Two-year-old Emery Gouws ran toward the ninth green, yelling “Mommy done,” much to the delight of the fans gathered for her Mommy’s autograph. Little Emery, accompanied by grandparents Tom and Angie Lincicome, was so excited to see her Mommy Brittany Lincicome walk out of the scoring tent.
Make no mistake that Mommy was happy to see her little girl. But she was also thrilled with her second straight round of 4-under 67, putting her at -8 overall and just three strokes off the lead heading into the final round of the 2021 ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer.
“She's a great cheerleader. She loves being out there and doesn't make a peep the whole round. Most 2-year-olds can't be quiet for that long,” said Lincicome with a big smile to Emery, who was waiting just outside the interview area. “But she loves golf and loves watching Mommy play golf, so it's great.”
But less than an hour after leaving the course, Lincicome took to social media with sad news. Her 91-year-old grandmother died on Saturday at 5:30 p.m., right around the time Lincicome finished her second round. “I’ve decided to stay and finish this tournament (because) I believe it is what she would have wanted. But I can promise you it won’t be easy,” Lincicome wrote on Instagram, a sentiment accompanied by photos with her grandmother, mother and daughter – four generations of strong women.
With a win on Sunday, Lincicome would join a small sorority of #LPGAMoms to win on Tour after giving birth. Stacy Lewis won the 2020 Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open less than two years after giving birth to her daughter Chesnee. Nancy Lopez, Juli Inkster, Cristie Kerr and Catriona Matthew all took titles with kids in tow, with Matthew winning the 2009 AIG Women’s Open just 11 weeks after delivering her daughter Sophie.
Lincicome is one of nine #LPGAMoms playing this week, a group that includes Sakura Yokomine, who is making her first LPGA Tour appearance since giving birth to a son in February. Additionally, Azahara Munoz is playing in the early stages of pregnancy, expecting her first child in March. With more than 20 moms actively playing on the LPGA Tour, Lincicome would like nothing more than to add a win to their #LPGAMoms ranks, with her baby girl there to see her Mommy’s success.
“I think she would know. It's cool,” said Lincicome, an eight-time winner whose last victory came at the 2018 Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic. “When you get into contention at a tournament, you never know which events your child is going to be at. Emery kind of picks and chooses which ones she comes to. It's cool to be playing well, it's cool to have her here. I think it'll help me play better tomorrow. I think it'll be really cool to have her on the green with me if I do win.”
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