Cheyenne Woods, niece of Tiger Woods, attends Wake Forest University where she will be a sophomore this fall (2009). Like her uncle, she is a talented golfer. She has had success as a member of the Wake Forest women's golf team. Her Wake Forest coach says that Cheyenne does not mention her famous uncle and "asks for no special favors as a member of her college team". The New York Times reported that "she has won more than 30 amateur tournaments and was the second lowest scorer at Wake Forest" her freshman year.
Cheyenne was encouraged to compete in her first LPGA tournament the last week of June, 2009 at the Wegmans LPGA which was held at Locust Hill Country Club in suburban Rochester, NY. The weather was a challenge to contend with...it was a stormy, rainy day with half of the field having to complete their Friday rounds on Saturday due to weather delays. Cheyenne managed to finish her second round on Saturday shooting a two over par 75, however she missed the cut.
When Cheyenne was 2 years old, she discovered some cut-down clubs in her grandfather's garage. It wasn't long before her grandfather, Earl Woods Sr. realized that she had a gift...a fluid, economical swing like his son, Tiger. Earl Woods Sr. taught Cheyenne the basics of the game. She caught on quickly and won her first national tournament at the age of 10. At age 18, Cheyenne has aspirations to follow in her Uncle Tiger's "spike steps".
Cheyenne received a sponsor's exemption invitation for the Wegman LPGA. However, before she accepted it, she conferred with Uncle Tiger asking his advice. Tiger told her that "exemptions are very hard to come by" and that she should definitely take it.
Cheyenne Woods grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and won two Arizona high school championships in addition to the 30 amateur titles. At the recent college NCAA championships, she finished in the middle of the field.
It is difficult for a relative of a celebrity to cope with the pressure of the media and the tournament crowds. Cheyenne says that she understands that comparisons to her famous uncle will be inevitable and that she will never be able to escape those comparisons. This young college woman stated, "I don't mind. I'm proud that he's may uncle and I'm thankful I chose a sport that I love and he loves. I see it as a positive being related to the best golfer who ever played the game".
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