Golf is a lifestyle for touring professionals. Striving to meet the sport’s demands on and off the course, week in and week out, can be mentally exhausting and all consuming. Many individuals become so engrossed in the game that it’s easy to lose perspective on other facets of life.
Eleven-year LPGA Tour veteran Jennifer Song has learned to find balance in her life through a unique hobby that has also become a new-found passion.
“I love to fish. I always go deep sea fishing when I have the time,” said Song, currently at 3-under par in the 2021 Pure Silk Championship presented by Visit Williamsburg. “You’re out there for like 8 to 10 hours, so you really need those 2 to 3 weeks off to make a schedule to go out there.
“My mom is like, ‘Are you a fisherman or a golfer?’ I was like, ‘Well, you have to understand it makes me happy.’”
With three weeks between her last competitive appearance at the HUGEL-Air Premia LA Open and the trip to Virginia and the Kingsmill Resort, Song had plenty of time to decompress and get something on the calendar for an Atlantic fishing expedition. She always finds her way onto a boat with Captain Ed and Tails Up Charters, located in Ponce Inlet, Fla. where she is known by the crew as ‘J Song.’ Once out to sea, her life as a golfer, and all the anxiety that goes with it, remains moored on the docks.
During her latest adventure, Song reeled in some sea bass, triggerfish, snapper and Jack Crevalle. All the peace and tranquility is not just for recreation.
“We bring it in to eat it, of course,” Song said. “We bring it in and then the captain will filet it for us right there. I sashimi it, put it in the freezer for 20 minutes and we have fresh sashimi. Leftovers we’ll freeze.
“We went like 30 miles out of Daytona Beach [most recently]. I think he [Captain Ed] has a map and he definitely wants us to have a lot of catch, so he goes to spots where there is a lot of fishies.”
Song brings a friend with her from time to time, even fellow LPGA Tour members Annie Park and Haeji Kang have joined her. She also mentioned just a couple years ago, with Hee Young Park in tow, is when she collected her biggest prize of a bonito. They snagged some barracudas that day, as well.
Heading into the weekend in Williamsburg, Va., perhaps her fishing prowess will rub off on her golf game as Song looks to catch some more birdies to climb the leaderboard.
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