USWNT Legend Brandi Chastain Believed TGL Could "Bring Out More Personality" On PGA Tour
ST. LOUIS, MO - MAY 16: Former United States player Brandi Chastain looks on after game action during an International Friendly, Länderspiel, Nationalmannschaft match between the United States woman s national team, Nationalteam and the New Zealand women s national team on May 16, 2019 at Busch Stadium, in St. Louis, MO. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire) SOCCER: MAY 16 Women s - USA v New Zealand PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxRUSxSWExNORxDENxONLY Icon164051619151
ST. LOUIS, MO - MAY 16: Former United States player Brandi Chastain looks on after game action during an International Friendly, Länderspiel, Nationalmannschaft match between the United States woman s national team, Nationalteam and the New Zealand women s national team on May 16, 2019 at Busch Stadium, in St. Louis, MO. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire) SOCCER: MAY 16 Women s - USA v New Zealand PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxRUSxSWExNORxDENxONLY Icon164051619151
The soccer legend and Bay Area Golf Club co-owner, Brandi Chastain, in an interview with Golf magazine's Art Stricklin, said TGL's relaxed format is cracking open a side of professional golfers' people rarely get to see on the PGA Tour.
"I think what I love about TGL is I’m seeing these very polished professionals who, when they’re on the PGA Tour, must be aware of traditions and etiquette," Chastain said. "In TGL, they’re asked to be relaxed and be themselves... So, I think it’s going to bring out more personality... I think everybody can relate to that."
Chastain invested in TMRW Sports and holds a stake in the league, making her read on TGL more than casual observation.
"I'm very happy to be a part of it," Chastain said of her investment in TMRW Sports and the Bay Area Golf Club. "What I loved about it is, one, I love golf."
Golf: American Century Championship May 20, 2007 July 14, 2007 - Lake Tahoe, NV Former US Women s Soccer player Brandi Chastain in action during the second round of the American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Photo Ben Munn / Cal Media Lake Tahoe Nevada United States EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xx PhotoxBenxMunnx/xCalxSportxMediax csmphoto044436
Golf: American Century Championship May 20, 2007 July 14, 2007 - Lake Tahoe, NV Former US Women s Soccer player Brandi Chastain in action during the second round of the American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Photo Ben Munn / Cal Media Lake Tahoe Nevada United States EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xx PhotoxBenxMunnx/xCalxSportxMediax csmphoto044436
On the PGA Tour, players operate inside a framework of tradition and etiquette. TGL peels that back. She also made a broader case for how formats like TGL and Topgolf expand the sport's reach.
"If you don't have access, you don't have opportunity," Chastain said. "Maybe it's the time factor, four to five hours is too much time, really. Maybe it's too expensive."
Chastain believes TGL, along with places like Topgolf, can make golf easier for people who think the traditional game costs too much money or takes too much time.
Chastain was a left-back defender for the United States Women's National Team. She is a two-time FIFA World Champion and Olympics gold medalist. The 57-year-old began her career in 1993, and she retired from the sport professionally in 2010.
How Brandi Chastain's Grandfather Introduced Her to Golf
Long before the ownership stake, golf was personal for Chastain. She grew up hitting balls at a driving range in South San Jose, California, not for love of the sport initially, but for lunch.
"My grandfather loved golf, and I loved being with my grandfather," she said. "For me to get lunch, I had to hit balls first."
Though that range no longer exists, she used to play golf as a "good mental test," and she also believed that golf is less physically demanding.
Stricklin also asked about her thoughts on recreating her iconic 1999 World Cup celebration. Chastain responded with humor as she said that during the HGV Tournament of Champions, when she shot an eagle, the thought of recreating it came to her mind briefly. But she talked herself out of it.
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Written by
Sneha Abraham
Edited by
Rudra Dubey