Life as LPGA pro and mom going well so far for Lewis

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Stacy Lewis didn’t know what to expect in her return to the LPGA as a mom at this week’s Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, but she is off to a better start than she could’ve imagined.

“I’m really happy,” Lewis said Saturday after equaling the 5-under 66 she shot in the opening round. “Honestly, if I could finish this thing under par for four days, I was going to be happy.”

Lewis is six shots off the 54-hole lead. If not for Friday’s 74, the former world No. 1 would be in the thick of contention for her 13th LPGA title.

After taking almost six months off for the birth of her daughter, Chesnee Lynn, Lewis is making her return with her daughter in tow. Lewis said the week is more about figuring out the family’s changing logistics and developing new travel routines than it is about golf. She plans to take Chesnee on all of her domestic trips.

Full-field scores from Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions

It’s a different world now, with Chesnee’s feeding and diaper changes.

“We’re sitting at dinner last night, and you can see she’s over there pooping, and then it’s outside her clothes,” said Lewis, who is here with her husband, Gerrod Chadwell, the head women’s golf coach at Houston. “You forget about your tee time the next morning. It’s just a great back-to-reality check.” 

Lewis said Chesnee’s needs dictate the schedule.

“We’ve gotten into a really good rhythm of getting out the door in the morning,” Lewis said. “Just have to wake up a lot earlier than I thought I needed to.”

Lewis said she finds herself looking forward to seeing Chesnee near the end of her round.

“It’s fun to finish and have that to look forward to,” Lewis said. “It’s been really fun.”

The LPGA’s traveling Smucker’s Daycare program is coming in handy for more than caregiving. Lewis said she’s learning things from Bardine May, who runs the program.

“She’ll ask me how I do something, and I’m like, `Well, how should I do it?,’” Lewis said. “So, I’m looking for pointers from her. I know Chesnee’s fine when she’s with them. We come in, and she’s been happy. She slept nine hours the last two nights. I need to find out what they’re doing in daycare to get her to sleep like that. She’s been great.”