LPGA player Alison Lee reveals struggles deeper than golf

Alison Lee has experienced the highs and lows of golf. From being named the top college golfer in the nation while at UCLA and playing on the Solheim Cup team her first year as a professional to losing her playing card and returning to Q-School twice, Lee’s career has been a roller-coaster.

But it’s the lows that have impacted the Las Vegas golfer the most over her eight years as a pro, lows that have led to anxiety and stress and difficulties behind the scenes.

“Not many understand how dark and lonely it can be for the lives of professional golfers,” Lee wrote in a story she wrote for LPGA.com.

Lee said she went through a wave of difficult emotions writing about her mental health struggles, but she felt the benefits of talking about it far outweigh any negatives.

“The main purpose was I’m not the only one,” Lee said. “And not to say the struggle I’m going through is more of a struggle than anyone else’s, because I know there is way worse that people are going through.”

Lee’s issues began as she started losing confidence in her golf game. She had immediate success when she turned professional in 2015, reaching No. 25 in the world and being named to the U.S. team for the Solheim Cup, a biennial competition between the best women golfers in the U.S. and Europe.

But tough times followed. Her game abandoned her and she ended up back in Q-School. She had recently moved to Las Vegas where she felt alone, and golf, the sport that had been her safe spot most of her young life, was now a struggle. She was overcome with anxiety on the course.

At the opening event of her 2020 season, Lee said her normal excitement of playing turned to fear and panic, and she thought about driving her car into a concrete barrier rather than continue on to the golf course.

“Sometimes when you’re in moments like that you just drown in your own thoughts and it makes it worse,” Lee said. “I feel like people shouldn’t be afraid to come forward and really talk about what’s going on in their head.”

Lizette Salas, who has been vocal about her own mental health issues, applauds Lee for going public with her story.

“It’s a brave thing to do to be in that vulnerable place and talk about the hard times,” Salas said. “I’m still kind of going through that, and to know that other people are going through the same thing is heartwarming. We obviously wish the best for each other. There is light at the end of the tunnel.”

Lee found talking was key to helping her feel better, but not to a therapist.

“All my friends, coach, mom, they’re all I would like to say like my unpaid and volunteer therapists that I vent to,” Lee said. “Sometimes you need to let it out. I think that’s really healthy.”

Lee said it’s important to talk about feelings, because pressure in professional golf is never going to go away.

“I would say you’re just going to have to learn to deal with all the pressure, all the anxiety, all the emotions you have,” she said. “It’s going to become part of your daily life basically. It’s a question of if you can handle it and how to handle it.”

Lee’s game has been much improved this season. She’s sitting 39th on the season money list with her new mental approach. But she’s not sure if it’s not the other way around.

“I mean the million dollar question obviously is what came first, right, the chicken or the egg?” she said. “When it comes to golf, it’s what came first, a good shot or confidence? Because they go hand in hand.”

Greg Robertson covers golf for the Review-Journal. He can be reached at grobertson@reviewjournal.com.