Success was all that Gabriella Then knew as a junior player. She was a member of the winning Junior Solheim Cup team, she won numerous AJGA events, and she was recruited to USC when she was 14 years of age. After a successful career at the University of Southern California, Gabby (as her friends know her), turned professional, playing for 2 seasons on the Epson Tour (formerly the Symetra Tour). But when she recorded a bogey on her 72nd hole, at the LPGA's Stage-1, of Q-School, she missed advancing to the next stage.
Confronted with the emotional turmoil of having seen her dream evaporate, Gabby walked away from the sport in 2019. She even took another job outside of golf -- such was her disappointment and desire to consider a life outside of professional golf. Then came Covid, and she had no choice but to stay away from the sport as golf courses closed, and contemporary life came to a halt.
By 2021, Gabby was reassessing her life, her choices, and of course, golf. It was then that she rediscovered her passion and love for the sport and with it, the resolve to commit to professional golf. She "went all-in", nearly draining all of her savings to fund a year of tournament golf on the minor tours. She lived life knowing that she had put everything on the line -- her emotional and mental efforts, her ambitions, and her money.
In this Episode, Gabby Then chats with us about her darkest days in professional golf and how she eventually found her way back to the sport and how life's lessons prepared her to better deal with adversity. Her 2021 season culminated with her winning the Ladies European Tour's Q-School and an automatic "card" for the 2022 Season.
Success was all that Gabriella Then knew as a junior player. She was a member of the winning Junior Solheim Cup team, she won numerous AJGA events, and she was recruited to USC when she was 14 years of age. After a successful career at the University of Southern California, Gabby (as her friends know her), turned professional, playing for 2 seasons on the Epson Tour (formerly the Symetra Tour). But when she recorded a bogey on her 72nd hole, at the LPGA's Stage-1, of Q-School, she missed advancing to the next stage.
Confronted with the emotional turmoil of having seen her dream evaporate, Gabby walked away from the sport in 2019. She even took another job outside of golf -- such was her disappointment and desire to consider a life outside of professional golf. Then came Covid, and she had no choice but to stay away from the sport as golf courses closed, and contemporary life came to a halt.
By 2021, Gabby was reassessing her life, her choices, and of course, golf. It was then that she rediscovered her passion and love for the sport and with it, the resolve to commit to professional golf. She "went all-in", nearly draining all of her savings to fund a year of tournament golf on the minor tours. She lived life knowing that she had put everything on the line -- her emotional and mental efforts, her ambitions, and her money.
In this Episode, Gabby Then chats with us about her darkest days in professional golf and how she eventually found her way back to the sport and how life's lessons prepared her to better deal with adversity. Her 2021 season culminated with her winning the Ladies European Tour's Q-School and an automatic "card" for the 2022 Season.
Hello and good afternoon. Welcome to our show. We're talking golf. My name is Douglas Maida and I'm your host for the show. Now today's show is going to be a little bit different. Our guest is a professional player who's entering her rookie year on the Ladies European Tour. Gabriela Then is a native of Southern California. And after a glittering Junior Golf career that included being a member of the winning Junior Solheim Cup team, she went on to earn a full scholarship to play with the University of Southern California women's golf team. She joined the National Champion Trojans in 2014, before eventually graduating with a degree in communications. Now I'm sure you'll find Gabby to be an incredibly thoughtful individual. She'll be sharing her experiences with us in terms of becoming a professional player, including very important period in her life where she overcame some emotional and mental adversity to win the 2022 Ladies European Tour to school Gabby will be joining us from her home in Los Angeles via zoom. But before we get to her, we're going to take a short break for a couple of messages. Welcome back. And without much further ado, let's get right to our guest, we'd like to welcome to the show Gabby thin who's joining us from her home in Los Angeles. Welcome to the show, Gabby.
Gabby Then:Thank you for having me.
Douglas Maida:Our pleasure, our pleasure. And we're glad you could take time out of your busy schedule to join us. So, Gabby, let's chat a little bit about your background. Let's introduce you a little bit to our listeners. Let's start with that. How did you get into golf?
Gabby Then:Well, I grew up all around LA County, I've moved around a lot my childhood and I started golf when I was five years old. And just going with my dad on the weekends and from there just progressed to you know, Junior Golf. And eventually, it landed me a scholarship to USC and that is where I went to college.
Douglas Maida:Okay, wonderful. Any sort of memories or experiences that you cherish from junior golf and amateur golf before college?
Gabby Then:Oh, yeah, there are a lot. I was fortunate enough to play AJGA for many years. And so with that junior tour, it took me all across the United States and even to Ireland, where I was a part of the junior Solheim Cup team that they had and we went over there. I think it was 2011 and competed in the junior Solheim cup. And then we went to go watch the actual Solheim cup. So and I think I was 14 years old. So that was an incredible experience before college.
Douglas Maida:Yeah, that that'd be fantastic. Who's your coach for this? Jr Solheim team?
Gabby Then:It was Meg Mallon.
Douglas Maida:Oh really? Oh yeah. Wow. Well, you got first time LPGA experience teacher I mean, coach right there for you and
Gabby Then:Oh yeah, she's the best.
Douglas Maida:Excellent, excellent. And how did the teammate go?
Gabby Then:We won. So there we go. We had a lot of. We had a lot of us supporters actually over there. And it was incredible to see a new type of golf course we were playing somewhere outside of Dublin, if I remember correctly, and it was pouring rain. It was windy, it was just the really bad weather. But we still, you know, came out on top and it was one of the best experiences of my life.
Douglas Maida:Oh, that's fantastic. You really got to cherish those kinds of events, for sure.
Gabby Then:Oh, yeah. I would love to play in the Solheim cup. Real Solheim cup in the future?
Douglas Maida:Well, they're you go.. That's a you got to have your goals and targets to work for me. Gabby, is there any players off the European team that have advanced on and are playing professionally now?
Gabby Then:Yeah, I think there is at least a three, four or five players from that team that are now Pro. I'm pretty sure. Leona and Lisa McGuire. Were on that team as well competing that year because we're all around the same age. Round mid 20s. And yeah, so we were all under 18 at that time.
Douglas Maida:Oh, wonderful. What about on your on your team? Any others?
Gabby Then:On my team? And I'm pretty sure it's about 90% of the team that's professional to this day, like Alison Lee, and Emma Talley, Mo Stackhouse, Lindsey Weaver. So many.
Douglas Maida:Oh, wonderful, great little lineup of players. They're great team.
Gabby Then:If you look at our pictures from there, it's basically a lot of the players on the LPGA and the now Epson tour.
Douglas Maida:Yeah. Oh, wonderful. That's a fantastic experience. So how was it that you came to be recruited in drafted? Well, not drafted, but recruited to University of Southern California?
Gabby Then:Oh, yeah. So through the AJGA, I was scouted by many college coaches. Around the time I was 13-14. And, you know, you have this thing where you you reach out to all the college coaches before a certain period of time in high school. And so I was thinking maybe I should reach out to the universities that are kind of close to my house, because Southern California was all I knew at that point. And all I was comfortable with. So I just reached out and paid a visit to both USC and UCLA, their campuses and the USC coach, you know, took me around and campus and showed me where we would practice and verbally committed when our 14.
Douglas Maida:Well, wow, that was a little bit on the young side. No.
Gabby Then:Yeah, it was, but you have to be quick, you know, you to in order to get the scholarships.
Douglas Maida:That's true. The early bird gets the worm as we say, right. Gabby. So you played the University of Southern California in those years? And that was a pretty strong program. Any memorable experiences? Were you on the team the same time Annie Park was or did you have an overlap year?
Gabby Then:We did. We did have overlap years. She did. We are the same year, but she went in one semester early. And that was the year or the semester that they won the national championship. And I came in the semester right after.
Douglas Maida:Oh, so yeah, you still went to the finals and whatnot. But you weren't? Oh, yeah. You still stay in touch with many of your collegiate friends?
Gabby Then:Yeah, we definitely either see each other in professional tournaments, or keep in touch through social media, and texting and whatnot.
Douglas Maida:Hmm, that's great news. That's, that's nice to hear. Yeah. I'm 2022. So this is going to be your first year on the Ladies European Tour, you have professional status. So congratulations. Yes, thank you. What's your first event going to be? And can you kind of give us an idea of what your initial thoughts are about the season? I mean, we'll get into that a little more, but I'm just thinking more long your first event and what's going through your mind in terms of your process to get this year started?
Gabby Then:Yeah, um, so I I have two statuses this year -- full status on Ladies European Tour that I gained through Q school in Spain. And Epson Tour status that I also got, but it's conditional because I didn't make it to stage three. And so they both have events starting about mid March or so. So I'm gonna see which one I get into. But as of right now, I'm signed up for the Saudi Arabia Aramco tournament on the LET.
Douglas Maida:Okay, and when are you planning on heading over that way?
Gabby Then:It would be probably the second week of March,
Douglas Maida:and the event itself is the third week of March.
Gabby Then:I think it starts the 17th.
Douglas Maida:Oh, okay. So kind of right there. And then,
Gabby Then:Yeah,
Douglas Maida:You're going over early enough to kind of get yourself climatized. And, oh,
Gabby Then:I definitely will need some time to that.
Douglas Maida:The timezone difference is going to be, what, almost 12 hours,
Gabby Then:That too! A major difference.
Douglas Maida:Oh, great, great. Anybody be gonna be going with you any family or?
Gabby Then:For the majority of this year? On the LET, I will have to travel by myself for the moment. But I'm sure as the year goes on, I'll have maybe my mom come with me along or I might travel with another player. I just don't know. I'm new to the tour. So I'm going to learn as I go along.
Douglas Maida:Yes. So there'll be I'll just say, well, it's going to be a learning experience for sure.
Gabby Then:Yes, exactly.
Douglas Maida:Okay. Let's chat a little bit about -- you mentioned to school, stage two and conditional status on the now Epson Tour. Oh, let's chat a little bit about that Q-Series Stage two, what were your did you play stage one and then advanced to stage two, or were you able to go straight into stage two,
Gabby Then:I was exempt into stage two of qualifying through the WAPT tour called the Women's All Pro Tour. It I don't know if you know much about it. But it basically is, you know, in conjunction with the then Symetra tour, I'm going to have to go back between symetra and Epson tour, but in every tournament they have on the WAPT tour, if you get top two that week, you get an exemption to this symmetric tournament the following week or two. And so that gives you an opportunity to play at a bigger stage. So I played the majority of the WAPT season. And if you get top five on the money list, you get to go straight into stage two and I got third on the list.
Douglas Maida:On the WAPT money list?
Gabby Then:Yes. On the web, on your list.
Douglas Maida:Okay. Oh, good for you. Congratulations. And WAPT play mostly Texas, Arizona?
Gabby Then:Yeah. Like Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas. Or else we go? Yeah, I'm pretty sure all around the South right there. Okay.
Douglas Maida:Okay, so the Cactus in Arizona is a little different. And then you get the Florida little swing there as well. It's different as well. Yes. Okay. What was going through your mind so you're in stage two, you're competing to get to stage three. I'm making the assumption that that was your primary goal was to get through to stage three and compete for an LPGA card and or worst case scenario, having Epson tour status. So what was going through your mind as you were playing your last getting to those last couple of rounds and it looked like things were going to be a little bit on the tight side.
Gabby Then:Going into Stage Two I felt really good about my game coming off a great summer with a WAP T. I knew my game was in the right place. And I was fully ready for the Stage Two competition and as I'm in the tournament, my mind you know, started racing I got I definitely got nervous anxious throughout the whole like being in the in the couple of days leading into the event I could feel like the anxiety rising and because I think I was putting so much pressure on myself coming off this summer of like a win and getting top three and and these high expectations that I had for myself at Stage two. And so that but at the same time confident about my game, I don't know I was just like in a, in a really interesting space in my mind. And so I really think it just came down to putting a lot of pressure on myself and overthinking things and not just playing my game plan. But I did, you know, keep fighting till the very end and brought it back with a good round on the last day.
Douglas Maida:Well, how much of that nervousness would you attribute to the fact that you took some time off and decided to come back to Golf was a little bit of mental rust, in addition to some of the physical rust?
Gabby Then:I don't think there was mental rust or physical rust, because, you know, the entire summer I had traveled for 1011 weeks for tournaments. And it was only, I don't know, like, one or two months in between that, and then the start of stage two. So it wasn't really that I was practicing that whole time. And, and, you know, really training hard in all aspects of my game. And I think it just came, it came down to being there in Florida and just just putting too much pressure on on what I needed to achieve, and, and thinking to myself, you know, top 45, top 45 Because that is what moved on. So yeah, I think I was ready, you know, I just didn't perform.
Douglas Maida:Well, okay. Now, when you talk a little bit about putting too much pressure on yourself and whatnot. I mean, we've one of our recent sessions, we had Dr. Jim F. Romo, who's a renowned mental performance coach, he's worked with the St. Louis, part of me, the San Francisco Giants. And some teams like that University of Arizona and a whole bunch of different teams. One of the things he was talking to us about was being able to stay in the moment and how to prepare yourself mentally. Can you share with us kind of what your thought process was it? And at what point did you start to notice that your, your mind was getting ahead of yourself a little bit? And anything like that, or? Yeah,
Gabby Then:yeah, um, I think I noticed that I started getting ahead of myself and overthinking and having a million thoughts in my head, when I was hitting certain shots off or putting my, my ball in a position that was, you know, in my mind, just super, super bad. And just if little things were going wrong, which, you know, I know that I should just accept it and keep moving on and keep going on with my game plan. But at the time, I just it was, so it was amplified in my head, the mistakes that I was making. So that led me to overthinking and scrambling somehow to save what I was doing wrong, which in turn, made me do even worse.
Douglas Maida:So yeah. So if I'm understanding you, what you're saying a little bit here is that mentally, you're thinking you were in a worse position than you really were, then you're trying to make it all up in the next shot without. And then it just kind of snowballs from there kind of thinking. Okay, exactly. Okay. Well, it's interesting. And, you know, and I'm, I hope I didn't put you on the spot, Gabby, because I think, you know, one of the things is we do have a lot of junior golfers listening in and their parents too. So I think it'd be a wonderful opportunity for them to actually hear what goes through a professional players mind and in a high stress situation like that. And, and if they can start to equate it a little bit to their games, even if they're at the junior level or whatnot. It's something that they can learn a little bit from and whatnot. And I think that's invaluable.
Gabby Then:Yeah. And I think that, you know, coming off of that, I think it was a really valuable lesson. I mean, you're always learning I've been playing professional golf for five years now. And I know this, you know, this mental stuff, but you know, still you have to keep telling yourself that. So coming off of that, it's a valuable lesson I learned at Stage Two because it came up again in Ladies European Tour qualifying in Spain, where I was playing the pre qualifying, which is the first event they're at, at the tournament, and I had a decent start to the first round and I think somewhere on the second or third round eight, I just had a really, really rough round a couple over par. And I didn't have the same reaction to shots going, like wrong or my position being wrong. I just took a step back, I analyze what I did wrong, and I came out the next day, even more confident, because I already let go of the day before. And I knew that I could just come right back, if I just keep moving forward and not overthink about what I did wrong the day before or the shot before. So it came in handy. Just a month or so later.
Douglas Maida:Yeah, well, that's good. That's good. Um, when you talk about getting, I know, I'm kind of getting off string a little bit here. But I find this fascinating. And I appreciate you participating in this little chat about mental preparation and the mental aspects of golf, Gabby. Part of your pre shot routine -- What kind of goes through your mind? And and how do you? Could you describe your pre shot routine for us and, and maybe what you're thinking about and focusing on?
Gabby Then:Yeah, so I mean, let's just start right at the tee box. If I if I'm hitting the driver here. And how I want to be placed in the fairway, I basically just rehearse my swing and how I in how I picture the ball, like I just picked like a target out there and picture the start and picture, the end, the end results. And that is the only thing going through my mind the entire way, rehearsing that, where I want to start where I want to end up where I want to start where I want to end up. And that is on thinking about until I hit the ball.
Douglas Maida:Okay, okay. Interesting. Thanks for that. I appreciate that. So after Stage Two Q-School, Q-Series, I should say, what, you know, you'd come off, you finished your last round. At what point did you learn that you didn't make the top 45 to advance, and what was your reaction to that?
Gabby Then:Well, coming into the final round, I knew that I had to shoot a crazy low number like seven, eight, under in order to even try to get there. So in my mind, I just said, we just have to go all out today and do the very best I can. And you know, I did put together a good round, I'm, I think I shot three under par. And so I think I already knew that I didn't make it, you know, just by knowing what I had to start with. And I felt really defeated. I felt like, well, now what am I going to do? You know, like, I guess I gonna, I'm going to have to start over and play the Epson tour again, or something like that. I I didn't know. I didn't know what my next step was. So I felt really defeated.
Douglas Maida:Did that feeling stay with you for a while?
Gabby Then:I kind of had to brush it off rather quickly because I had a tournament the very next day, I think the very next day or two days after that. In St. Augustine, Florida, it was an event that was ran by the WAPT. And I had it straight there, I think the night of the final round, and I had to go straight into the next competition mode. So I let go of it really quickly. That's what you have to do in golf, you have to let go of it really quick.
Douglas Maida:Nothing is more important than being in the present, isn't it?
Gabby Then:Exactly.
Douglas Maida:You gotta be at this point in time or when you went into Stage Two, did you have any thoughts or inklings about the Ladies European Tour being an option for you? Or was everything just focused on trying to be the top 45 and LPGA Q-Series?
Gabby Then:My whole focus was LPGA Q-School and making it to stage three and beyond. i That's all I was thinking about. That's all I knew about. That's all I wanted to do. And so that the conversations about LET Q-School happened, you know, right after that finished, right after LPGA finished and signed up shortly after.
Douglas Maida:When you say the LPGA finished, do you mean Stage Two? Or did you mean stage two? Yes. So after your WAPT event, you started focusing on the LET Q-Series as being a, an option for you. Yes, that's right. Okay. And how many days later did you actually pull the trigger and say, No, I'm going to do this. I think that's a good option.
Gabby Then:I'm pretty sure I signed up. Like right in the middle of the tournament, I think I was at the WAPT event in Florida and halfway through the event, because I think it was a two week stretch. I signed up Um, me and my friend that I was traveling with, we both decided to do like, let's do this. Let's go to Spain, and let's try qualifying for LET Q-School.
Douglas Maida:Huh. Excellent. Excellent. Was that kind of . .. Kind of meant -- Did it kind of mean that by the time you arrived in Spain that you're kind of playing with the house money kind of thing? Like, what am I got to lose?
Gabby Then:Yeah.
Douglas Maida:And you just relaxed, go into it and play?
Gabby Then:Yeah, I was, I was definitely thinking, you know, like, this is my, this is another chance to, you know, have a place to play next year, an opportunity to get, you know, a world ranking points, that that's the whole goal, right at the end of the world, gaining that nobody's tournament. So it was just another avenue that I've never explored in the past. And so, yeah, I think we just went in all out.
Douglas Maida:Wonderful story, wonderful experience. I'm sure I was happy for you. Well, we were following it too. And, you know, your name has been familiar to us here at the world of golf. Because, you know, we've been in this a long time and seeing you on the collegiate boards, you know, with Annie and some of the others. And so we always scour the Q Series and the Q School Stages and see who's coming through and whatnot. So that was wonderful. And it was great to see you advance in Spain there. But let me ask you this. When you went to Spain, you had mentioned that you had to try, you had to do a qualifying round first, was it kind of like a Monday qualifier a round, a one single round event? And only a certain number of players make it through? Or did you play a couple of rounds. Wow. Wow,
Gabby Then:For the LET Q-School, it was a two part series for me because I have no status to begin with. There's a I was burned for a while. pre qualifying. It's held at the same golf course. And it was four rounds. And something like, I'm sorry, I can't remember. But top 60 or something like that made it to the final qualifying event. So I arrived in Spain, a couple days early. To play the practice round. I played the four rounds in the pre qualifying. And then there was a two day break. And then the final qualifying tournament began, which was five days long.
Douglas Maida:Your mind must have been mush. By the time it was over.
Gabby Then:A long time, I basically spent almost all of December in Spain. I left LAX on December 1, and I arrived back home on December 22.
Douglas Maida:Well, I was gonna say, you know, as long as that was, I mean, there are a heck of a lot worse places to be in December than Spain.
Gabby Then:That's so true. I know. It's beautiful there.
Douglas Maida:Yeah. Yeah, I can only imagine being in December, and it's somewhere, you know, a little bit different than Southern California or Florida. So looking back onQ-School, Stage Two for the Ladies European Tour. Did you going into it; Did you set yourself the goal of trying to be the top player? Or was that something that kind of evolved in by the last day you said "I'm going for this, I'm going to go for it."
Gabby Then:I definitely knew what was at stake at final stage of qualifying, you know, it was it was a top 20 Get into the what they call category 11 on Ladies European Tour, and I was trying my best to understand the LET kind of status and everything in the in the time that I was there just like packing all this information. And so I set myself a goal from the very beginning before pre qualifying even start was top 20 to get that category 11 status, and that was where I started. And as the as the final qualifying tournament began. I mean it did kind of evolve, but I kind of felt like I was always chasing you know, there was a someone always on top and I was just always a couple strokes behind like every round a couple strokes behind a couple strokes behind so I don't think it really popped into my mind until it was all said and done because I just kept on pushing and kept on pushing. And then had a great last round. So
Douglas Maida:Right. Well, it makes sense. It makes sense. Meghan MacLaren was leading more to that event, and yeah, you pipped her to the finish line on the last day.
Gabby Then:That's right. Yeah, she's, playing well, the whole tournament. And so yeah, that's what I mean, you know, I was always a couple strokes behind so
Douglas Maida:Well, congratulations. Great for you. Afterwards, did you have that moment of relief? Goal accomplished?
Gabby Then:Yeah, I had such a, such a sigh of relief just in such like a, a joy that, that all this time that I spent away from home overseas, you know, in Spain, like it was all, it all came to life at the very end with this wonderful finish. And I had this new opportunity in 2022 that I couldn't even fathom at that time. Everyone was saying, what are you going to do, Gabby? Are you gonna go to Europe and just stay there, you're gonna come back home, like, what are you gonna do? And I said, I can't even think about that right now. I just, I want to enjoy this this way. And in this moment.
Douglas Maida:Well, that makes sense, you know, and savor it. You know, I mean, I think there's enough disappointment in golf, that it's important to savor the good moments and the victories and that's definitely a good victory to celebrate, and, and remember, and whatnot, and gives you some fuel and energy and enthusiasm for going forward.
Gabby Then:Exactly.
Douglas Maida:Oh, congratulations. When we come back, Gabby, we're gonna take a little break for a message from our sponsors. And then when we come back, I'd like to get into the actual nuts and bolts of what your 2022 Ladies European Tour season is going to look like. Just chat a little bit about maybe plan, schedule, logistics, the challenges of playing in Europe, I mean, for yourself being a Southern California girl or gal, I'm sorry, Southern California, a lady from Southern California. And playing in a whole new part of the world. So we'll get to that when we come back. We're back. Thank you for staying with us. We're with our guest, Gabby Then who is a Ladies European Tour professional player. And we're just going to get started into the 2022 season with Gabby. So Gabby, this is going to be your first season on the Ladies European Tour. Obviously, you're excited and it's going to be a brand new experience for you, do you or have you given thought I mean, you did mention that you're going to start your first event being the Aramco Saudi event? Have you got your season schedule planned out yet? Or what parts of it have you got planned out?
Gabby Then:Um, so so far, I've I usually just plan my events a couple at a time, maybe a month or Two max in advance. And so far, I've signed up for the Saudi Arabia event and Johannesburg and Cape Town, which is a three week series, and then I would head home after that.
Douglas Maida:Head home being back to Los Angeles.
Gabby Then:Yes. Los Angeles.
Douglas Maida:Okay. When you're in Europe, do you have a plan to like when you're getting into things that are going more regularly, like come May, June, July, when the events are starting to come quickly and regularly? Do you have any sort of ideas about establishing a travel base from from Europe rather than coming back to the United States?
Gabby Then:Um, as of right now, I I plan on going home, you know, every, every chance there's a break. I don't have any European base at the moment but you know, things have changed in the future. You never know.
Douglas Maida:Right. Okay. How are you handling the logistics? I mean, it's a little bit different traveling back and forth to Europe than it is see from Los Angeles to Florida or to, you know, Boston, New Jersey and places like that. So how are you going to handle the logistics? And what kind of plans do you have for that?
Gabby Then:Oh, as of right now I'm handling all the logistics on my own and just planning it out as, as the best to my ability. And with the guidance from the Ladies European Tour as they helped me along, they were really helpful also in Spain, as I was going through that experience for the first time. So I know you know that I can trust them to help me along the way. So as of logistics, I'm going to be just planning it on my own and in and then coming back to the US whenever there's a break.
Douglas Maida:Okay, so you're handling all your visa applications and all your booking your own flights, and all of that.
Gabby Then:All of that by myself.
Douglas Maida:I take it a lot of the LPGA professionals have agents and player assistance support people to help them with that, don't they?
Gabby Then:I do think that a lot of LPGA players have out help in the logistics, you know, area, but sometimes you just like, you know, finding the best deals on your own are like finding what fits best in your schedule. Sometimes it's good that you can handle it on your own.
Douglas Maida:Oh, you know, it sounds like an opportunity for somebody like Expedia to get involved in sponsoring you then
Gabby Then:That would be fun.
Douglas Maida:What are you gonna do go to caddy? Any thoughts about caddy situation and whatnot, seeing that you're going over to playing a whole bunch of brand new courses and things of that nature?
Gabby Then:Yeah, I would love to have a tour caddy eventually. As of right now, I don't have any any plans of having one or, or I haven't talked to anyone, but I'm sure as the season goes along, I might meet new new people and, you know, make different connections. So maybe it'll happen later on. And I'm still new to the tour. So I haven't got a chance to you know, meet everybody yet.
Douglas Maida:Right? Of course, that's quite natural. Are you excited about the opportunity to play events like the Scottish open the ISPS Handa event in Dublin, or in Northern Ireland or the Evian Championship?
Gabby Then:Yeah, you know, those events I've grown up watching every year on the Golf Channel, and to be able to have that chance this year to enter one of those tournaments is so exciting. So I'm looking forward to playing in Europe.
Douglas Maida:Did you, as an aside, have any golfers that used to watch on TV or whatnot are following your younger that served as inspiration for you?
Gabby Then:Number one, first and foremost would be Annika Sorenstam. She was everything on the LPGA when I was growing up as well as Lorena Ochoa. And so those two would be definitely my role models and in growing up. So I would say those two,
Douglas Maida:Right. Make sense. So what are your preparations basically going to be like for the preparation for the season kickoff for you like?
Gabby Then:Okay, well, I don't know if you knew this, but I just recovered from COVID. So I'm still, you know, getting back into it. But usually a normal day of practice, would I usually like to start out training in the morning, like in the gym. So I like to get that done first thing in the morning. And then head straight to the golf course. And, you know, work on whatever I was planning to that day, like more amount of pitching or chipping or putting drills or whatnot, and then put into practice on the golf course later, maybe nine maybe 18 play a game with some some people at the course to get that competitive edge. And then that's about it. That's wraps my day. That is basically what happens in a normal golf training day.
Douglas Maida:Right. Do you have much of a team that you're able to work with? Like golf swing coach, golf coach, mental coaches, trainers, people like that?
Gabby Then:I do have my Swing Coach, but he's in Scottsdale, so I don't see him that often. But I just communicate through text FaceTime and sending swing videos. I see him as much as I possibly can. Other than that, I think it's just me and me using what my past knowledge to to try to like keep myself swing intact and user by feel comes from working okay so far?
Douglas Maida:And what about things like fitness, programming and trainers and things of that nature? Are you? Do you just see a trainer every so often? Or do you have a trainer that you work with on a regular basis?
Gabby Then:Yeah, so, I mean, I work out a lot by myself like using Orange Theory fitness and, and home workout videos and whatnot. But I do use like, like PTs and trainers a couple times a week. And for mental coach, I don't really have one, but I like, you know, listening. Or I used to read some like golf mental books, and I see inspirational stuff on YouTube and whatnot. But other than that, I just work on that, personally. And how I can and learn from, from players and like player interviews, watching the PGA the LPGA. Kinda like what goes on in their mind learning from the greatest players? I think that's also a big part of the mental.
Douglas Maida:Yes, of course, of course. What about nutrition?
Gabby Then:Oh, nutrition, I am really into that actually. Like, on my own. I've always been like, interested on what is the best way to fuel your body and on the golf course and off the golf course. So on that I definitely do that all on my own, you know, watching YouTube videos, and actually, one of my best friends is a dietitian. So I've gotten a lot of notes from her, and just really, really learned the best way to recover and feel your body while on the golf course. So, you know, yeah.
Douglas Maida:Okay, wonderful. So you've got this year coming up. The Ladies European Tour starts --well, it's already started. But I mean, it really starts to hit its stride in May, June, July, August. And their season carries on through to I believe, late October, November.
Gabby Then:Yes.
Douglas Maida:That's a lot of golf. And it's going to be a lot of travel and logistics and whatnot. I mean, do you have an idea of what it might cost a professional player to play a full year of golf like that?
Gabby Then:Yeah. So that was one of the big things that I was worried about going into the season, like, seeing where this schedule is taking me basically a new country every week. And so, you know, it costs anywhere from, like, 50-60, $70,000 to compete all season long. And that's the expenses that we're going to have to incur no matter what.
Douglas Maida:Yeah, that's a lot. And sponsorship? Or how are you deferring your costs? I mean, obviously, being a rookie on the Ladies European Tour, you're not going to have a whole lot of financial resources and a whole lot of sponsorship. What's going on for you on that front?
Gabby Then:As well, for sponsorships, um, for clubs, Callaway and I do have like a deal where they provide me with equipment. And Titleist, FootJoy do provide me with golf balls and shoes as well. And apparel Cutter and Buck has been providing me with that. So that is all set there. And then for this other sponsorships from back home, I do have Dave's Hot Chicken, which is a like hot chicken, fast casual brand that was based in, started in Hollywood. And so they're one of my supporters. Another one is a company near my house as well called Konnect Resources, a staffing company, and also I'm working with a new sunglasses company called Goodr. I don't know if you've heard of them, but they have like a golf section that's growing recently. So I'm gonna help. They're the PR for them as well. So that's another company that's helping me out.
Douglas Maida:Sounds like you got a good base to start with at least. Hopefully it can grow from there then.
Gabby Then:Yeah,
Douglas Maida:Gabby, how are you managing all your other expenses? I mean, that's a lot. I mean, obviously, starting out like this, it's not you know, there's not the big huge lucrative contracts like, you know, like the Tiger Woods Nike deal, obviously those are
Gabby Then:Yeah.
Douglas Maida:So how does a professional player like you? I mean, how are you going to, or what do you do or what are some of the strategies to cope with those kinds of costs?
Gabby Then:So going into this year, I knew that you know, I was going to have to raise a bit of money through sponsorships through various means. And I've been fortunate enough to have these people in these companies helped me out and also friends and family also helping me out. But also So I have created a GoFundMe campaign that I've posted online on social media to, you know, really put out my story. And, you know, tell people that it takes a lot for me to be able to go and compete this season. And so that is also another way that I've used to raise money for expenses.
Douglas Maida:Can I ask how that's been going?
Gabby Then:Yeah, it's been going great. The response has been really great. I'm about a third of the, my way to the goal, I've put my goal to be about $40,000. And that will really, really help me start off the season with, you know, a peace of mind that I just got everything covered, got all the bases covered, and are just going out there to compete. And just thinking about golf. And that's it.
Douglas Maida:Right. I saw a social media post from one of your friends. She did this nice little intro story about an introductory story about her friend Gabby, who's going to play professionally in Europe, and we're setting up this GoFundMe page. Did you want to share a little bit about that? Or?
Gabby Then:Oh, yeah, you must be talking about Hannah? Hannah Gregg? Hannah Greg,
Douglas Maida:Yes, yes, that's the Yeah.
Gabby Then:So I had written up my story. And I was just trying to, you know, put it out there on social media as best I can. And the very first day I put out there, she, you know, saw, I think my Instagram story, and she put out a tweet that I had won LET Q-School. And that didn't automatically mean that I was set for funding for the next year, just because I had won that, like the correlation, people think seems to exist, because maybe it does for the men side. And these deals pop up for them. But it's not the same on the women's side. And so just because you win a tournament, like that does not automatically mean that you get funding. And so as I am preparing and estimating for the 2022 season, I'm seeing the estimated budget just skyrocket because of it being in Europe, of course, and not just Europe, you are in Saudi Arabia, you go to South Africa, you're going to Australia, and then coming back home and then coming back out. And it's, you know, something that I've never done before. And so it's going to be double, triple, maybe even quadruple what I would have done on Epson Tour, you know, and so that's why I had to use another method in order to raise awareness of my story. And so this GoFundMe campaign has been, has been wonderful. And a lot of great people have reached out to me and has helped me with my, my campaign.
Douglas Maida:Well, yeah, that's good news. You mentioned about the travel. And it just dawned on me, when you compare it to the Epson Tour. Like I mean, one trip for you, say, from Los Angeles, to Saudi Arabia, to South Africa and back again -- that one trip is probably more miles traveled than you will do on the entire year at the Epson Tour, because everything is nice and compact.
Gabby Then:That's right, it is one us it's one giant trip right there. Just from LA to Saudi Arabia to South Africa back.
Douglas Maida:Yeah. Well, there's also the wonderful opportunities that do go with it that that do make it a life experience and something to cherish and remember for the rest of your life, regardless.
Gabby Then:Exactly! looking forward to it.
Douglas Maida:So how can people assist if they listeners or anybody reading the story that we're going to be following up with as well? If they want to assist and say, I want to help Gabby, I mean, is there set denominations that people can have to donate? Or can they basically choose whatever you know, they can afford? Or how would something like that go, Gabby?
Gabby Then:Well, as of right now, I have posted my GoFundMe campaign in my Instagram bio. That's where I've left it. And so I've referred all my, you know, friends and family and followers and whatnot that that is where I've put it up and it's just, you know, you look at my username at Gabby Then with three "n"s, and it'll be right there and there is no set denomination. No donation is too small, even if you just would like to share the link on maybe an Instagram story or tweet or whatnot. I really would appreciate that. Even just sharing the story that I've posted on there will really help a lot. So there is no set thing it's just anything helps.
Douglas Maida:So we can get the link off your Instagram Bio, and we'll share that with our readers as well. Gabby, a couple of minutes still -- I'd like to maybe chat with you about your cue school experience, if you don't mind. We've kind of talked around it a little bit, but we've never really discussed it. And that is you had been playing up until was it? 2019? Yes. And I presume you were playing mostly on some of the minor tours?
Gabby Then:From 2017 to 2019. I was I was fully on Symetra Tour.
Douglas Maida:Okay. Okay. My apologies. I didn't Well, that's good. And then, so what happened after 2019 that you wound up taking a couple of years off?
Gabby Then:Yeah, well, the reason I stopped playing I, I had in 2019, I went to LPGA Q-School Stage One. And I missed moving on to Stage Two by one stroke, I bogey the last hole, and I, it just absolutely crushed me I, I said to myself, you know, like, where do I go from here? I, I have been planning my entire year around Q-School. And now I didn't make it stage one. And so at that point, I had already been contemplating, should I continue playing professional golf. And then I missed moving on to Stage Two by one stroke. So it was just an added thing. And then a couple months later, COVID happened. And so the lockdown gave me an opportunity to step back in a mandatory way, I guess. And just like all the golf courses closed, just like nothing, no golf. And it took me a while to get to the point where I said, You know what, I think I'm good enough. I think I'm going to try one more time. And so, in 2021, in the beginning, I started playing on mini tours, again, like cactus tour, and then I get on got into the Woman's All Pro Tour. And then I just kept playing with there, I just thought I want to go in all in this year, and see where it takes me.
Douglas Maida:And when you say"All In" What do you mean by that?
Gabby Then:Like at that point, you know, I didn't have that many sponsors. And I basically took my savings account and just used almost all of it to just play professional golf and put myself in these opportunities to raise my ranking in any shape or form because I was basically starting over.
Douglas Maida:So, when you say"All In", it's literally like playing Texas Hold'em poker, you've got your cards, you're going all in to see what comes down the river.
Gabby Then:That's exactly what happened. Okay.
Douglas Maida:So obviously, you succeeded somewhat, as a result of having done that. Do you feel a sense of satisfaction and a little bit of pride for having made a gutsy call like that, and seeing that your hard work and determination pay off?
Gabby Then:Yeah, I think it really, really gave me like the a justified my decision. And it allowed me to, you know, really instill in my mind that, you know, I can do this, I'm a competitor, I should be out there, I should be raising my world ranking, you know, every chance I get. And so that was just like a stepping stone that I needed to go through in order to, you know, keep fully progressing through Q School and through now LET.
Douglas Maida:It's heartwarming, but it's also inspiring, had that strong self belief, and you made it happen.
Gabby Then:Yeah, well, I, I think I didn't have that self belief, you know, going into 2019. And so I think it took that entire time, from the end of 2019, to the beginning 2021 to really build up that self belief, because that's so much of professional golf, is you truly believe in that you have the skill to go out there and compete and, and that you are like, a strong competitor. And so I didn't fully believe in myself. And I was doubting myself and I didn't understand or know even why I was playing golf anymore. And so that's why I basically stopped for a while, and then fell back in love with the game and why play golf?
Douglas Maida:Was there a sort of any one moment where you had that rekindling of your love and passion for the game?
Gabby Then:I don't think it was any singular moment. I just think it was you know, me being honest to myself and under like saying, Do I really want to keep playing golf or do you want to pursue another career? Do you want to go in a different direction altogether? And the thought of me not going to practice every day or not having the opportunity to play golf tournaments. It scared me like no, like, I'd like there's something inside that said, this is just not the move to quit golf.
Douglas Maida:Yeah, oh good, very inspiring story and experience and thank you for sharing that with us. And let me use that as a bit of a segue. Looking back on your experiences and whatnot. What advice would you give to other aspiring players Gabby? You know whether they be junior players or collegiate players, you know, aspiring to become professionals or?
Gabby Then:Yeah, definitely, I think to any the junior players or collegiate players that want to go pro, I think before you make that decision, just take a moment to really understand what it's like to dedicate your entire life to the sport like everything is, is fully towards your improvement in this game and the mental focus that it takes the mental energy that it takes, and, you know, really understand why you want to dedicate your life to this sport, because if you really don't love it, there's not going to be major, you know, progress progress in the way because you're just doing it just to do it not because you truly are passionate about the game. So that would be my advice.
Douglas Maida:Very sage advice, very sage advice from someone who's been there. I mean, that's, that's worth its weight in gold, Gabby. We're coming towards the end of our show. Now, Gabby, let me ask you what's next for you.
Gabby Then:As of right now, I am just training everyday, I'm trying to get my strength back to normal after this COVID thing. It took it took a lot out of me, I was out for about 10 days. And so I'm carving for that. And there are actually a couple of cactus tour events that are held at the same golf course that one of the Epson Tour tournaments are at. So that is also something on my look into playing as well.
Douglas Maida:Those don't happen at the same time, though do they?
Gabby Then:No, it's way before led and that's indoor tournaments.
Douglas Maida:Alright. And one other thing again, just so I understand correctly, if people wanted to help you or assist you, if they were, say, a corporate sponsor that was listening in and wanted to say-- Hey, that's a good story, I'd like to, I'd like to reach out or I think we can reach out and assist Gabby. Just email you or something like that or contact you send you a message through Instagram, something like that.
Gabby Then:Yeah, that'd be perfect email or Instagram. You can reach me either way.
Douglas Maida:And you do have your email, contact information on Instagram, do you not?
Gabby Then:Yes, it is on that email.
Douglas Maida:For others, if they're just looking to make a contribution one way or another, they can get the link on your bio for your GoFundMe page.
Gabby Then:That's correct.
Douglas Maida:Excellent. Excellent. Well, Gabby, it's been an absolute pleasure chatting with you and getting to know you like this. And hopefully, we can get you back on the show a few more times and whatnot.
Gabby Then:I would love to!
Douglas Maida:Yeah, it's been fantastic. just phenomenal. So big. Thank you, Gabby, and we're gonna wish you all the absolute best for a successful 2022.
Gabby Then:Thank you. Thank you very much.
Douglas Maida:Thanks, Gabby. And that ladies and gentlemen, concludes our show for today. So thank you very much for listening in. And remember, if you're out there playing golf, try your best to keep that golf ball on the short grass.
Amy (Studio):You have been listening to our podcast show. We're talking golf produced by the world of golf. This episode was recorded on Tuesday, February 15 2022. If you have an idea for a future show, please send us an email to info@worldofgolf.org. Please include podcast show in the subject line. This show is the copyright of the World of Golf. Thank you for joining us.