FORE Magazine

Top Menu

  • About Me
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Home

Main Menu

  • Current Issue
  • Profiles
  • Sustainability
  • Travel
  • 19th Hole
  • Classic Course
  • FORE Her
  • More
    • Know the Rules
    • Handicap Hints
    • SCGA Junior
    • Where Are They Now?
    • News
    • Public Affairs
  • scga.org
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login

logo

FORE Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Profiles
  • Sustainability
  • Travel
  • 19th Hole
  • Classic Course
  • FORE Her
  • More
    • Know the Rules
    • Handicap Hints
    • SCGA Junior
    • Where Are They Now?
    • News
    • Public Affairs
  • scga.org
ProfilesSummer 2016
Home›Profiles›California Girl: A Q&A with the LPGA’s Ryann O’Toole

California Girl: A Q&A with the LPGA’s Ryann O’Toole

By Tom Mackin
July 1, 2016
7850
0
Share:
ryann o'toole

You can take the girl out of Southern California — and send her around the world as a professional golfer — but you can’t take the Southern California out of Ryann O’Toole. A three-time MVP of the San Clemente High School golf team, O’Toole played four years at UCLA before turning professional in 2009. The 29-year-old appeared on Golf Channel’s “Big Break” in 2010, went 2-0-2 on the USA team in the 2011 Solheim Cup and has four professional wins — three on the Symetra Tour and one on the Australia Ladies Professional Golf Tour. She talks about the state of her game, the value of attending college and her favorite thing to do when she comes home to San Clemente.

Ryann O'Toole FORE: You had four top 20s in your first 10 events this year. How is your game progressing?

In 2014 I struggled to make cuts. Then last year, all of a sudden, cuts were easy to come by. So then it was rather than me going out to win — and of course as a player you want to win — my coach, Jorge Parada, and sports psychologist, Bhrett McCabe, had me focus on getting in the top 30, then the top 20 and then the top 10. Now that I have had some top 10s (two so far in 2016), can I get in the top 3? That’s been more my thinking. It’s about building blocks so that I don’t get discouraged or frustrated.

How hard is it to win on the LPGA Tour?

It’s one person out of the 144 that tee it up each week. It’s not easy. It’s really about staying patient and not getting ahead of yourself. Once you’re in that position (of contending) often, you grow that mindset. You get more comfortable being in that situation. Any athlete is going to feel excited, nervous and be a little more amped. It’s natural. You work so hard to get there, but can you make it comfortable for yourself so that it becomes normal?

You played other sports before taking up golf at 12 years old at the San Clemente Municipal course. That’s relatively late these days. How did that affect your progress?

I see a lot of girls who were stars when we played junior golf together but who burned out before and through college. Girls who were dominating but then realized it wasn’t for them. I love it. Let’s be honest, it’s not an easy career. You are traveling 30-plus weeks a year, living out of a suitcase. It’s a different life. You make the most of it but you have to love the game. You’re going to have bad weeks, months, even years. It weeds out those who truly love it and those who don’t. Whether I started at 12 or earlier I don’t think it would have mattered. I think I would have loved it all the same. I think starting later and playing other sports gave me an advantage.

Why did you choose to attend UCLA?

I was looking at Texas, Arizona State, Cal-Berkeley and UCLA. It was really tough. There were things I liked about each school. I kind of took golf out of the picture and thought, well if something happens or I woke up and didn’t want to play golf, which school did I want to be affiliated with? That was UCLA. We got to play a lot of cool golf courses like Bel-Air, Wilshire, Brentwood and Hillcrest. It was such a great rotation. Playing at those places has helped me as a professional.

Ryann O'TooleWould you encourage junior golfers to attend college before turning pro?

I see some of these girls who turn pro and don’t go to college and I feel sorry for them. You can’t get that time back. It’s four years of your life where you get to kind of grow up, be crazy, rebel a little bit, live without your parents. I think it’s something everybody should go through. Golf will be there when you are done. Try college out even for a year. If you are a dominating junior golfer, like Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel or Lydia Ko, then I could see going pro. But if you’re not dominating and wining all the time, then go to college. Your game will grow and you will learn about yourself.

You were on the Golf Channel’s “Big Break” in 2010, played on the winning USA team in the 2011 Solheim Cup and went through LPGA Qualifying School multiple times. In which of those events did you feel the most pressure?

“Big Break” was a lot of pressure. I was still so young and not used to having a camera in my face or talking to a camera. It was two weeks of nerve-wracking golf shots. Solheim brought me back to playing team sports. I loved Solheim. I relished it as far as the camaraderie and having a partner who could pull the weight if you messed up. Q School is something I never want to go back to. It’s not nerve wracking, it’s just more stressful — my career was on the line. It was more of a ‘I don’t want to be here’ kind of feeling.

You have traveled all over the world. When you come back home what do you look forward to the most?

Surfing. I have to get into the water. I’ll go to Cotton’s Point and Lower Trestles in San Clemente, and other places like El Porto and Malibu.

What’s your surf handicap?

If pro surfers are under par, and even par is more like a good amateur, then I consider myself a 4-handicap. I’m like the compete-in-your-country-club-tournament equivalent of a surfer. I can hang but I would need a couple of shots from the pro surfers.

Ryann O'TooleWhat are your favorite courses in Southern California?

If I play at home, I always go to Cote de Caza. I love the Friday Skins game there and that course is always in good condition. Or I go to Bella Collina in San Clemente which is always fun. You get some funky lies there.

How often do you get back to where you started: San Clemente Municipal Golf Club?

I probably play there once a year now. It’s like a time lapse when I go back. I can see myself as a 12-year-old at the driving range because all the people I knew back then still work there. It’s familiar faces like Dave Cook, Linda Cook, Dave Beatty and Rocky Rakfin. When I get my first LPGA win I will definitely go back with the trophy to thank everybody there and at other courses in San Clemente. Without my hometown support I wouldn’t be anything. It’s great to have that backing and it’s great to represent such an amazing town.

Previous Article

Small Spikes, Big Future: Junior Golf Programs ...

Next Article

New Name, Even Better Experience

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Tom Mackin

Related articles More from author

  • USC Golf
    Profiles

    Trojan Horse: The Inspiring Saga of USC’s Sean Crocker

    October 1, 2014
    By Bob Buttitta
  • ProfilesSCGA JuniorWinter 2020

    Special Bond: For Sophia Martinez, Playing Golf With Mom is Best

    January 25, 2020
    By Hailey Tucker
  • Fall 2018Profiles

    Play Fast And Have Fun: Rancho Park Golf Club

    October 22, 2018
    By Jonathan Coe
  • ProfilesWinter 2020

    Mind Your Tees And Q

    February 3, 2020
    By Jonathan Coe
  • Bob Bush
    Profiles

    The World With A 7-Iron: The Faraway Travels of Bob & Anette Bush

    April 1, 2014
    By Matt McKay
  • ProfilesSummer 2022

    Guru to the Stars: Ron del Barrio: Hollywood’s Swing Coach Extraordinaire

    July 21, 2022
    By Cole Young

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Recent Posts

  • Classic CourseFall 2022Featured

    Pure Golf: La Purisima

  • Fall 2022FeaturedSustainability

    10,000 Years in the Making: The Journey at Pechanga Views History Through a Very Long Lens

  • Fall 2022FeaturedHandicap Hints

    Handicap Allowances

  • Fall 2022FeaturedTrends

    It’s a Dog’s Life: At Some SoCal Courses, the Term “Dogleg” Takes on a Whole New Meaning

  • Fall 2022FeaturedSCGA Junior

    A Mission of Renewal: Supporting a New Generation of Golfers

FOLLOW US

Facebook 0Fans
Twitter 0Followers
Instagram 0Followers
Youtube 0Subscriber
  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • Handicap Allowances

    By Kevin O'Connor
    October 25, 2022
  • The Single Life: The Simple Pleasures of Being “That Guy”

    By John DeGomez
    October 25, 2022
  • Cut! Rulings Hollywood Got Wrong

    By Jeff Ninnemann
    October 25, 2022
  • From Crisis to Confidence: The Southern California Golf & Water Summit

    By Craig Kessler
    October 25, 2022
  • Direct to Golf Consumer: How Social Media is Changing the Way We Buy Equipment

    By Scott Kramer
    October 25, 2022
  • The Diva Golfer

    By Azucena Maldonado
    January 31, 2017
  • The USGA’s Major Proposed Changes to the Rules of Golf

    By admin
    December 14, 2017
  • Stand By Me: Temecula Native Joe Skovron On Life As Rickie Fowler’s Caddie

    By Jonathan Coe
    October 26, 2016
  • Watching the Tiger Watchers

    By Andy Brumer
    February 20, 2018
  • Remembering Jim Murray: Best of the Best

    By Bill Dwyre
    February 14, 2017
  • Julie
    on
    November 13, 2022

    The Single Life: The Simple Pleasures of Being “That Guy”

    Thanks for this. I ...
  • free proxy list
    on
    December 5, 2018

    Top 4 College Golf Names You Need To Know

    Hello,I log on to ...
  • Adela C. Garcia
    on
    November 17, 2018

    Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”

    Azucena Maldonado is a ...
  • Rose Sauceda
    on
    November 15, 2018

    Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”

    Congratulations my lovely Amiga ...
  • Judy Carls
    on
    November 15, 2018

    The Gilded One: Eldorado CC

    Excellent magazine..thank you Judy Carls LPGA ...

RECENT COMMENTS

  • Julie on The Single Life: The Simple Pleasures of Being “That Guy”
  • free proxy list on Top 4 College Golf Names You Need To Know
  • Adela C. Garcia on Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”
  • Rose Sauceda on Revolutionizing the “Ladies Club”
  • Judy Carls on The Gilded One: Eldorado CC
© 2016 FORE Magazine About Us | Contact Us | Advertise