In the world of the gentleman’s game, women had to fight many battles to make a place for themselves. Over the years, the sport has become more inclusive for women. One such beautiful example is the initiative that is taken by the LPGA Tour to support professional golfers who are also mothers. Balancing parenting responsibilities with a competitive golfing career can be particularly challenging for female athletes. And the women’s circuit found a fix for it.

Keeping the same in mind, significant changes have been implemented in the support system of the LPGA tour over the years, including the addition of daily care support. So, what is the daily care in the LPGA Tour’s support system that provides care for the children of LPGA moms? Let’s delve deeper!

How Does the Center Support LPGA Moms During Tournaments?

Started in 1993, the Smucker LPGA Child Development Center is the first traveling childcare center in professional sports. The J. M. Smucker Company, renowned for its jams, jellies, and peanut butter, oversees the Child Development Center. The well-known company provides services to the players and the LPGA staff.

The daycare program provides a comfortable environment for the children where they are familiar with the ladies taking care of them. Apart from that, they have toys and little friends to play with. Thanks to the Smucker’s Child Development Center, LPGA moms can tee off knowing their children are well cared for and they need not worry.

The center has gained the trust of many professionals, including Stacy Lewis, a two-time major champion and mother, who shared her experience from the 2022 LPGA season. Lewis mentioned how the tournaments became more manageable for her due to the daycare program. During the 2022 U.S. Open, Lewis unfortunately suffered from food poisoning, and to worsen matters, she had her daughter with her. Unable to take care of her health, Lewis turned to one of the daycare attendants for assistance.

The 39-year-old further expressed her appreciation for the help she received from the Daycare Center, stating, “So Smucker’s Child Development Center isn’t just promoted as offering a certain number of hours of daycare every day; if you really need help with something or you need extra time, they will provide it in a heartbeat.” The positive impact of such initiatives can be seen in the ongoing Ford Championship, where a large pool of LPGA pros with children are participating in the event.

Moms participating in the Ford Championship on the LPGA Tour

Since Stacy Lewis’s win at the 2020 Scottish Open, no mother has claimed victory on the LPGA Tour. But this week at the Ford Championship, we’re witnessing tee-offs from mothers like Lindsey Weaver-Wright, Sophia Popov, and Caroline Masson. Weaver-Wright has made a return to the greens since December 17th, 2023, when she became a mother.

The pro started this week with a bogey-free, 4-under 68 at Seville Golf and Country Club. When asked about the return, she “didn’t really know what to expect.” The 30-year-old continued, “I just went into the whole week with very little expectation.” Even though, she had “a lot going on” in her “mind” the “Crew was just, it’s so funny just getting his texts from daycare, updates after the round. I just love it.”

Read More: 2024 Ford Championship: Exploring the Venue, Seville Golf and Country Club

While talking about the updates from daycare, the pro concluded, “My husband is updating me and he gets all the notifications, too.” Even though the LPGA doesn’t provide daily care directly, with the help of collaboration, the tour has always cared about the pros and their families.

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