10 Things you didn’t know about LEE-ANNE PACE
What
was the longest time you’ve ever slept for?
Approximately 12 hours but it could possibly have been 15 hours
because I think there might have been a break in-between.
Facebook,
Instagram or Twitter?
Twitter
My
greatest challenge is/was...
Leaving my loved ones for a long period of time every year.
My
lucky number is...
Actually I have four...1; 7; 11 and 15 but if pressed to choose
just one, I’d probably choose the number 15!
Do
you sing in the shower?
I do, but that really depends on what the proper definition of
singing is because my singing sounds like cats fighting.
My
favourite invention is...
I have a long list which includes in no particular order:
wireless internet; anything Apple; dishwashers; Nespresso coffee machines;
memory foam beds and Bose noise-cancelling headphones.
What
did you want to be when you were a child/teenager?
A paediatrician.
What
do you listen to while on Tour?
A variety of music except for Rap and R&B and I really like
Ed Sheeran.
I
like watching (horrors/comedies/dramas/thrillers)...
TV Shows with my favourites being Scandal (The Fixer); Banshee;
The Black List; Game of Thrones; Revenge; Sons of Anarchy; Suits and True
Blood.
What’s
your kryptonite?
Spiders! Seriously, I just can’t handle the sight of them and tend to
make a less-than-graceful exit when they’re around..jpg)
3 Minutes with LEE-ANNE PACE
Do
you have any pre-tournament rituals?
I wouldn’t call it a ritual actually but now that I think about it, I do
tend to follow a routine on matchday, which is coffee in the morning;
make sure I go to the loo just before tee-off and put on sunblock.
What
can’t you live without?
It is an endless list and I’m not kidding – the things I can’t
do without include my iPhone; coffee; red wine; lamb chops; my memory foam
pillow; wireless internet; hot baths; Bose headphones; music; laughter; my
family; my friends...I could go on!
Your
favourite football team?
Honestly, I really dislike football, but I do enjoy watching rugby
– the Stormers and Springboks in particular.
What
is your greatest fear?
Apart from spiders it would probably be worrying about someone I
love getting hurt.
What
do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
It might sound a bit boring but I tend to catch up on bookings,
emails and phonecalls; I try to watch my favourite TV shows; spend time with
family and friends and some outdoor activities such as paddle boarding or
social golf.
Who/What
inspires you?
Amazing athletes such as Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Rafael
Nadal and Rory McIlroy as well as true stories about people who have faced
difficult circumstances and overcome those. I am a huge fan of true story
movies.
If
you were to host a dinner party for any five people in the world (celebrities,
politicians, sports stars, philanthropists, etc. living or dead), who would you
choose?
My best friend, my sister, brother-in-law , who is basically
brother and Ed Sheeran, for the entertainment.
Favourite
course in the world?
Pearl Valley but St Andrews is right up there too!
Cats
or dogs?
Dogs
What/who
makes you smile?
I have so many and this is in no particular order: my friends; my
family; chocolate; red wine; lamb chops; stand-up paddle boarding; the ocean;
kids; my bed; the view from my
bedroom; a birdie; an eagle; the smell of my cappuccino in the morning; waking
up at 5am and knowing that I can sleep a bit more!
Lee-Anne
Pace is a household name in South Africa and renowned globally as one of the
leading faces in women’s golf. With just under a decade under her belt as a
professional golfer, Pace is as much in love with the sport as the day she
first started playing. Ironically, Lee-Anne’s introduction to the sport was as
a caddy for her father and not as a golfer.
“I
used to caddy for him to earn extra money during weekends but I suppose you
could say me actually playing golf was by default. While at the course I
would hit some balls with the boys at the venue and we would also have putting
competitions.”
During
her high school years, Lee-Anne played tennis but excelled at hockey, a sport
she loved playing but one she couldn’t envisage a professional future in.
“I
really loved playing hockey and was very passionate about it but I didn’t think
it was the sport for me to have a career in.”
A
few years later during her final year of studying Psychology at Tulsa
University, Oklahoma (USA), she decided to give golf a go.
“Prior
to that moment, I hadn’t really thought about becoming a professional golfer.
Then I decided to give it a try, I qualified for the Tour and that was that. I
became very passionate about my golf career and as soon as I won my first
tournament, I knew that I really wanted to do it again, to experience that
feeling of triumph and exhilaration again and again. Golf is a challenging
sport and you have to learn early on how to control your emotions, deal with
and make those big decisions in a short amount of time, but nothing beats the
feeling you experience when you win.”
With
a bright glow in her eyes, Lee-Anne speaks passionately about her love for
golf.
“I
love the challenges of golf, the excitement of winning, the pleasure you get from
hitting a shot that sometimes seems impossible to pull off or hitting a shot at
a crucial time that exceeds even your own expectations. And, I absolutely love
winning.”
Inspired
by South African golfing legends Gary Player, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, she
says the sport itself serves as a great inspiration that constantly tests a
professional golfer.
“There
are so many aspects to work on personally if you are to succeed in the
professional circuit – you have to be strong physically, mentally and
emotionally and that in itself is a constant challenge. It’s an amazing feeling
when you exceed your own expectations, when you achieve your goals and targets
and golf is one of those sports that gives you the opportunity to constantly
experience those joys.”
Lee-Anne
cherishes every single moment of her life as a professional golfer but admits
it was a tricky road to negotiate.
“I
am grateful and truly blessed to be a professional golfer – I have made many
friends over the years and met very interesting people during my travels and I
have been to some of the most amazing places on earth. But, early on in my
career it was daunting to travel alone to foreign countries, not knowing the
language or the areas I was travelling to and also trying to find my place on Tour.
That changed when I bagged a few wins because I gained much needed confidence
and was able to settle in.”
Now
living at the Pearl Valley Golf and Country Estate, Pace shared her recipe for
success on Tour.
“I
was motivated to work harder and win after I started winning. I worked very
hard on my swing, watched the top golfers and tried to replicate what they were
doing and I worked on my mental strategy. I tell myself before every tournament
that I am going to play each shot to the best of my ability and that puts me in
a good frame of mind from the first to the last hole.”
Successful,
talented, famous and yet Lee-Anne Pace has managed to stay grounded and is in
fact a very humble woman, who sincerely wishes to show young aspiring golfers
that they can achieve their dreams and goals through hard work and dedication.
“I
don’t see myself as a role model because I’m just me, doing what I love. I still
get shy when asked for autographs but it makes me very happy to know that I
might have played a part in helping to grow women’s golf in South Africa. I
believe that with the start of the Ladies Sunshine Tour and co-sanctioned
events such as the Cell C SA Women’s Open, we will see many more girls taking
up the sport. I can’t wait to see the next group of South African golfers
coming through the ranks.”
Love,
passion, dedication and hard work are vital components to becoming a successful
golfer, traits often tested when results are not going your way.
“The
one important thing I’ve learnt during the course of my career is that it can
all turn around at any point. When the chips are down, I recall a tournament in
China when I was a few over par on the cut line with five holes left to play in
the day. I went on to finish the day really well and left the venue having won
the tournament in a playoff. In golf, as in life, anything can happen, you just
have to be mentally strong and know what you want out of that particular
situation.”
San Lameer Country Club:
Have you played
at the San Lameer Country Club before?
Just
once a very long time ago, but I really can’t remember the course very well.
For
me it will be jetlag and the weather. I will be travelling back from Asia and
the jetlag can be quite severe. I have played golf in KZN and I really love
playing at the coast and in windy conditions, which I suspect is what we can
expect in the South Coast.
What do you like
most about this venue?
We
always get treated very well at the SA Open and the holiday atmosphere is most
inviting. It’s really nice to be able to compete in South Africa.
What are your
expectations/targets for the Cell C SA Women's Open?
I would love to win the
tournament – it’s one of my goals and if I can achieve that, it would be an
awesome personal achievement.
Q&A by Renelle Naidoo
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