The World Cup and women’s sports icon has earned every possible accolade on the pitch. But, sometimes, all a girl wants is a sandwich.
GOLF: Did you get into golf early or did you mainly play soccer as a kid?
Brandi Chastain: My grandfather loved golf, and I loved being with my grandfather. He would take me to lunch at the local driving range in South San Jose [Calif.], and for me to get lunch, I had to hit balls first. So, that’s what I did. We never played the course, though. Isn’t that funny?
G: Do you remember the name of the place?
BC: Oh, gosh, it doesn’t even exist anymore. I don’t even know the name. It was a driving range with an executive short course. It had great club sandwiches, and my grandfather loved it.
G: Once it became clear that soccer was your sport, did you still play golf or was there no time?
BC: When I was in college [I didn’t play golf]. But once I was on the national team and a professional player, I played golf more because it was my way to do something that didn’t take a lot of physical energy but was a good mental test for me.
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G: Now you’re an owner of a TGL franchise. How’s that been?
BC: I’m very happy to be a part of it. That’s why I invested in TMRW Sports and the Bay Area Golf Club. What I loved about it is, one, I love golf.
G: What do you like most about the new league?
BC: I think what I love about TGL is I’m seeing these very polished professionals who, when they’re on the PGA Tour, must be aware of traditions and etiquette. In TGL, they’re asked to be relaxed and be themselves. There’s some that are really good at it, and some that are really struggling. So, I think it’s going to bring out more personality. We’ll have some fun. I think everybody can relate to that.
G: Do you think off-course activities like TGL and Topgolf can actually bring more people into the sport?
BC: Well, I think it makes it accessible. I think the number one thing for most people is access, right? If you don’t have access, you don’t have opportunity. So, for some people with [a full round of] golf maybe it’s the time factor — four to five hours is too much time, really. Maybe it’s too expensive to become a member of a golf course or maybe a round of golf is too expensive. But going to Topgolf or maybe seeing TGL gets you excited, and you think, Well, maybe I’ll give it a try.
G: Awesome. You’re known for one of the most iconic on-field celebrations of all time [1999 World Cup, above]. Have you ever thought about maybe re-creating it if you made a hole in one?
