Music plays.
Suzy Whaley: I get great joy from working with kids. They give me energy, they give me enthusiasm—but I also love to see them grow. I’m Suzy Whaley. I’m a coach and a teacher of golf.
Throughout, Suzy is either in an office or out on a country club golf course. She smiles and laughs while teaching golf to and interacting with people of all demographics on the course—and takes some golf swings, herself.
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Charles Schwab Presents
The Challengers
A series about people who
Question. Engage. Succeed.
Suzy Whaley
Suzy: I’m very proud of my body of work. I’m proud of wearing our logo and our badge. I’m proud of being a master professional within the PGA.
I played golf at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill on a four-year scholarship there and was on my way to law school. I instead took an about-face and went to tour school for the LPGA Tour and secured my tour card right out of college. I played on tour for two years. Really the best thing that could’ve ever happened to me was losing my card; that woke me up to the real world. I prepared incredibly hard after that. Got my tour card back and then went on to a teaching career once we had our children, and I absolutely fell in love with that.
My career has never been linear. It’s always been about, “What’s the next challenge?” and “How can I help evolve and grow the game?” We need to look more like our communities. We need more minorities, more young girls, and more people playing from every cultural background. Why shouldn’t everybody think golf is for them? It really is.
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Why shouldn’t everybody think golf is for them?
Suzy: For so many that have never been exposed to the game, golf can seem intimidating. And certainly we want to dispel that, and we want to give an invitation to anyone that wants to play, to come join us and to realize that we’re gonna walk you through where to park the car, where to put the clubs, how to drive to the driving range to get your lesson, what you have to do to navigate walking inside to check in. All the things that all of us who grew up with golf think are very simple, aren’t as easy when you’re brand new and you’re not quite sure where to be or what to wear, what the etiquette is on course. But what wakes me up every single day is having the opportunity to change somebody’s life through a game that I love.
I love to teach every level of the game. The joy I get out of a beginner reaching their goal or hitting a shot in the air for the first time, is just as amazing as a professional that I coach winning a golf tournament.
Every single day that I’m in town, I teach.
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Every single day that I’m in town, I teach
Suzy: Five o’clock in the morning, I wake up, I work out—I’m a little bit obsessed with that.
I think the most fun I have in coaching is watching someone develop. It’s a journey together. It’s not just, “Hey, thanks for coming. I enjoyed being with you today.” It’s more, “How can I help you? How can I develop you as a child, as a whole child, as an athlete?” Golf has inherent qualities that develop character—and I love being around children who love sports and love the game. When my children were little, I didn’t let them beat me at Crazy Eights. [laughs] I’m an extremely competitive person.
We ran up the stairs against each other. I always just love doing something in the moment of time and putting effort into it when it means something—so for me, being competitive goes past just golf, it goes past sport. It also goes into business. I relate my competition and my experience in competition on golf courses, and it’s helped me in the business environment.
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Suzy was the first female president of the PGA of America
Golf Magazine lists her in the Top 100 Teachers in America
Suzy: It’s about being with other friends and family; being with people you love; competing! Maybe you’re not great at it yet, but let’s get there.
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Ask questions. Be engaged.
[Charles Schwab logo]
Own your tomorrow®
Suzy: I don’t ever need a day without golf. I know that’s hard to believe, but if I could play golf every single day, I would play golf every single day. I love walking and playing the game.
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[Charles Schwab logo] [PGA Tour logo]
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©2020 Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Member SIPC (0420-05ZY)
Music ends.
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Thanks to
PGA of America
PGA Jr. League
The Country Club at Mirasol
