Here I am, back in Hawaii! The weather is perfect and the Turtle Bay Palmer course is in the best shape I’ve ever seen it. I am so happy the season has started again. I’m already off to a good start. The members and staff at Alaqua Country Club threw a surprise congratulations party for me to send me off the right way! I was spoiled with a gift certificate to the Ritz-Carlton Spa that I know (for sure) I won’t mind using throughout the season when my body and brain need a little relaxation. I am lucky to say that I have a wonderful circle of supportive friends back in Orlando.

I can’t believe I’ve already been in Hawaii for 3 days. I played in a pro-am as soon as I got here and I’ve been practicing. We’ve had a few meetings with all the LPGA players and staff to start the year on the right note. Then, between playing in practice rounds and attending all the functions, I feel like I haven’t stopped!!! Contrary to what some people think, I have not had any time to enjoy the beach and the luaus. I am hoping to get to the beach at some point this week. I also hired my caddie Chris, who has worked for me before once or twice. With our experience and passion for the game, I hope we make a good team together.

As a third-year LPGA tour player, I offered to be part of the Big Sister program. Every rookie gets one or two Big Sisters to reach out to for help or anything they might need. Basically, my job is to just be a nice friend… I think it’s such a fun and easy way to give back. I just learned that my little sister is M.J. Hur, a young rookie who graduated from the Duramed Futures Tour last year. She’s from South Korea and has a little language barrier so I may actually become useful at some point this season and translate for her!!! We’ve already had breakfast together and I’m sure we’ll spend some more time together during this long season!

Anyway, I’ll give you more stories next time as I have to go and get ready for the “Oakley Golf” function tonight. But thanks for reading!

Jeanne

December 17th, 2008

I am still in celebrating mode… Plus, Christmas is coming up and then, it will be 2009 before I know it! Now that our tour schedule is out, I can already start planning. My season will start in Hawaii in February. More specifically, my first tournament will be in Oahu at the Turtle Bay resort! I’m really looking forward to going back where I had my amazing Big Break V: Hawaii experience a few years ago! It will bring back great memories!

My off-season has been so busy so far. I’m enjoying being home with my husband, Brian and not traveling. I just came back from a short trip to Sarasota to spend time with my sponsor, Universal North America. I played golf at the Ritz-Carlton with the president, Rick Espino. That same evening, I attended Universal’s Holiday party, which was a beautiful event at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Sarasota. It was great to see the whole Universal family, as I feel like I’m part of it!

Since I got back home, I’ve been working hard on my game with my teacher, Carl Rabito. My swing mechanics are looking better and better each day! I’m extremely motivated to do what it takes to be ready for next year! I even did a photo shoot yesterday. I’ve done quite a few shoots before but this time I had to coordinate everything myself… Believe me, it’s lot of work and very time-consuming. But it was so much fun to play “model” for half a day. I’ve also been cooking almost every night- something I don’t get to do much on the road. I really believe that cooking is be a small passion of mine. Coming from France and being brought up by my Korean parents, I take the joy of eating and food to the next level. I love all kinds of flavors and try to create unique recipes. More importantly, I like to know what is in what I’m eating. It’s safe to say that eating out is not the healthiest alternative… Brian and I are spending the rest of the year at home and I am VERY happy about it!!!

Finally, I’ll leave you with the quote of the week: “IF is a dirty word” by Jason Ferrario, LPGA tour caddie.

Until next time,

JCH

December 8th, 2008

There isn’t a better feeling than setting a difficult goal for yourself, and accomplish it… Finally!!! I will get to experience what it’s REALLY like to be an LPGA tour player. No more monday qualifyings, booking flights the night before a tournament, having to explain to everybody how you’re on tour but you don’t really get to play every week… As soon as the Q-school was over, I got so many phone calls, texts, and emails from friends. I never knew how many friends and fans I had until yesterday!!! It makes success even sweeter when people pull for you. Brian, Oui and I got some champagne and went out for sushi to celebrate!!!

2008 was a roller-coaster year… or rather a boring roller coaster for those afraid of heights… I know 2009 will be different. I can truly say that I worked my tail off these past couple of months for LPGA q-school. I had to start from scratch whether it was mentally with my attitude, physically with my fitness regimen or technically with my swing mechanics. I thought starting over was the best way to approach my preparation. Believe me, it was tough. I had to step out of my comfort zone in every area of my life, which is hard to do because of my stubbornness. Not being 100% guaranteed that it would pay off, I had complete faith in my plan. My new teacher Carl Rabito played a huge role in my preparation. He put his heart into my game, led me the right way and more importantly, he really believed in me. We worked on each area of my game and everything peaked at the right time! I gotta thank Universal for being so supportive and patient with me. Universal is the best kind of sponsor I could ever get!!!

Earning your card is one thing. It is an opportunity. It is actually only the beginning. I am motivated to keep working hard to play well during the season.  Thanks for all your posts in my guest book! I appreciate every one of your encouraging messages!!!

I’ll write again soon,

Jeanne

October 15h, 2008

I often tell my fans that life on the road for golf pros isn’t as glamorous as they think. Well, I’d be lying if I did that right now… The LPGA is having an inaugural event at the Kapalua Bay course in Maui, Hawaii this week. I arrived on Monday afternoon from Fresno, CA where I played in a 36-hole charity event, organized by Peter Jacobsen Sports, in ear muffs and a turtleneck… After a long trip from the mainland, I was welcomed to Maui by my housing hosts Gunars and JoRene who happen to live on the Plantation course of Kapalua… Not a bad spot to stay for a week :):)

 As they gave me a tour of their gorgeous house with a magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean (next door to Jim Furyk’s house), I found out that they have a full-time personal chef who prepares lunch and dinner every day of the week!!! His name is Riko and he’s not just another chef… He is an amazing chef/artist from a 5-star restaurant in San Diego.  So as you can imagine,  I was thinking ‘Is this real?’, ‘do I get to enjoy all of it this week?’  I’m going to be so spoiled by the end of this trip. As I was describing this experience to my husband Brian over the phone, he just couldn’t help but ask me if I was ‘ever coming home’… :):) He sounded a bit worried!!!  And I didn’t just get lucky with the accommodations but also with my hosts, who are just wonderful human beings.

The next day, I had to qualify for the LPGA tournament as I was still on the alternate list. I literally played blind: first, because I had never played the course before, and second, because my right contact lens was coming out every other hole and didn’t have a backup in my bag… I shot 72 and got into a playoff against Amy Read. To make matters worse, my caddie was having trouble keeping up with me (it’s a hilly golf course) and then, it was my turn to struggle. After both of us parred and tied the first playoff hole, we moved on to the next tee and I literally collapsed on my butt after finishing my swing. My right calf cramped up on me…. It was so scary as it never happened to me before!!! After stretching my calf muscle and delaying play against Amy, I kept going. I tried to stay as composed as I could… We both hit the green in regulation and as I walked up to the green, my left calf and toes cramped up. At that point, Angus (one of our LPGA rules officials), Amy and the caddies were helping my stretch my leg. It was quite a funny scene. I felt so badly for Amy because I was probably very distracting to her game… But she handled it so gracefully. She was joking around by telling me that she was old enough to be my mother and that she should be the one collapsing now after walking 20 hilly holes!!!!

At that moment, I was so concerned about not cramping again that I quit thinking about this playoff. We both 2-putted and moved on to our 3rd playoff hole!!! I couldn’t wait to get off the course! I stepped up on the par 3 12th tee (where I had double bogeyed it in the qualifying that morning) and hit it to a foot and a half. Amy made a solid par and I sank my little putt to finally earn my spot in the Kapalua classic!!! I guess it’s true when people say to “beware of the injured/wounded”!!!

Getting a spot in the tournament this week is so special for 2 reasons: First, my sponsor Universal Insurance Holdings of North America is having an event in Kapalua to celebrate Hawaii as their new coverage territory! Second, my mother joined me on Tuesday afternoon from South Korea to visit me. She and the Universal team will get to watch me play in the tournament!!! I have a dinner function each of the 3 nights Universal is here so this is a very busy week! I’d better go and get ready now!!!

Thanks for reading! I’ll be back soon again!

I know a lot of people have been wondering where I’ve been the past few months. I am “almost” officially done with the season. I just got back from the Navistar Classic in Prattville, AL where I got into the field 20 minutes before I teed of (definitely a stressful situation!!) Angela Stanford had to withdraw and as I was next on the alternate list, it gave me the opportunity to get into the tournament. My game was pretty solid overall despite missing the cut and 2 disastrous holes in the 36 holes I played.
I have set some specific goals to improve my game by LPGA Q-school, which is coming up in 2 months. One of my best friends Virada, aka Oui, and I have been traveling together this year. I can say that it was a difficult season for both of us and as she is a more experienced golfer than I am, I always have something to learn from her. She helped me set my own goals to keep my game on track. First, my accuracy and distance control with my wedge shots (between 70 and 100 yards) REALLY need to improve. I cannot explain how many strokes I have wasted on those this year. Next, is my putting speed. I can read greens and stroke it well but neither skills serve well unless I get the EXACT speed. And finally, the next important goal is to maintain my accuracy with my driver. I am already a pretty straight hitter and want to maintain that strong part of my game.
While I work on those goals, I will be heading to Hawaii for the LPGA Kapalua Classic next week. I may or may not have to qualify for it. My main sponsor, Universal Insurance Holdings of North America, will be having a huge event with its agents during the tournament week in Hawaii. I am very excited about it. My mother will be joining me from Korea. I’m really looking forward to spending time with her since I don’t get to see her very often.
When I get back, I will get busy again playing in the Suncoast Series to prepare for Q-school. I will also go to the Duramed Futures Tour Qualifying tournament to secure one of its exempt spot before I go to LPGA Q-school. It will serve as part of my preparation plan. As far as the injury goes (from previous blog that I just posted, sorry), I still monitor it. My arm still gets a bit sore when I practice hard but I make sure to take a day or two off before it swells again.
I wanted to thank all of you who signed my guest book. Your encouraging words REALLY mean a lot to me. Knowing how many people care about me and my career is such a confidence boost. This game is cruel and this lifestyle is challenging. Though I get down myself sometimes, I know I have to get right back up and keep working hard.
I will also do a better job at keeping up with my website (I know, I haven’t been at all:):)). Thanks for reading and if you have any questions at all, please write me a comment. We are adding the “What’s in the bag” section (per fan request), as well as some newer photos of me!!
Sincerely, Jeanne

Being a professional athlete and having a career which depends on my physical well-being, I pass every opportunity to play beach volleyball, go skiing or even start TaeKwonDo to minimize my risks of injuries. But when I developed this weird injury on my left arm/wrist called “intersection syndrome” or “crossover syndrome” just by working on my swing, it started worrying me. I have never had to deal with any kind of bodily injury throughout my golf career and for that, I have been GRATEFUL!!! What I have is a tendon-related injury caused by overuse of the hand/wrist/forearm, and it is SO painful. If interested, click here to read about it. I would call it a minor injury but very tedious as it comes and goes as it wishes… My intersection sydrome came at the end of June RIGHT BEFORE the week of the US Women’s Open. After having qualified for it in the worst golf conditions (rain, cold, wind, course set up way too long), I was so psyched about having my first opportunity to play in the Open as a professional. However, excessive ball hitting caused the injury and forced me to rest until I got to the US Open in Minneapolis area. My wrist was still swollen and in pain up to the day before the first round so our LPGA physiotherapist sent me to a hand surgeon to get a steroid shot. So I did. It was like a miraculous healing. I was a little worried that this shot might mask my injury but I didn’t even care at the time… I was happy I could at least compete in the Open (although I barely got 18 holes in for a practice round). I shot 80-72 and missed the cut by 3 shots, I believe. But the experience was amazing. Though I have played in two US Opens in the past, this time was the first time in 6 years and first time as a professional. It truly is THE world’s most prestigious tournament for female golfers. The crowds were enormous, as expected, but what really MADE the US Open experience were the loud cheers for your good shots. There was electricity on the golf course!!! The fans just came out to “celebrate” with you when you make a putt. Playing golf in front of crowds is really what makes me want play the game for a living… It’s really fun!!! As a matter of fact, it is quite addicting… When we (us, participants) landed at the Minneapolis airport, we were welcomed by the volunteers and handed each player keys to brand new hybrid Lexus SUVs. We were pretty much treated like royalty for a week. Something I wouldn’t mind getting used to… :):)
Anyway, after being healthy for about 2 months, my wrist pain came back. I am still fighting it and it is quite draining. The good news is that rest usually makes the pain go away and the bad news is that there isn’t much I can do to it unless I go for surgery. I am not ready to do that yet. I am strengthening my grip and forearm to possibly minimize the chances of it flaring up. At this point, that is all that I can do. The doctors recommended that I take Advil every day. I literally hate taking pills and they don’t CURE my problem anyway… So I refuse to take ibuprofen unless I absolutely need it.
Anyways, please keep checking in with me. The website still needs a bit of work and any suggestions are welcome. I may need to schedule a photo shoot. All I have are Big Break photos in my Picture folder…
Thanks for reading and for being great fans!!!
Sincerely, Jeanne Cho-Hunicke

I am at the State Farm Classic this week and just finished my second round. I am currently at even par so I’m anxiously waiting for the cut line to be determined. Well, while I have time to relax, I thought I should check in and write my rookie blog since I have been lazy about doing that lately, or maybe I should say, I’ve been running out of things to write about. So I thought I should express my gratitude to the people that make all the LPGA tournaments possible.

I wanted to take the opportunity to thank the volunteers and the housing hosts at each tournament. I cannot explain to you how enjoyable it has been to meet volunteers who take time off work just for our tournament. They wake up at 5:00 a.m. to take care of transportation, spend all day in the heat on the course to be a marshall, standard bearer, scorer, locker room attendant, etc. I can go on and on about it. I have met numerous people who have been volunteering for 15-20 years and they all seem to really enjoy it! I just think it’s quite impressive! They make our lives much easier because they are at our disposal whenever we need help. So thanks to all of the volunteers! Just know I really appreciate your support!

I need to cut this short since my housing host is about to take us out to dinner tonight! I’ve been enjoying Springfield so far. We (Kristina Tucker and me) are staying at a beautiful house on the golf course, which makes it very convenient to commute! We even got to visit the new Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. For those of you who don’t know it, Springfield is the home of Abraham Lincoln, who happens to be one of my parents-in-law’s favorite historical figures. So I really felt the need to go to the museum and learn more about him! We spent a whole afternoon visiting and it was definitely worth our time! I highly recommend it if you are ever in Springfield, IL.

I will catch up again soon! Thanks for reading!

Jeanne Cho-Hunicke

Thanks for joining me again! This past month has been full of excitement!

Me posing with fellow LPGA Tour player Angela Jerman

As I told you before, I went to Nashville for the Steve Azar Celebrity challenge and it was a blast! Fellow LPGA Tour player Angela Jerman and I were there to represent the Tour. We were treated very well and got to meet a lot of celebrities. The competition included NFL players, country musicians, skiers, wrestlers and actors… The event consisted of celebrities divided into 6 teams. Our task was to accumulate the most points by pitching a baseball, throwing a football, chipping a golf ball, kicking a soccer ball, free-throwing a basketball, etc. All that I did was bring my royal blue team down but we won!! We even got a trophy for it!!!

Riding my host family’s Harley in Decatur, IL.

When I returned, it was back to business and to practicing. After having missed the U.S. Open qualifier, I decided to play in a Duramed FUTURES Tour event to get some competition. I just haven’t been getting into as many LPGA events as I anticipated. I went to Decatur, IL for the only major on the Duramed FUTURES Tour. I was leading with 68-69 after two days. The weekend was a disaster but I was glad to have been in such a position. Getting two solid rounds in was a confidence boost. Right after the final round, I packed up my bags to go Monday qualify in Rochester for the Wegmans LPGA. I was exhausted when I arrived in Rochester on Monday morning at 1:00 a.m. to tee off again at 8:30 a.m. I didn’t even know the course! I can’t imagine having to juggle between two tours all year long!! Although I didn’t make it through the Monday qualifier, I had to stay and play the waiting game again. I was 1st alternate and it didn’t make sense for me to leave and play in the following Duramed FUTURES Tour event. I was signed up for both tournaments and had everything to lose but I had to do what I had to do!

Our royal blue winning team along with host Steve Azar in red.

Well, it paid off to stay when I got into the field on Wednesday night at 9:00 p.m! It was the first time that I got into a tournament after being on the alternate list! Maybe luck will come my way for a little while! Though I missed the cut, I am trying not to lose my patience. Overall, I can say it’s been a difficult season but it’s only making me tougher. I can say that I would never go through this if I didn’t have passion for the game.

Persevering is probably my strength and I feel that it is helping me through these stressful times. All I have to do is to trust what I am working on, eat well, exercise well, and rest well… And hopefully, by my next blog, I will have more exciting golf news to talk about!!!

I spent a few days off from golf and went to the beach with my husband and friends on Memorial Day. I also got to sleep in. All the things that I don’t get to do on the road…Then I met with my sports psychologist Dr. Bob Winters to clean up the mess that’s keeping me from playing my game. It was a breath of fresh air to hear simple thoughts and identify how and why I created all the doubt and lack of confidence…

I have a couple of weeks off to relax and recharge my batteries before qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open. My husband Brian will caddie for me like he did at the Sybase Classic where I made my first cut by shooting a 69 after a poor first round 79!!!

He doesn’t get to take too much time off work, so he can’t always come out to the tournaments. As you may not all know, we just got married last November. So as newlyweds, we hate being apart from each other. He does know me best on and off the golf course. My wish is that someday he can travel with me all season long!

I am looking forward to the next couple of weeks. I am going to San Antonio next Monday for an appearance for my main sponsor Universal Insurance Holdings of North America. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to freely go to every event, consult with my coaches, and continue to invest in the improvement of my career. They have been treating me with care and professionalism, and I am proud to represent such a great company. So thanks again Universal!

Then, next Friday, I get to “work” at the CMA Fanfest in Nashville, TN! I guess all of you who listen to country music would know what it is. It’s supposed to be a big event! I enjoy some country music but don’t listen to it all that much…or at least not as much as when I was in college. (All my teammates/roommates listened to country music!!) I cannot wait to tell you all about it in my next blog!

Thanks for reading my late blog! I promise to write again very soon!!!

Jeanne Cho-Hunicke