She didn't have money. She didn't know anyone. She only knew that if she wanted to pursue her dream, this is what it would take. Professional Golfer Hailey Ostrom joins us. We talk golf, her journey to the pros and why you shouldn't wear jeans on the course. Then, we countdown the Top 5 Things People Lie About.
Interview with Hailey Ostrom
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
people, golf, lie, LPGA, golfer,play, person, professional golfer, grocery carts, movie, sports, walk, golf course, punching, throwing, talking, feel, bag, meeting
SPEAKERS
Nick VinZant – Profoundly Pointless Host
Hailey Ostrom – Professional Golfer
Nick VinZant 00:13
Hey everybody, welcome to Profoundly Pointless. My name is Nick VinZant. Coming up in this episode, we're going golfing and counting down the top five things people lie about.
Hailey Ostrom 00:24
So for me, I think the hardest part was the fact that I just basically threw all of my belongings in a car and drove down to Arizona, and I took a huge leap of faith there and just went for it. How do you make that jump? And be, you know, the top golfer on the LPGA Tour, versus somebody like me, who's currently, you know, scrambling on many tours, what's the difference between me and those golfers and there really is a small difference. You know, this person gave up their life. They they fought for our country and I got to share his story while I had the bag people would ask about it and I got to talk about him and share his story and meet his his parents.
Nick VinZant 01:12
I want to thank you guys so much for joining us. If you get a chance, like, download, subscribe, share, we really appreciate it. It really helps us out. So have you ever wondered if you have what it takes? You're good at something. But could you be really good? Could you be a professional? Could you be a professional on the highest level? Our first guest is going through that journey right now. And I think that she has this incredibly inspiring story about pursuing your dreams and really going after something that you want, while also giving back to a lot of people at the same time and having a huge impact that way as well. This is professional golfer Haley Ostrom. So was golf, the first sport or did you come into this later?
Hailey Ostrom 02:03
I grew up playing pretty much every sport known to man. My dad got me into the game when I was really young, but I kind of played a little bit of everything soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis, everything and then I didn't start playing in tournaments until I was nine years old.
Nick VinZant 02:25
Are you pretty athletic?
Hailey Ostrom 02:27
I like to say that I am athletic. I like to try new new stuff. Just recently, I've started learning how to snowboard and then last week, I went and wake boarded and learned to wake surf for the first time. So I'm definitely always curious about new sports.
Nick VinZant 02:49
When we talk about like in relation to other professional golfers though, like art, is it athletic ability, like do you have an awesome vertical or something or is there something else that makes a good golfer?
Hailey Ostrom 03:03
Well, I definitely do not have an awesome vertical. I have white girl hops all the way. But I would say yes, in the grand scheme of things a, you know, General athletic ability that I have, but I don't think that golfers necessarily have to be athletic and well rounded in all sports. I think it's such a specific type of athlete that is a good golfer. So I don't know most of my professional friends. They're good golfers, but they probably aren't very good soccer players or basketball players. I think it's it's not a general athletic ability in golf.
Nick VinZant 03:46
When you kind of started to pursue this more seriously, was it because you really liked golf more than other sports or was it because you were better at golf
Hailey Ostrom 03:57
It was definitely because I was better. Better at golf. And I think I just one day kind of realized that this was my ticket to college. And in my household growing up college was not an option. It was that it's that that's what you're gonna go do. That was what my parents were going to provide for my brother and I. But golf is going to be the way that I can kind of choose the college that I want to go to, and be different, I guess. So. I played volleyball as well as golf in high school. And it wasn't until my junior year that I decided I'm gonna stop playing volleyball and I'm just gonna focus on golf, because that's gonna be my ticket.
Nick VinZant 04:46
When did you start considering it? Like, Okay, I'm gonna do this professionally now.
Hailey Ostrom 04:50
Yeah, I would say it wasn't until going into my senior season. George Fox university that I realized I had It improved so much over the course of those three years. And then my dad kind of put that idea in my head like, hey, maybe if you keep improving this year, this is going to be your breakthrough year. You know, I believe in you, your coach believes in you. If you keep improving, you could really have a shot at a future and golf longer than your college career. And so I think my my senior year was that test run of like, Alright, this is make it or break it, like if I played really well, my senior year that I'm getting serious about it. But I think had I not had a really good senior year, maybe I wouldn't have continued to pursue it in professional golf.
Nick VinZant 05:44
Did you have an easy transition into the professional ranks? Or has it been a struggle?
Hailey Ostrom 05:50
I wouldn't say that it was easy, but I also wouldn't say that it was a struggle. I think it's probably hard for anybody to Try something new and, and crazy for yourself and pursue something so different. I mean, there aren't that many people after college who pursue a professional career in a sport. They might they, they usually just take their degree and go pursue that. So for me, I think the hardest part was the fact that I just basically threw all of my belongings in a car and drove down to Arizona. And I took a huge leap of faith there and just went for it. 100% I didn't know I really didn't know my roommate that I was about to live with. I didn't know her brother, who I was also going to be living with. I had never been to Scottsdale before. I didn't have a job and I barely had any money in my bank account, but I just took that leap. And I would say, that was the hardest thing for me to do. But also the best thing for me, I think that was one of my biggest decisions I've made In my 26 years, that that really helped set my path. But as far as playing, went, I had such a strong team behind me, my parents and my whole family and my college coach still supports me today. And I was able to find the right coach in Arizona, and he became my support team here. So from there, I just kind of built a little family and a little team in Arizona and and went with it.
Nick VinZant 07:36
How do you become a professional golfer, like is there a tryout to see if you can get on the tour? Do you qualify? Like, do you just show up? What do you do
Hailey Ostrom 07:47
You just show up
Nick VinZant 07:40
Just show up with some clubs and say here I am huh?
Hailey Ostrom 07:52
Yeah, so golf is a lot different than any other sport and I think a lot of people don't actually know that the answer to that question So with golf, you can pretty much sign up for any tournament as a professional. But once you do, so there's no going back. So, tournament entry fees are more expensive when you're a professional. And once you turn pro, you can accept sponsorships and money. But you can no longer ever play an amateur events again. So you're giving up that right. So for me, my first year I decided to remain an amateur when I moved to Arizona and I played on the cactus tour as an amateur. So my entry fees were a lot cheaper, but I couldn't accept any sponsors. But I figured for me, I didn't think I was gonna go out and win a bunch of money right away. So it was worth it for me to save the money on the entry fees and get some experience under my belt. Then I started realizing I had potential to Receive sponsorships and my first one was actually Nike. And that's when I decided, Okay, this is serious, you know, my social media has kind of taken taken off right now. So I decided to enter into my next event as a professional. And that's that's basically all you have to do, but it wouldn't. It's not that everybody can be a pro there would be no benefit for somebody to go sign up in a tournament as a professional and then just go walk around claiming that their professional golfer
Nick VinZant 09:35
but like, if I wanted to, I could technically do it.
Hailey Ostrom 09:41
Technically, yes, but you wouldn't have any status on any tours. That's why you get status on a tour you have to go compete at q school or qualifying school. So for the women we have LPGA qualifying school, you go it's three different stages. The first stage is one tournament of four days. And you compete against hundreds of other women and try and make it into stage two. Stage Two is another tournament, you go there, do the same thing and then try and make into the final stage. And that's where you can earn your LPGA status. So if you are just some random Joe Schmo on the street and you want to be a professional golfer, great, they'll sign up in a professional event. Probably not, you're not gonna get anywhere with it until you go get status on a tour.
Nick VinZant 10:30
How much of a difference is there between like a really good golfer and you? And then somebody who say is mid level or top level on LPGA?
Hailey Ostrom 10:43
Um, no. So there is not a big difference at all. And that's, that's kind of the the big question I guess in in golf is how do you how do you make that jump and be, you know, the top golfer on the LPGA Tour versus somebody like me, who's currently, you know, scrambling on many tours. What's the difference between me and those golfers and there really is a small difference. And trying to narrow down like what I can improve on is so hard sometimes that might might be the hardest, hardest issue. If I go out on on the driving range, and I hit balls, next to Lexi Thompson and all the other big names on tour, you probably wouldn't be able to pick me out and be like, oh, that girl clearly doesn't belong here. Like I my swing is is solid. I have a good game. But the difference is so small. It's just, you know, those girls making more birdies or who can handle the pressure or who can make the leap down the stretch. It's really small. differences. I think the difference between an amateur golfer or like a weekend warrior versus a professional golfer, though is big.
Nick VinZant 12:10
When you look at it and reflect on the differences between you and an LPGA player, do you see something that you need to improve on or does it just depend on the day?
Hailey Ostrom 12:25
Yeah, I so I keep all of my stats, and I evaluate where I go wrong on the course and the differences. And I always I love playing with golfers who are better than me, who doesn't, right, you want to get better and improve. So when I play with golfers that I consider to be better than me or have better status than me. I really focus on where they score and how they score. And I think what I have come down to is those girls are making more birdies. So when I have a birdie putt opportunity I may make it may not when they have a birdie putt opportunity, they're going to make it so birdie opportunities usually like 10 feet or or closer. They're going to make those putts. So mine's like maybe a 50/50 chance if I make it or not, they are going to make it and I think it's not that they're better Potter's. I think it's a mental check that they know that they need that birdie or they have worked hard to put themselves in that position to get that birdie. So they're going to make it whereas for me when I step up to that point, it's like I really want this birdie. I kind of want it too much. I'm putting a lot of pressure now on myself to make that so I might make it or I might not. So it's kind of figuring out what mental approach works best for you. I'm a true believer in the mental game and and it's a huge aspect to Professional Golf and probably any professional sport,
Nick VinZant 14:04
Do you think that golf is more of a mental sport than other sports?
Hailey Ostrom 14:09
Yeah, 100% I do just because golf is so different where there is not action the entire time you you spent I think, I don't know the statistic you're the the numbers on this. But I think it's something like during your entire round, you only really spend like 40 minutes or maybe even less than that. really focused on the shot. And actually, it might be a lot less than that might be like 20 minutes, you spend like 20 minutes, but around could take four hours. So you have all of that time to walk up to your ball and think about whatever is going to come into your mind. You have to train yourself to stay focused when you need to be focused, but to let go when you need to let go. So that's it. thing that I struggled with for a long time is I would be focused the whole time. And I it was like a little, if you could just picture my mind, it would be like a fist, a ball of, you're putting your fist in a ball, I was just clenched up all the time. Like, I'm going to focus, I'm gonna win, I'm gonna, you know, whatever, so intense. And that's not how the game needs to be played. You cannot be that focused and that intense for four hours, you're gonna I used to be exhausted by the end of my rounds. And so I think mental game with golf is you have to know when to focus, which is when you get up to your shot. Now you need to clear your mind focus in dial in on what you need to accomplish focus while you hit the shot. And as soon as the shot is gone. You have to release and just pick up your bag and walk to the next one.
Nick VinZant 15:52
So for you, what's the ultimate goal?
Hailey Ostrom 15:56
For me, the goal is to make it on the LPGA I think not only has that been something that I've wanted for a while now, but it's something I think I could make a difference in and kind of change the game a little bit. And help, you know, use my platform for good. I have built a small platform with my social media and it's so cool to see that I have impacted some younger women younger girls and some way and helped them in some way or inspired them even the slightest bit. So I think, if I were to make on the LPGA I could reach so many more people.
Nick VinZant 16:40
You do a lot of stuff for charity, what inspires you to be so involved?
Hailey Ostrom 16:45
Um, I feel like I have just been impacted in my life to see the good and some of the charities and what these organizations do and they have, you know, helped me get through some As far as, for example, I will just give this example. In college we were given the opportunity to carry a golf bag of a fallen soldier. So we all had our own team golf bag and then we had one extra bag that had not our name on it, but it had Lieutenant Mark Jennings daily on it. And one player got to carry that bag each week to the tournament. So whenever I got to carry the bag, it just was such a good reminder for me, that you know, this person gave up their life they they fought for our country, and I got to share his story while I had the bag people would ask about it and I got to talk about him and share his story and meet his his parents. And it just reminded me that there are such greater things in life than then a game of golf and it helped me put that into perspective and not get so frustrated on Golf Course anytime I hit a bad shot or, or I want to get mad or, you know, slam my club down, I would see his bag over there with the American flag on it. And I was like, okay, that's a ridiculous thing to get upset about. And it really did just help me put that into perspective and learn more about perspective. So, from that moment on, I figured I wanted to help give back to organizations like that. And I actually got involved in now work for backswing golf events. And a lot of our probably 90% of our events, we go out to charity events and help raise money for the charity. And it's so much fun to go out, you raise money, you have a fun time out on the course that day you get to hit shots and interact with people and meet new people. And then at the end, you go in and you give the tournament director, the money that you raise for that day and we raise a lot of money. For these, for these charities, we we raised a million dollars last year. So we, you know, walking in and giving that money over and seeing how happy they are and how excited they are. It's, it's really cool that you can make a difference, you know, and, and for me, it's great. It's like a win win all around because I get to work on my golf game and be outside and meet new people and help charity
Nick VinZant 19:24
is golfing like other sports like do you have a physical prime?
Hailey Ostrom 19:28
No, I wouldn't. I wouldn't say that golf has a physical prime. I mean, look at people on tour right now look at Phil Mickelson, Phil's 50 he's in his 50s now, and he's still out there just crushing it. So I would say that when you're younger, obviously it might come a little easier because it's probably easier to gain muscle and be fit and strong and healthy. You have to work a little bit harder as you get older for those things, but I wouldn't say that there's a physical Prime so many people play me my grandma's 84 years old and she still plays golf.
Nick VinZant 20:06
Are are you ready for the harder slash listeners submitted questions?
Hailey Ostrom 20:11
I am
Nick VinZant 20:13
Do you get tired of walking?
Hailey Ostrom 20:18
I actually prefer walking on the golf course especially when I'm in a tournament because I think that gives me time to be by myself and just enjoy being outside and just kind of part of nature I guess. So no, I don't get tired of walking but I work out enough to make sure that I don't get physically tired.
Nick VinZant 20:43
Favorite golf course.
Hailey Ostrom 20:44
My favorite golf course is crosswater is Sunriver, Oregon. I grew up playing there and then my senior year I won our conference championship there so I have a lot of good memories there.
Nick VinZant 20:57
Popular golf course. Other people seem to Like that you do not.
Hailey Ostrom 21:02
Oh, ah, I feel like I do have an answer to this. I just have to think about it for a second. There's a lot of courses in Arizona that I feel like get so much attention and I'm like I don't really like the hype. For example, one course that I have yet to play very well is true north. I can't even think of which side it is but it's a treat to to go out there because it is very nice. But I have not played it well yet. So I can't say I love it. But it is very, very nice. Another course I would say talking stick here in Scottsdale is really popular and not a huge fan. I think it's a little overrated. I like hidden gems, the ones that aren't super popular, but when you go out you just have such a fun time. It's a nice surprise
Nick VinZant 22:03
question from somebody. Do I need to wear pants to impress my friends when golfing? Will that help me out and make me look like a better golfer than I really am?
Hailey Ostrom 22:15
Hey, look good, feel good play good, right? That's, that's my motto. No, you don't need to wear pants. But I would recommend not wearing jeans on on any golf course even if they allow it probably just don't wear jeans. But you can wear shorts. I think that that's fine.
Nick VinZant 22:36
I've always had a problem when people like really show their socks like when they were like the ankle socks. I feel like that. Like that got that person's not going to be a great golfer.
Hailey Ostrom 22:48
I think if you just you know really rock your look with confidence Go for it, but I think they're I would just look up like some of the Nikes models or something Nike golf models because I think their their mind right now is so new and hip, and it's like a new version of golf. And they're kind of remaking the golf look. And so it's more athletic nowadays so you can wear high top golf shoes and cool shorts and a nice collared shirt and look really legit and look like an athlete rather than, you know, looking like your 80 year old grandpa who's been playing at the country club every week.
Nick VinZant 23:35
wearing shorts he's had since 1990.
Hailey Ostrom 23:39
Yeah, exactly.
Nick VinZant 23:41
best movie about a golfer. Our best golf best golf movie, worst golf movie,
Hailey Ostrom 23:48
best golf movie, my favorite Seven Days in Utopia. A lot of people don't know that movie, but I would definitely check it out and it's all about the mental side of golf. It's also book it was a book first but seven days you type utopia for sure.
Nick VinZant 24:05
Worst golf movie.
Hailey Ostrom 24:09
Um, I don't really have one that I really dislike but I will probably get so much hate for this but Happy Gilmore is just not my favorite.
Nick VinZant 24:21
Yeah, if you would have said Caddyshack, I was thinking of hanging up.
Hailey Ostrom 24:27
Oh my gosh, no Caddyshack for sure. is in. But Tin Cup is in. But Happy Gilmore is probably my least my least favorite out of all of them.
Nick VinZant 24:38
I could see that. It's kind of what did it get worse for you? Because I feel like Adam Sandler made some movies later on that kind of ruined his earlier movies in some way.
Hailey Ostrom 24:50
Yeah, I think it's just like that stupid funny, you know? And so after a while, it's like, okay, it's not that funny. But it's okay. Like, I have still watch it and I still like doing the Happy Gilmore swing and I appreciate it for the golf world, but it's my least favorite,
Nick VinZant 25:08
favorite club in your bag.
Hailey Ostrom 25:12
Every club in my bag is my favorite. Now I'm just kidding. Every club in my bag is not my favorite. Definitely, I've known for my driver, I love my driver. But I would say my putter is probably tied with my driver just because you have to fall in love with your putter. It's the most important club in the bag.
Nick VinZant 25:35
So I'm not nearly a good enough golfer to really know the difference but I mean is can you hit basically every club like as a as a professional? Is there really any difference? Like do you hit one club like, man, I can really hit this five. I can't hit this four.
Hailey Ostrom 25:52
No, actually, it's funny that you asked that because I think until up until like, maybe a year ago. I Oh had one club in my bag that I just didn't like as much as the others. There was always one. And so you feel like that one club comes up all the time and around, you're like, shoot, I don't want to hit this club. This is my least favorite club. But now I think I've just kind of made that turn in my game where I don't have that anymore. It used to be something where I had to work on that club a lot because I would be you know, stressed now when that yardage would come up and now I'm like, I'm not afraid to hit any shot and I know I can pull off any shot so yeah, it doesn't really affect me anymore. But that definitely was the thing for me, especially in college. I always had one club I just didn't like as much
Nick VinZant 26:46
are you? Are you actively thinking like during the swing? like okay, tuck my elbow twist my leg or is it all muscle memory point?
Hailey Ostrom 26:54
Oh, definitely don't want to think about mechanics during your swing. That will not help you. So I always have one swing thought. And it doesn't even have to be about the swing itself. It could just be, you know, Target or tempo, or, you know, breeze or whatever. But I always have one thing. A lot of times I'll think about keeping a shorter backswing I get, I tend to get really long with my backswing. So that's something that is more swing related that I think of, but that's it. I won't, I won't think of anything else.
Nick VinZant 27:31
Um, best golf trick that you can do.
Hailey Ostrom 27:34
I can't do that many check shots. So I would say my go to i can i can juggle and I can juggle between the legs and stuff and hit out of the air, but I can't do that many cool things. So my go to trick shot that looks pretty cool. Is juggling and then I can catch the ball in my hat. I flip the hat around and let the ball fall through the little pony detail spot. And then I continue I kept getting Chug, juggle it again. But that's honestly like so simple. Anybody can learn it. You can check it out on my YouTube because I did a full tutorial.
Nick VinZant 28:13
I mean, that sounds actually really impressive.
Hailey Ostrom 28:16
It looks cool and it looks like Oh, that looks like a cool trick shot like that looks fancy. But it's one that you can probably tell it's not that hard and it makes other people want to try it. So I think it's a good one
Nick VinZant 28:29
is I don't know if this is the right word dream golf foursome. Is that
Hailey Ostrom 28:34
Yep. Okay. So my dream golf for some I was I feel like I change it all the time. It just depends on the day. I always include my dad because i think if i he's the one that got me into the game, so if I'm gonna go get to play with with some cool people, then he should get to come with me. So it would be myself and my dad. A problem. Gonna have to say tiger. If I'm gonna have those three then it needs to be Phil. Phil tiger, me and my dad I think would be so fun, but I get to ride in a golf cart with Phil.
Nick VinZant 29:13
You're gonna take Tiger over Phil.
Hailey Ostrom 29:16
Yeah, because Tiger would be so intense and I would probably be so nervous. And I wouldn't want to say anything stupid. So I think with Phil I could just joke around, can have a drink or to have some fun.
Nick VinZant 29:32
Have you ever lost to like a random person?
Hailey Ostrom 29:34
Yeah, for sure. Um, yeah, I can't think of anything. Anyone on the top of my head. But yeah, there's there's people I actually one of my my friends. His name is Terry. He's like, I think he's 73 years old. And he plays golf here in Arizona and I met him through one of my got my special girlfriends and he invites me I'm going to play with him tomorrow morning. He gets me out once in a while, go play with him and he is such a good golfer. And he can beat me he hits the ball about the same distance as me. And he can beat me on any given day. He's shot his age many, many times.
Nick VinZant 30:14
So, like, do you have, do you have a handicap?
Hailey Ostrom 30:19
No when you're a professional, you don't keep a handicap because you don't need it anymore for tournaments. But I just I play to a scratch, you know, play, play part off but
Nick VinZant 30:28
Lowest that you've ever shot?
Hailey Ostrom 30:31
69 is my low.
Nick VinZant 30:33
That's really all the questions that I have and what's what's kind of coming up next for you.
Hailey Ostrom 30:39
So, you know, because of everything, I don't really have anything right now on the schedule I had. My April and May are my two busiest months for work. And that's kind of when I work really hard to save up a bunch of money and then I'm prepared for the rest of the year for golf tournaments and everything got canceled as you can imagine. So So I don't know right now the tour, I think the Wi Fi tour is supposed to start in June LPGA canceled all of their Monday qualifiers for anybody who doesn't have any LPGA status. So those were at the top of my list for this year, and now, I can't blame them. So I'm i right now my goal is I'm focusing on q School, which got moved to October, and I was gonna make sure I'm prepared for that.
Nick VinZant 31:31
I want to thank Haley so much for joining us if you want to connect with her. We have linked to her on our social media accounts, or Profoundly Pointless on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And we have also included her information on the RSS feed that's on this podcast. She's got a really cool YouTube page. It's really cool. It shows you exactly what goes into being a professional golfer. And there's a lot of creative stuff on social media there as well. We've also, we've noticed a lot of our guests are now creating tic tocs. So we put her tic toc in there as well. And we created a tic toc for this podcast. And because I think that we're kind of too old to get it, we're going to be the awkward people on social media. If you want to check it out, like we'll see how just out of touch we can be for a little while. Hopefully we'll get at least let's try to get five followers by 2021 because I feel like this is gonna go really, really badly for us.