THE MODERATOR: Before we begin, please remember to utilize the chat function request for asking questions. You will be unmuted once it's your turn. Thank you.
With that said, this Wednesday afternoon we've got 2016 U.S. Women's Open champion, Brittany Lang with us. She had baby Shay back in January.
By the way, Brittany, how is baby Shay doing?
BRITTANY LANG: She's doing so awesome. She's great. She's a good baby. She's doing awesome in daycare. We're so lucky to have those ladies, and she's doing great. I think she enjoys being there more than with Kevin and I. She's very social, so likes to be with all the babies, and she's doing fantastic.
THE MODERATOR: What's an average day like these days out on the road again, beginning maybe from when you wake up to when you guys sleep and baby Shay being there with you?
BRITTANY LANG: Yeah, it's quite different than my first 14 years on tour. I'm tired. She's been a really good sleeper for a long time and she's kind of having some sleep regressions. I don't know if it's because we're in a new place, but she's woke up a lot these past few weeks. So I haven't gotten a lot of solid sleep.
So I usually give her a bath and a bottle around 10:00. Usually try to put her to bed between 10:00 and 11:00, but when I tee off early I put her to bed at 9:00 and she actually did really well. She's kind of rolling with the different times.
And she sleeps. She normally sleeps eight, nine, ten hours and then get her up. If she's sleeping, that's when I can get my most stuff, get ready. Right when she wakes up it's all about her, change her and feed her and get her settled.
I think once I get a nice routine it'll be easier. Getting her bag ready, drop her at daycare. And then when I'm done here -- which I would rather go be with her than practice. When I am done here I go pick her up from the daycare, and then just hanging out in the room and not doing too much with all the COVID stuff going on.
THE MODERATOR: That was one of my questions, is have you had any disturbances at night due to baby Shay? And when you have disturbances, does husband come to the rescue?
BRITTANY LANG: Well, Kevin was here last week; my mom is here this week. But, yes, she's been a great sleeper. I think she's been a little bit congested and she's -- she's in a new place. A lot of moving parts.
But it's okay. I played really well last week and I got woke up probably four, five times throughout the night. You're tired, but you get ready. It's something different.
Like I said, I've played 14 years one way, and I love that it's not about me. It kind of takes some pressure off of you. It's not an excuse, but she needs to be taken care of and she's first.
Whatever I have left I can do for golf.
THE MODERATOR: And as an LPGA mom, what does it mean to still see the Smuckers LPGA Child Develop Center out on tour?
BRITTANY LANG: Oh, my gosh. Those ladies are saints. They're so great. We're so fortunate. I mean, we couldn't -- you could do it. It would be very expensive to pay someone to travel. I've known these ladies since I've been out here. Joy has been out ten years; think Bardene is 20 years. They're awesome, very calm, and they just make you feel so good.
I was explaining to them when I was dropping Shay off, If you pull her in real close and rock her, she goes to sleep. She's like, Brittany, we know. We got it. They just make you feel so comfortable. Go play golf, do your thing, we got her. She's great. It just makes you feel so good.
And when I first dropped her off last week, everybody kept asking who cried, you or Shay? Neither of us cried. Like I've known them for so long I felt so comfortable leaving her, and I knew she would be with my friends' kids out here.
So it was so easy, and we are so fortunate to have those ladies. We really are.
THE MODERATOR: Have you learned any tips from them maybe?
BRITTANY LANG: Not yet. I mean, they've helped me with a lot of stuff, but they're just great. You know, letting me leave stuff where the daycare is so I don't have to haul it. They're just fantastic ladies. I'm sure they have a lot to teach me.
THE MODERATOR: That's awesome.
BRITTANY LANG: Yeah.
THE MODERATOR: You had Kevin on the bag last week, but a different caddie this week. Mind if I ask who it is and why you chose to him on this week?
BRITTANY LANG: Yeah. You know, I had my brother for so long on the bag, and it's been a struggle finding someone. It's hard for the caddies getting tested and making sure everything is safe, and understandably so. So it's been difficult trying to find a caddie.
So Kevin had to go home, and Kevin wasn't even really supposed to caddie last week. He was coming to help me with Shay, and I couldn't find one so I'm like, Okay, Kevin is in. Just make my feel calm and comfortable. Ended up working out great.
But Cooper Diaz is on the bag, Laura's Diaz's son, who is 14. He's awesome. He's a great kid. He's scratch player. I mean, Laura Diaz is his mom. He knows golf, the etiquette. He's been doing awesome.
I was having him get my yardages and he's doing great picking clubs, great reader of the greens. It's fun. I had Luke for so long that it's such a fresh perspective. My husband last week was so excited to caddie. It just makes you appreciate it a little bit more. And then I have a 14 year old boy who he plays -- it's been fun. It's been really cool for me.
THE MODERATOR: That's awesome. Speaking of this week, what are you most looking forward to?
BRITTANY LANG: Just competing. You know, it just felt really good last week that it mattered and you're under the gun and it means something. Your nerves are going and makes you feel alive.
But I've been hitting it great, rolling it really well. I would love to have another great week. If it goes that way it would be awesome. But I just want to keep working on my process and getting stronger and getting good experience while having Shay on the road.
THE MODERATOR: I do want to take this time to ask the audience if they have any questions before I ask a couple of mine.
Mark has a question.
Q. I suppose Toledo has a little bit of a special place in your heart. 15 years ago that you turned pro and your first tournament was here. What's it been like for 15 years coming back it Highland Meadows?
BRITTANY LANG: You know, Toledo and Highland Meadows are so special in my heart. Judd Silverman gave me my first start here. I think I was 19 my first ever pro event. We've stayed with the same people for 15 years. Awesome people. We have such a great friendship with them and I've met so many people here.
This is an extremely special place for me. It's such a great golf courses. I would love to play well here. It's just great to be back. I know they made some changes to the course, but I feel comfortable here. Feels like home and we have a lot of the friends and family up here.
Q. Going back to last week, I understand there was a little bit of a husband and wife moment on the first day with a problem with Kevin misreading the yardage.
BRITTANY LANG: Yeah. You know, he had one mess-up for those three days, which I think is pretty darn good. We still made par. He's good with numbers and he's a smart guy. He knows golf. He's very good at golf.
We had a blast. Besides that one mess-up, which was quite funny. I looked at him like, Are you sure? He was like, That's the yardage. That's right. I'm like, Man, it sure looks longer than that. The I hit a 7-iron and it was short.
I'm not usually one to say this, but that's not correct. And I made a par anyway so it was no big deal. But he did great. It was tough conditions, tough weather. He did so good. Our reads and clubs were great and we just had so much fun.
I think it was better for me. He made me play a little bit more aggressive. Something new, fresh. So I think it was really, really beneficial for me.
THE MODERATOR: I have a question about this week again. Which part of your game do you feel is the strongest right now?
BRITTANY LANG: You know, I've had so much time to work on fundamentals. My fundamentals are really strong. I'm fortunate that I had time to get strong and work on my fundamentals.
But just as of late, I picked up one my mental psychology books and my mind has been super engaged and committed and into the game, and so I feel that's what really helped me at Inverness.
I'm going to try -- so my answer is my mind and that's my goal, to really keep my mind engaged and committed each shot, and I think I'll have a great week if I do that.
THE MODERATOR: Great. Speaking of mindfulness, do you meditate or anything on the side?
BRITTANY LANG: I don't meditate. I know I probably should. You know, they say that's really important. It helps you stay focused in the moment. But I do a lot of practices to try to be present to something for a minute, whether that's a feel or visually something or whatever it is to try to get yourself to only be sensory based for that minute. I do those practices of.
Then I also do a lot of DHEA practices, which are the good feeling hormone. You know, just being in like a Cloud 9 state. It's kind of euphoric. It's actually really interesting. I do a lot of Vision54 ladies, Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott, and I've worked with them forever and I love their books.
So I do a lot of that, the present exercises and a lot of DHEA stuff.
THE MODERATOR: Lastly, a fun question hopefully. Your birthday is coming up August 22nd.
BRITTANY LANG: Yes.
THE MODERATOR: How are you looking to celebrate it, especially now with an added member to the family to congratulate you?
BRITTANY LANG: Yeah, I'm actually really nervous about that. I'm going to Scotland and Shay is not coming with me. I'm going over there for two weeks for the Scottish and the British and she's going to stay home with my Kevin and our nieces and my mother-in-law are going to watch her while I'm gone, and my birthday is during that time.
I feel like I'm going to be sad, but I'm looking forward to playing and I know it's only two weeks, because I'll have her pretty much the rest of the whole year. But I think I'm going to be super sad. I'm going to miss her. I'm going to have to FaceTime a lot.
THE MODERATOR: With that, happy early birthday and good luck this week.
BRITTANY LANG: Thank you. Thank you so much.
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