Game Changers
Finding Balance: Alisa Rodriguez
By Abby Parsons, PGA
Published on
PGA Professional, Alisa Rodriguez hits her tee shot on the ninth hole during the second round for the 2021 KPMG Women's Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club on June 25, 2021 in Johns Creek, Georgia.PGA of America
Imagine juggling your job, working towards your PGA Membership, participating on the Epson Tour, and prepping for a major championship all at the same time.
Insert Alisa Rodriguez, the woman who does it all.
“I don’t know how I balance all of it,” Alisa says, “but it’s really fun.”
Alisa played anything but golf before she was 14-years-old. One day, her uncle introduced her to the game and she wanted to try out for the high school team. Next thing you know, she has an incredible first season.
“I thought to myself, ‘Wait… I’m actually good at this.’ From there, I was hooked.”
After playing college golf at the University of Texas at El Paso, Alisa continued with her golf roots. You can now find Aleisa on the lesson tee at Balcones Country Club in Austin, Texas when she is not traveling the country playing golf on the Epson Tour.
“The goal is to be on the LPGA Tour,” Alisa says with confidence, then pauses and says: “but I love teaching, it’s hard for me to think about not being able to teach as much.”
You might be wondering, why is she trying to become a PGA Member if she is trying to play on the LPGA Tour?
“There is a respect that comes with being a PGA member that is hard to describe,” Alisa says, “and that is the respect I have always wanted in the golf world.”
No matter what, Alisa Rodriguez plans to have “,PGA” after her name so she can teach full time eventually. Whether that is before or after she becomes a member of the LPGA Tour, that is for the world to see.
The next test of Rodriguez’s playing ability will be at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, which will be her second showing on this stage.
“You go into it thinking it’s so different when you are playing with the best of the best, you get starstruck and everything. Then you remember they are normal people. Maria Fassi complimented me on my headcover last year on the driving range, little things like that are what make it real.”
Alisa has been practicing more and playing in Epson Tour events prior to her upcoming major championship, and she is feeling more prepared than ever before.
“I couldn’t tell you what the best part of my game is right now, every part feels like the best part.”
With the confidence and mentality like that, it is pretty easy to say that there is a good chance we will be seeing the name Alisa Rodriguez on the leaderboard.