BELMONT, Mich. — Bringing a new life into the world comes with several sacrifices and responsibilities, and Gerina Mendoza cherishes every moment.
Mendoza, who has 40 career top-10 finishes on the LPGA, had always wanted to be a mother, and her dreams came true on April 26, 2018, when she gave birth to a baby boy, Ajeo Piller. Mendoza’s outlook on life, and golf, was changed forever.
It’s needless to say that raising a child is challenging, especially while being a world-class professional golfer. Luckily for Mendoza, she is no stranger to tricky situations, and through golf has learned how to thrive when the pressure is on.
“It was a big change, just traveling with another human being, but the perspective of life and my priorities have definitely changed and just went towards him,” Mendoza said. “It gave me a good outlook and perspective of golf.”
Finding balance has always been a priority for Mendoza, and now more than ever, she searches for equilibrium. Between raising a toddler, flying from country to country and competing at the highest level of golf, Mendoza tries not to go longer than a week before reuniting with her son.
“He didn’t come with me this week [at the Meijer LPGA Classic], but he’ll be with me next week [at the KPMG],” Mendoza said. “When I used to go overseas, the max I would go would be two weeks, so that was kind of hard.”
Staying strong for her child and her career, Mendoza repeats a mantra to help separate her emotions about her child from her ongoing career, allowing her to refocus on what is right in front of her.
“It’s obviously hard, it’s not unfeasible, and the best advice I was given was from Juli Inkster,” Mendoza said. “She was like ‘If you’re on the golf course, be on the golf course, and if you’re at home with your son, be at home with your son, so wherever you’re at, just be present.’”
Although life on the road can strain her relationship with her son, Mendoza still finds the time to create those life-long memories with Ajeo. Her son may be too young to understand her golf career, but Mendoza ensures he will remember the quality time he spends with his mom.
“He loves to go to aquariums and zoos, and he’s obsessed with animals,” Mendoza said. “We travel with a bug box, and whatever we find or catch, whether lizards or roly-polies, butterflies or whatever. … I take him to a bounce house because, like any parent will tell you, you want to get the energy out.”
Thoughts of retirement may start to become more relevant for Mendoza as Ajeo gets older. Mendoza worries that her golf career may start heavily weighing on her relationship with her son, causing her to miss those big moments every parent wants to be a part of.
“It’s definitely crossed my mind. … fall 2023, he’ll be going to kindergarten,” Mendoza said. “Obviously, I can’t take him out of school to travel, so I’ll definitely be toning down the travel a little bit because I don’t want to miss those graduations … or science fairs or anything like that.”
Mendoza isn’t the only mom playing in the LPGA Meijer Classic. Brittany Lincicome is a mother to three-year-old Emery and expects another girl in September. Sharing similar experiences, Lincicome receives a big mood booster when Emery is out watching her golf.
“She’s been watching me play golf since she was born, so when she sees me put on my golf uniform, she says, mommy go play golf,” Lincicome said. “I love having her out there to see her little smiling face.”
Encouraging each other every day, Mendoza and Lincicome share advice and stories that help each other grow as players and parents and hope to inspire young women everywhere.
“Hopefully, we can be an inspiration to the younger girls and the younger generation that you don’t have to put your career on hold to start a family or sacrifice your career and your dreams, and you can do both,” Mendoza said. “We all know how hard it is like I knew it was going to be hard, but I didn’t know it was going to be this hard, and to see other moms doing it, it’s pretty cool.”
