Golf4Her: In The Rough With Stefanie Kenoyer

Nancy Lopez & Stefanie Kenoyer

Had a chance to catch up with pro Golfer and Golf4Her Ambassador Stephanie Kenoyer over the holiday weekend! 

Here's what Stephanie had to say:

1. Who inspired you to start playing golf? Or was it just always of interest to you?
 Actually my paternal grandmother was a great golfer and won several amateur championships back when women weren’t playing all that much golf! Unfortunately she died before I was born but I believe I had it in my blood and I didn’t even know it! I didn’t start playing until I was 13 though because I was interested in several other sports before golf. However I am so glad I settled on golf!

2. What is your go-to or favorite snack to always keep in your golf bag? 
 Almonds and a PB&J Sandwich

3. What was the best advice you were ever given? (success in golf or just everyday life)
 The best advice I have ever received was to never ever give up and to always forgive yourself. I am very hard on myself and whenever I go through a tough patch or a time when I am not playing well I have a tendency to beat myself up a bit. This year is the first year I have looked at golf as more of a journey that might take a little while to get to where I want to be and that’s okay. Instead of putting so much pressure on myself to achieve all of my goals right this minute, I am giving myself the room to really enjoy what I do every day and work hard to become better a little bit each day. Now that I took some of the pressure off, I am playing so much better!

4. What has been your biggest accomplishment so far? 
 Probably qualifying to play in the US Open in 2009, it was the tournament that inspired me to want to play professionally.

5. Are you involved in any charities? If so, why that specific one?
 Well this year I worked with a sponsor, Iain Thomson, to run a Pro-Am golf day for his clients and together we raised over ten thousand dollars for the Canadian DiabetesAssociation! This was a special cause for me because my grandfather (who is 95 years old!) has diabetes and has been living with it for much of his life.

 6. What kind of work outs do you do to prepare for a day on the golf course?
 I do a combination of things, some weights mixed with stretching and cardio… All golf specific moves to strengthen the areas of my body that allow me to make the best golf swing possible. I also love to do hot yoga, it helps me relax and work on focus and strength all at the same time!

 7. What does a typical day look like for you? 
 Well, I have been doing a “boot camp” when I have been home in Birmingham, which entails starting with a workout at the course at 7am and then spending the rest of the day until about 6pm working on areas of my game that need work and playing… All to get ready for the Q-School process which starts in about a month! I am feeling great about how far my game has come in the last few months so it keeps me encouraged to continue working hard.

 8. What is the last book you read? 
 Becoming Myself by Stasi Eldridge

 9. Is there a particular song that you like to listen to when you warm up?
 I usually just listen to Pandora while I stretch and get ready for the day, nothing specific just something to relax my mind and help me feel ready for whatever I need to accomplish that day!

 10. How did you get into sailing? 
 Well my parents have a sail boat and we used to take it over to the Bahamas every summer and live on it for a few months… My first trip over there I was 9 months old! I have always loved the water and grew up feeling connected to the ocean as it was such a big part of my childhood. Also, those trips were the most amazing time for my family, as the 5 of us spend so much quality time together. I truly believe that is why our family is so close, all thanks to our sailboat “Sheer Bliss"

 11. Do you have a celebrity crush? 
 No, not really… Right now the only person on my mind is my soon to be husband Trey!!

 12. What’s your favorite app on your phone?
 Hmm… That changes all the time but for now I’d have to say Pinterest… I am planning my wedding while traveling this season so I love all the ideas on there!

 13. Are you a Starbucks or Dunkin person? 
 I prefer Dunkin, but I have been up in Canada a bit this summer and I think my new favorite is Tim Horton’s!

 14. What is your favorite thing to do after a long day of playing golf? 
 Unwind with my family, even if I am tired I never mind chasing my nieces and nephews around!

 15. What is your guilty pleasure?
 I am a sucker for sweets. I try to refrain from even buying them because if they are in front of me I don’t really have much power against them! Especially anything chocolate...

 16. How has being on Big Break changed your life? 
 Wow, where can I even begin. BigBreak led me to make some lifelong friends (including other Golf4Her ladies Mallory Blackwelder and Sara Brown). It gave me the exposure I needed to even continue playing golf professionally, it helped me feel confident in any situation I need to take on… Oh, and it brought me to the person I am going to spend the rest of my life with! (My fiancé is the son of my Big Break NFL Partner Al DelGreco, and yes, Al was the matchmaker!)

 17. Do you have a strange superstition that you swear by? 
 I’m not really a superstitious person, although when I am playing well during a round I will avoid changing golf balls… I guess that is slightly superstitious.. I try to live by the motto that God has a wonderful plan for me and for my life and he has me on the course to achieve many things through Him so no matter what I eat for breakfast or what socks I wear (trying to think of some crazy superstitions), it will all work out in the end.

 18. What is the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you on the course?
 It’s funny, I always think back to times that seemed so embarrassing and then once they are over they never seem to be as bad as you think they are… I can remember one time in college when I tried to hit a shot from up against a tree (one I really had no business trying to play) and I completely missed the ball. I couldn’t really believe it happened and I just smiled and started laughing! My playing competitors must have thought I was crazy!

by Gabrielle
Golf4Her, Fashion Sqaud

Join us for the premier of Big Break Ireland

{ Mallory Blackwelder, LPGA Futures Tour }

Join us on Tuesday, September 20 at 9pm (ET) for the season premier of the Golf Channel's Big Break Ireland, featuring Golf4Her brand ambassador Mallory Blackwelder who will compete for a chance to win an $80,000 pot o' gold and 2 tour exemptions. 

Luck will only get her so far, skill will make her the next winner of the Big Break.

Join us on Facebook and Twitter for chances to win great prizes. The longer Mallory stays on the show, the better the prizes will be!

Let us know if you'll be watching with us!

Mallory Blackwelder will Compete on Golf Channel’s Big Break Ireland

Golf4Her Brand Ambassador

Rockaway, New Jersey - Golf4Her, LLC, the popular online retailer for women’s golf apparel announces that brand ambassador Mallory Blackwelder will appear on The Golf Channel’s popular reality series, Big Break Ireland..

Blackwelder is the daughter of 13-year LPGA veteran Myra Blackwelder and professional LPGA caddie Worth Blackwelder. After traveling worldwide with the LPGA and Ladies European Tour in 2010, Mallory is competing full-time on the LPGA Futures Tour in 2011.

“The decision to compete on the Big Break was easy,” says Blackwelder. “I love to compete and this is the perfect opportunity for me to prove to myself and my family that I have what it takes to compete at the highest levels of golf.”

Big Break Ireland, is scheduled to premiere Sept. 20 at 9 p.m. ET, featuring a cast of six men and six women  competing against each other in an attempt to make real their lifelong dreams of playing alongside the world’s top golfers. The ultimate male or female winner will be awarded two tournament exemptions from the four exemptions up for grabs, which represent events on the LPGA Tour, European Tour and Ladies European Tour. The winner also will receive a host of other prizes.

“Mallory is an extremely ambitious woman and embodies all that is great about golf,” said Christina Thompson, owner of Golf4Her. “As far as competing, there is no doubt that Mallory has the physical skills and mental toughness to walk away the next winner of Big Break Ireland. Golf4Her is excited for Mallory and, like everyone else, can’t wait for the premiere in September.” During the 10 weeks the show airs, fans will have the chance to interact with Blackwelder on the Golf4Her Facebook page.

Filmed on location in June at The K Club in Kildare, Ireland, Big Break Ireland will unfold on the resort’s two championship golf courses – the Palmer Smurfit Course and the Palmer Ryder Cup Course. Both designed by Arnold Palmer, the Palmer Ryder Cup Course is consistently ranked as one of the top-3 parkland courses in Ireland. The Palmer Smurfit Course, in contrast, is an inland links course, with dramatic landscapes and dune-type mounding throughout. In addition to hosting the 2006 Ryder Cup, The K Club also has hosted 13 European Opens on the European Tour.

About Golf4Her
Golf4Her is the popular online shopping destination for women's golf apparel, accessories and gear. By partnering with the golf industry's top designers, Golf4Her brings women easy access to a collection of hard to find golf fashions in the latest styles, newest fabrics, and hottest trends. Golf4Her carries styles that blend fashion and sport with lifestyle, giving women a fresh new look for on and off the course. More information about Golf4Her can be found at www.golf4her.com.

About Golf Channel
Golf Channel is a multimedia, golf entertainment and services company based in Orlando, Fla. The Golf Channel cable network, co-founded by Arnold Palmer and a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is available in more than 120 million homes worldwide through cable, satellite and wireless companies. Exclusive partnerships with the world's top tours allow Golf Channel to feature more live golf coverage than all other networks combined, added to a programming schedule distinguished by golf's best news, instruction and original programming. Golf Channel's digital platform of businesses is led by www.GolfChannel.com, the number-one golf destination on the Internet, delivering unmatched coverage of the world of golf, as well as services that help the recreational player with how to play, what to play and where to play golf.

Contestants revealed for Golf Channel's "Big Break Ireland"

ORLANDO, Fla. – This fall, 12 professionals will journey to the Emerald Isle with hopes of putting their careers on the fast track when Golf Channel’s “Big Break” series returns for its 16th season.

“Big Break Ireland,” premiering Sept. 20 at 9 p.m. ET, will feature an international cast of six men and six women competing against each other in an attempt to make their dreams of playing alongside the world’s top golfers a reality. Filmed at the K Club in Kildare, Ireland, the ultimate winner will be awarded two exemptions from the four exemptions up for grabs – which represent events on the LPGA, European Tour and Ladies European Tour – among other prizes.

One of the tournament exemptions will be the European Tour’s Irish Open in 2012. This year’s Irish Open, will include Waterville, Ireland, native and “Big Break Ireland” contestant Mark Murphy, who is competing this week on a sponsor’s exemption.

The competitors on Big Break Ireland are:

• Mallory Blackwelder (24, Versailles, Ky.) – The daughter of 13-year LPGA veteran Myra Blackwelder and professional caddie Worth Blackwelder. After traveling worldwide with the Ladies European Tour in 2010, Mallory is competing full-time on the Futures Tour in 2011.
• Annie Brophy (24, Spokane, Wash.) – A rookie on the LPGA Futures Tour and Notre Dame alum, Brophy is looking to capture the Luck of the Irish.
• Joe Campbell (23, Cheltenham, England / Charlotte, N.C.) – The youngest competitor on the series, Campbell also is the longest hitter off the tee. He works at Carolina Golf Club, saving up money for the mini-tourevents in 2011. 
• Kelly Jacques (25, Thornton, Colo.) – Jacques made her return to competitive golf in 2011 after taking time away from the game following graduation at the University of Oklahoma. Currently competing on a limited schedule on the Futures Tour, Jacques has a new, fresh outlook on the game.
• Bennett Maki (26, Orlando, Fla.) – Unlike a lot of his playing competitors, Maki is starting his professional career. A model and actor, Maki has appeared on numerous commercials that have aired on Golf Channel, which has served as a supplemental source of income to achieving his dream of competing on the PGA Tour.
• Matt Melrose (27, Mulanje Malawi / Scottsdale, Ariz.) – A veteran of several mini tours and the Gateway Tour, Melrose is competing without ever having watched a previous series.
• Mark Murphy (34, Waterville, Ireland / New Orleans, La.) – An Ireland native, Murphy grew up 4 hours south of the K Club in Waterville. Currently residing in New Orleans, La., Murphy’s dream of playing on the PGA Tour is still alive, although the results as a professional golfer have not come tofruition like he hoped.
• Nina Rodriguez (27, San Jose, Calif.) – Currently competing on the LPGA Futures Tour, Rodriguez is a late bloomer to the game, deciding to focus solely on golf at age 19.
• Nicole Smith (24, Riverside, Calif.) – Currently living out of her car, Smith is competing full-time on the Futures Tour. The alumfrom the University of Tennessee is looking to follow in the footsteps of “Big Break Sandals” competitor Ryann O’Toole, her close friend and travel companion.
• Julien Trudeau (30, Montreal, Quebec / Phoenix) – The lone Canadian, Trudeau is looking to continue the recent success Canadians have had on Big Break. A veteran of several mini tours in the U.S. and Canada, Trudeau was ready to walk away from the game when a friend suggested he audition and give professional golf one more try.
• Andy Walker (36, Phoenix) – A veteran of several professional golf tours, Walker has yet to have that breakthrough year. In addition to competing on the professional circuits, he also is a professional golf instructor, assistant golf coach at South Mountain Community College.
• Whitney Wright (26, Greenville, S.C.) – Girlfriend of “Big Break Indian Wells” competitor Robbie Biershenk, Wright is competing on the Futures Tour and supplements her income by competing in charitable competitions on the golf course.

Tom Abbott and Stephanie Sparks return as co-hosts for the series.

By GolfChannel.com Team