A young American girl stared down Lorena Ochoa and Laura Davies at the LPGA’s Ginn Open today – and her name was Brittany Lincicome. It was a world class performance against a world class field.
Still, when people talk about all the young American talent on the LPGA Tour, we rarely hear the name Brittany Lincicome. Instead, we hear the names Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel and Natalie Gulbis. Nothing against those girls, as they are incredible players in their own right – but there’s one other name that needs to be added to the mix – Brittany Lincicome. And from what I know about Brittany, this win is not a fluke and we can expect to see more of the same.
I first met Brittany 5 years ago while she was playing in and winning our junior golf invitational. We were hosting a junior golf event entitled “Kids Playing for Kids”, with all proceeds going to a children’s charity – Chairscholars – and she was clearly the class of the field. A few things struck me on that initial meeting with Brittany. First, she was unbelievably talented. She could hit the ball an absolute mile and was fearless in how she attacked the golf course. Second, she was calm. She wasn’t at all excited when she played or even when she won. She acted like it was a completely normal thing for her to do. And when I watched her play today at the Ginn Open, she was the same exact way — calm. Nothing has changed at all. She couldn’t be less surprised by her success. I was at Reunion Resort, (just outside of Orlando, Florida) home of the Ginn Open, all week and had a chance to see most of the best young Americans – Pressel, Creamer and Gulbis – and without a doubt, Lincicome was the most impressive.
I believe Lincicome’s rise will continue for the forseeable future for a couple reasons. First, she is completely single minded on golf. From the first time I met her, she has only talked about playing and winning on the LPGA Tour. Back for a moment to that junior tournament. During the awards, as the other juniors were talking about their college and life plans – Brittany was only talking about playing golf. Although she had a slew of college scholarships, she wasn’t interested. She wasn’t interested because she already knew what she wanted to do – play the LPGA Tour. For some juniors, that kind of thinking can be a detriment in their development. But for Brittany, it was exactly the kind of focus she needed. And that focus continues today. With Natalie Gulbis busy with reality shows and calanders – and Paula Creamer busy with commercials and fashion design – Brittany’s sole focus is still just golf.
Next, she already plays the game of the future on the LPGA. She kills it off the tee and isn’t afraid to make birdies and eagles. And for a young pro to compete in the new world of women’s golf – this is a must! So, as the LPGA enters their “Golden Age” – there is a new girl that must be added to the story line – Miss Brittany Lincicome.
