The LPGA family grew by three this week, and the Smucker’s LPGA Child Development Center will continue to be one of the busiest places on Tour. Katherine Perry and husband Kevin Hamski welcomed John Thomas Hamski on Sept. 3, while Jane Park and husband Pete Godfrey welcomed Grace Yuna Godfrey on Sept. 5.
Additionally, Sakura Yokomine and husband Yotaro Morikawa announced that she is expecting their first child, bringing to the total of active LPGA mothers and mothers-to-be to 20.
“I am delighted to announce that I am expecting a baby. My husband and I are very excited about the change that will happen in our life,” Yokomine wrote on her Instagram page. “I will be away from the tours for a while and will surely miss being there but will be back with lots of energy returning to the tour next year.”
Moms have also taken center stage at this month’s US Open tennis tournament, where three mothers reached the quarterfinals for the first time in Grand Slam history, with nine total mothers in the main draw. #LPGAMom and 2011 ANA Inspiration champion Stacy Lewis knows too well what it took for Victoria Azarenka, Tsvetlana Pironkova and Serena Williams to regain their form after giving birth.
“I was actually watching the tennis these last couple days and thinking, gosh, they're finishing at 8:00, 9:00, 10:00 at night, and you have to have somebody with you to help get the baby to bed on time and all that kind of stuff. You know the challenges that they're going through, as well I think it was Victoria Azarenka, she was so excited to win her match the other night, because you get it. I was there too,” said Lewis, who delivered daughter Chesnee in October 2018. “You understand what it's like, the work that you put back into it to get to that point again. So it definitely gives you some motivation to see other women doing it.”
Last month, Lewis claimed her first win as a mom at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open. She became the fourth current LPGA Tour player to win as mother, joining Catriona Matthew, Juli Inkster and Cristie Kerr. Her welcome-home hug from Chesnee was even sweeter with a trophy in hand and an adorable “So Proud of You Mommy” banner hanging on the front porch of their Houston home.
“Winning there was super cool. I wish Chesnee would have been there in person to be able to celebrate with her,” said Lewis. “People just don't realize what goes into a day with a baby and what it takes to get to the first tee and to be able to do your job.
So if Lewis wins on Sunday and gets a second famed jump into Poppie’s Pond, will Chesnee get to jump in too? You’d better bet that she’ll get wet.
“Chesnee is not a big jumper yet, so she would have to kind of crawl in there. Hopefully I'd love for her to be the first kid that gets to go in the pond,” said the proud mama with a laugh.
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