’’