2019- The Year of Refinement

a year in reflection

The end of 2019 quickly approaches and another year has gone by in a flash! I am so grateful for each year that I get to travel, compete and continue to grow. It is such a privilege to be able to pursue my dreams, and like everything it comes with the good and the bad. There is great joy in honing my craft, hitting the links with friends, and seeing new places, but the time away from home and unmet expectations has its own set of challenges as well.

This year was characterized by pushing through personal challenges, doubt, and mental strongholds. The year felt a lot like climbing up a mountain and then falling back down. I gave my emotions too much control, which caused a lot of my inability to perform and enjoy the present. This has probably been the hardest year yet, but in pain is where the real growth happens and for that I wouldn’t change a thing.

My third season playing professionally comes to a close and though it comes with disappointment it also comes with great appreciation for being challenged and refined. A lot was left to be desired but I enter next year motivated to keep improving and give it everything I have. I feel extremely hopefully and excited for what God has in store.

Golf Recap

Looking back at the year on the course, it was a tough one. I had high hopes and honestly didn’t achieve the goals that I had set for the season. After almost getting my card last year I wanted to get redemption. What I didn’t realize though was that I allowed my disappointment from the previous year carry into the beginning of this one. I subconsciously felt left behind on Symetra because many of my friends graduated and carried impatience of just wanting to be on LPGA. This left me out of the present and undervaluing the opportunity I had in front of me. My job was to focus on Symetra, win, and finish in the top 10 on the money list, but instead my I let my mind drift into what could have been.

My start to the season abroad wasn’t great. I was mentally careless and this carried that into the first few events here in the US as well. I missed a couple cuts by one and that spiraled into a negative mindset and bad self talk. I let doubt creep in and began to sink into a vicious cycle of frustration. It was unfortunate because it took me about 6 weeks to realize I was in this head space. Once I realized it and identified the issue, I turned it around quickly. I shifted the way I was talking to myself and my perspective and things got much better. I made all but one cut the rest of the year and was able to enjoy everything a lot more. In the end, I still didn’t make it through second stage or get my card, but there was so many positives by the end of the season. There were few results to celebrate, but I made so many mental strides. I learned so much more about the importance of mindset and grew areas that lacked discipline, which are going to serve me well moving forward.

Highlights:

Moments to remember, the people i made them with and the important self reminders

This year was full of so many amazing memories. Golf, travel, and life are an amazing adventure but the people along the way are what really make all of it special. Here were some of the best moments, people I got to share them with, and things (big and small) I learned along the way!

Friends:

Friendship and community are one of the most important things to me so continuing to cultivate that everywhere I go is something I value. One of the perks of traveling is getting see friends all around the world. It’s so special to get to gather like no time has passed hundreds of miles from where we first met.

on the road

Roy is one of my best friends from college. He played soccer at Davis and now plays for the NY RedBulls. Whenever I’m on east coast we make an effort to see each other! He’s ventured out to Pennsylvania to watch me compete and I’ve made the stop in New Jersey to watch his game. It fills me with so much joy to be able to watch and champion my friends play other sports at the highest level.

Sharon and I typically run through the streets of SF together, but this past February we lounged on the beaches of Australia together. When I started out the year in Australia, Sharon happened to be traveling in OZ and New Zealand so she took a little detour to see me at 13th beach!

at home

A little morning hike with Jenny at Lands End before an afternoon practice round

Weeks home are few, so I am so grateful when I get them. I love getting to spend time with family, visit my favorite coffee shops and relax, but I also love when friends come to visit too! There is nothing like showing people around this amazing city that I get to call home. This year a few of my tour mates stopped through during various tournaments and it was a blast getting to play tourist along with them. We did it all: hikes, sights and, of course, food (favorite restaurants and home cooked meals).

First Tee SF Kids came out to support in Windsor!

Host Families

The tour life consists of a lot of travel, which can get pretty lonely, but we are blessed to get host families most weeks which is so sweet! Over the years I’ve been able to build incredible relationships with families who I come back to year to year and I also get to meet new ones as well! Connecting and meeting these families is definitely the silver lining to the road life. Thank you so much to all the host families reading! We love you and are so grateful for your hospitality.

Dumps like a Truck

We all know I love eating but it can be pretty difficult to find quality Chinese food especially in the South. When we were in Auburn, Alabama I found this gem, Dumps like a Truck: a Dumpling food truck and Bao Restaurant. Not only is everything made by-hand, fresh daily, and amazingly delicious, but its also food for a cause. They are a restaurant that empowers kids living and scavenging in the trash dumps across the globe. When I came in one morning for a pre-round meal, I met the owner Whitley! He cheerfully greeted me and had me sit and eat right at the counter beside the register where he worked and entertained everyone in the line that wrapped around the corner. I ate the incredible daily selections of dumplings and mango sago while he shared his story of living in China for seven years, moving back to Alabama, and the story behind dumps. We’ve stayed connected since and its been amazing to watch his food truck and small storefront grow! I cannot wait to go back again next year!

Golf and then Some

I really believe in balance. Traveling and playing every week can be really taxing, so taking the time to rest, recharge and relax is important. This year, my rut of negativity put a damper on my usual golf, non-golf related road activities! I usually practice and then go out and adventure a bit, but that was less frequent this year and something that I am definitely going to prioritize for next year. I told myself last year that I needed to make more of an effort to come home more frequently, which I did this year and that served me well. The prefect balance for everyone looks different, but I think this combination for me going forward is going to be just right.

Fun golf days with great friends at Half Moon Bay

Lessons learned

The year of refinement came with a lot of small action identification that made a big difference. By definition, refinement is the process of removing imperfections or improving something by making small changes. Small impurities can be hard to identify though, so it took weeks for me. But once I realized that it was my self talk and mindset I was able to adjust. I learned that we have power over all our actions and it is our actions that control our circumstances and can change the way we feel in a situation.

These challenges have pushed me to not be avoidant, and to instead have tougher conversations about myself and let others in. I have learned to be able to better acknowledge where I have weaknesses, take personal accountability, and ask for help. I’ve never been one to shy away from asking for help, but this year I really learned to communicate my needs and ask more and better questions while allowing others to support and speak into my life. Vulnerability is difficult, but its the space where we and our people can come to greater understanding of each other.

During the harder weeks this year, my faith in Jesus helped me through my process so much as well! I was reminded that our father cares for us so deeply. I am extremely hard on myself, sometimes to a fault, which is often the root of my negatively. Negativity is a vicious cycle that can also cause isolation, but I was reminded that we don’t need to do things alone. People care, but moreover Jesus is so kind, his grace is abundant, and I need to extend those things to myself. In him we find peace, rest, and strength and in all things we can rejoice in his steadfast faithfulness.

Amazing Pro Am Group at the Arms Foundation Charity Event

Thank You

Thank you for your continued support and journeying with me. I know I’ve been quiet here on the blog, but many of you have continued to faithfully follow so thank you, thank you so much! Like I shared, I struggled personally and battled negativity a lot of the year, so my motivation to sit down and write was minimal. As I continue to learn the balance of golf and rest I also continue to learn the balance of my own personal time and writing for everyone else. I love writing, sharing photos and reminiscing on memories, and I plan to post more next year, whether it be a short story, a food review, a new experience or just a series of photos. I’m excited to get more creative with it.

Though things may not turn out exactly the way we plan, I truly believe that everything has purpose. Thank you to everyone who walked with me this year. Whether you were a host, a caddie, a friend, a tour mate, on my team, family, or even someone that I met in passing that made me smile, your support was felt and helped carry me. I am so grateful to have such amazing people in my life. 2019 refined me in so many ways and though it was very unsettling at times, the discomfort is where we grow the most.

2020 — the start of a new decade is upon us! I cannot wait for the start of new adventures, continued friendship, and more competition. I hope you will take this next year as your own year to deepen connections, pursue new passions, and step into areas of discomfort. It will take time, but it’s well worth the effort. Thank you to everyone who has encouraged, believed, and pushed me to be my best, especially my team, Richard, Tom, Ralph, Harry, Shawn, Yvonne and my family. There is so much more to come and so much to look forward to. All the best to everyone, let’s chase more sunsets, do more of what brings us joy but also challenges us and love people well. Let’s make 2020 the best yet.

Lots of love,

Dre

Andrea WongDecember 20, 2019