PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. – Hello, friends and happy Women’s US Open week! I’m back to Rivieramy favorite course in the world, and having so much fun watching the world’s best players set it up. I have a new favorite US Open tradition that started last year at Oakmont when I spent the day with Silas, a Sentry First Tee new reporter. This week, I was thrilled to learn that I would be able to hang out with Jamie, an 11-year-old from California and the country’s Sentry First Tee Junior Reporter.
Jamie and I met in the media center first thing on Tuesday morning. She had a notebook full of questions for the players and was eager to get on the course. Our first stop was at the famous 10th hole where we met up with Bianca Pagdanganan as she teed off during her practice round. Jamie gets to walk a hole with him and ask all kinds of questions about golf and life. She was a natural! As someone who does this for a living and still gets nervous, I was very impressed with Jamie’s attitude with the pros.
We then headed to the range. I told Jamie that the area is one of my favorite places to hang out during tournament weeks because you get to see a bunch of players at once. Also, you can catch up with players, coaches, agents, and anyone else a player might have with them. Jamie got to interview several other players including Megan Khang. Then we took a break for lunch before our biggest event of the day.
At the beginning of our day together, Jamie told me that Lydia Ko is her favorite player. Luckily for us, Ko’s press conference was happening that afternoon. We told Jamie we were going to attend a press conference, but we didn’t say for whom. Jamie and I arrived a few minutes early, sat in the front row and asked her questions to find the perfect one to ask.
Press conferences can feel intimidating because you’re asking your question into a microphone in front of a room of people. This did not phase Jamie. It lit up when Ko entered the room. When it was Jamie’s turn to ask a question, she introduced herself and asked Ko how she keeps herself from giving up when she hasn’t played her best. Ko’s answer was great:
“I really believe that golf is never over until the glove comes off and golf finally hits the last hole. Golf is one of those crazy games. You’ve seen players lose five, six cuts in a row, and then they win the next week. You feel like the odds are not in your favor, but golf can do it for you. I feel good, but sometimes I hit it. Finishing 30 Then I feel a little sloppy and then I finish in the top 10. So there’s no right or wrong answer, and I think because of that, it helps me to be more motivated and not give up and just keep trying, I think that’s kind of the mindset that I try to get.
After the pressure, Ko took a few minutes to talk to Jamie. She signed Jamie’s hat, took pictures and thanked him for asking such a good question. It was the perfect way to end the day.
I love days like this because I remember being Jamie’s age and wanting to work in golf. I remember going to the 2006 Women’s Open at Newport (RI) Country Club and following Michelle Wie. It’s now 20 years later and I got to film some content with Wie this week!
“This was a really fun phase of Nike golf.”
Michelle Wie and her daughter react to old US Women’s Open photos: pic.twitter.com/dlBFso9Ev0
— Claire Rogers (@kclairerogers) June 4, 2026
I got to watch Jamie experience a perfect day of golf thanks to the Sentry and First Tee, and it was so much fun to watch her confidence grow as the day went on. Opportunities like this give kids who love golf the ability to experience our work for a day and it was an honor to play a small part in Jamie’s day.
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