Juli Inkster recalls being an impatient player when she turned pro and joined the LPGA in 1983, the first step of what would become an LPGA and World Golf Hall of Fame career. And while Inkster won an LPGA event in 1983 and two majors in 1984, including the Nabisco Dinah Shore in Rancho Mirage, California, she wants others to heed her advice about taking their time.
“It’s all about a process. It’s not ‘I need to win now,’” said Inkster, the part-time La Quinta resident and winner of 31 LPGA titles. “I hate to say it, but I was super impatient myself. You’ve got to just kind of let it happen. Let it come to you.”
That’s just part of the advice Inkster was dispensing this month as a mentor for budding women’s golf star Jenny Bae, the 2023 winner of the Inkster Award. As part of that award, given to the highest-ranking Division I collegiate golfer in her final year of eligibility, Bae earned a mentoring retreat with Inkster at Tradition Golf Club in La Quinta.
“She’s talked to me a lot ever since I got off the flight,” said Bae, a former top player at the University of Georgia who set numerous school records as well as going to a playoff at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur before falling to Rose Zhang. “I’ve been just starting to warm up with all my questions for her.”
Bae is the fourth winner of the Inkster Award sponsored by Workday, something that Inkster, a four-year player at San Jose State and a three-time U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, hopes is different from other postseason golf awards. Inkster wanted to honor golfers who stay in school rather than leave after a year or two for the professional life.
“As an amateur, you could go to the LPGA qualifying school and if you make it, you can get your card and you can leave (school), so you can start on the LPGA in January,” Inkster said. “But as a college coach or a college player, you are taking your best player off the team and you might have a chance to win a national championship. And now that’s gone.’
“So my thing was to reward a person who stays all four years in college, or five as it is now. Workday was great, because they are our South Bay company, which is where I’m at,” Inkster added.
Juli Inkster during the second round at the 2019 Senior LPGA Championship. Photo: Rick Sharp
The other key was Inkster didn’t want to just hand over a trophy to the winner. She wanted to have an impact as a mentor, something she did for dozens of players in her more active days on the LPGA.
“I wanted something that I could put my hands on and kind of make a difference,” Inkster said. “College golf, everything is done for you. What to eat, all your travel, what tournaments you play in. All of a sudden on the LPGA, it is just really different. So I wanted to give them one, the opportunity to come out and play a couple of days and talk about what they are going through. I also want them to know that they can call me any time and ask questions.”
The money helps, too
The award also comes with $50,000, something that Bae has already appreciated as she starts her pro career. In just 10 starts on the Epson Tour last year, Bae won two tournaments, and the $50,000 was important to her start.
“I can’t lie, it was one of the small issues that I have is financial. How we are going to move, where we are going to stay and all,” Bae said. “It really helped a lot. It allowed me not to have to worry about the financial piece and just also gave me that space to grow up and compete and do what I love.”
At Tradition, Bae not only had a chance to talk with Inkster, but played a round with Inkster as well as major championship winners Ingee Chun and Danielle Kang. But Bae also took the chance to ask Inkster about professional life seriously.
“I’ve actually put a lot of thought in this. She told me scheduling and being able to prepare for everything first, before I even had a chance to ask her. So that was actually great,” Bae said. “This morning I asked her about mental golf. There are a lot of distractions out there but also a lot of people who are able to help me. And maybe I just haven’t had the chance to meet them. So I asked her a few things about that.”
For Inkster, the ability to talk to young players lets her fall back on the experiences she’s had over 40 years as a pro.
“I’ve gone through it all. I’ve been on top, been on the bottom, raised kids,” Inkster said. “Golf is super hard. You can have a lot of success in college and all of a sudden you come out on the LPGA and it is really hard. And they don’t really have anyone to talk to. I’m kind of that.”