A New Addition

Hello everyone!

So it has been way too long since my last post, oops! Sometimes life just gets in the way and I’ll tell you what, life has been pretty crazy and amazing lately. My last update was about my trip home after escaping Hurricane Irma. Since that update it’s been nearly two months so I thought another update was in store.

If anyone follows me on social media you know that we got a new puppy! I honestly didn’t think it was going to happen, but by a stroke of faith I found a puppy from a breeder near Miami and we pulled the trigger. My boyfriend and I were both a little surprised that we actually went through with it, but we couldn’t be happier. We named him Alfredo and call him Alfy for short. Not too many people are thrilled with the name, but honestly we don’t really care because we love it and love him!

Besides the new addition to the family there hasn’t been too much going on. Alex and I have been working a ton and I’ve been practicing and gearing up for the 2018 season. We’re just really enjoying life right now! I’ll try to be more consistent with posts and I’ll try to be more creative as well so stay tuned!

Xo Jen

Life Update from the Evacuee ;)

Hi guys!

So much has happened since my last blog post and I’m still trying to get back to a normal or semi-normal schedule, but I thought I would update you guys a little bit about what’s happening and what’s to come!

After I got back from California is when Irma started really forming out in the Atlantic. I remember relaxing for a couple of days after getting back and watching the news about it. I then heard a few people at work talking about it, but no one really starting preparing until about a week before she hit Florida. All week I was terrified—not scared or nervous, but terrified. I knew I should’ve left as soon as I heard she was going to hit Florida, but everyone was saying how she’d go up the east coast so I tried not to panic. Early in the week I heard the news talk about Hurricane Andrew and how he took an unexpected turn to the west, and after I heard that I had a feeling Irma would do the same. All week my family and I were keeping a close eye on the weather, and on Thursday afternoon I decided I was done waiting so I packed up and started driving. I left Sarasota at 3:00am on Friday morning and stopped just north of Atlanta, GA. A trip that would normally take me about 10-11 hours took me 16-17 hours. Talk about a long day, but I was thankful to be out of Florida because during the day on Friday the tracks had her coming directly up the west coast.

I got home safely, but it was a weird feeling to have. Throughout the years I had heard about hurricanes and watched them make landfall on TV, but to actually be personally affected by one was a little different. I was super thankful that I didn’t have to sit through the weather and I was very thankful that she lost some momentum and that she turned back towards the east a little. Although it was a scary weekend to even watch from the safety of Michigan, I was grateful to have been given some more time to spend with my family, and I also got to travel over to Wisconsin to visit Alex!  After a little over a week of being in the Midwest, I made my way back down here and everything is great! There’s still some cleanup happening, but everyone seems to be in good spirits and getting back to life before the hurricane. This will be my first full week back and I’m looking forward to getting a bit more organized and back on a routine. 

Recently I have been feeling very emotional with everything that’s been happening in our country since last year. It’s truly heartbreaking to read things and watch the news so I myself will be trying to stay as positive as I can and be a light to the world. So I highly encourage anyone reading this to think about the things you say and the things you do on a daily basis that maybe you could change in order to make the world a better place. If we all start there then hopefully we can encourage others to do the same. 

God Bless,
Jen

Motivated and Ready

Hello everyone!

Sorry if you’ve been waiting for an update or waiting to see what I have to say. It’s been a hard couple of days. For those that don’t know, I didn’t make it through to Stage 2. I was incredibly close and I honestly thought I was going to make it through. I played the third round in the morning so I had all afternoon to wait and watch to see if the cut line would move and obviously it didn't. I was devastated. Only a few holes got me in trouble. Some mental mistakes and a couple bad breaks cost me a spot on the final day. I played some amazing golf so there’s a lot of positives to take from the two weeks I was out west and I had two of the best caddies a girl could ask for! (My dad and boyfriend) It's taken me nearly a week to become "ok" with the outcome of last week, but I'm getting more and more motivated by the day. 

I’ve taken this past week to get back into some sort of a routine although today I realized I haven’t really done that, LOL. I’ve been sleeping in and sitting in my sun room looking outside a lot. I’ve been thinking about what happened and what’s next. For some reason I’ve been thinking about what’s next like something is supposed to change, but I’ve realized nothing really needs to change. I just need to keep my head down and keep working hard.
Football season has officially started and I will say I draw a lot of motivation and inspiration from these guys. I love watching college football because there are so many inspirational stories out there plus these guys are playing football because they LOVE it. They’re solely motivated to become the very best! I am a huge Michigan fan  (Go Blue!) and I am currently watching the game versus the Florida Gators. Earlier Chris Evans had on a blue collar button down and I guess the guys have been wearing those around to remind themselves that they have to work hard in order to be successful. I think that’s so cool and something that’ll definitely motivate me to get better by working hard. 

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”

I’m excited to see what’s next and I’m excited to really get back to work and improve on every aspect of my game. As many of you know this lifestyle isn’t cheap and next season will be my most expensive one yet as I anticipate to play in a few Symetra events. I have a GoFundMe account and if you feel lead to give I would be forever grateful! If not, maybe you could add an extra prayer for me :) Either way I appreciate all the support!

Xo, Jen

Update from Cali (third time's the charm)

Hi friends and family! As most of you probably have seen I am in Palm Springs, CA for Stage 1 of LPGA Q-school. We're headed into the second week of being out here and here's what has been happening so far!

Last week my dad was out here with me to help me prepare for this week. We played in the NWGA prep event on the Dinah Shore course shooting scores of 76, 77, 79. Not my best tournament, but we're only taking positives from it! It was really nice having my dad here with me, but he did have to go home :/ Luckily for me, my boyfriend Alex has joined me out here :) 

For those that don't know, Alex is a very good caddy. He caddies at Erin Hills during the summers and at The Concession during the winters. We make a great team both on and off the golf course so we thought it would be perfect for him to come out and help me get through this first stage! Today was the first day of Q-school week! Today and the next two days are dedicated to practicing hard and tuning up my game before round 1 begins on Thursday.

I appreciate all the support that I have received and I will gladly welcome any good thoughts or prayers anyone wants to send my way! :) I'll keep you all posted throughout the week!

xo, Jen

Enjoying Life

Hello!

So my last update was about the US Open and the Michigan Women’s Open, which both of those seem to have happened ages ago! Haha! But life seems to be moving fast this year; anyone else feel that way? Anyways I’m just trying to enjoy life as much as possible because the more I realize how fast time is going by, the more I just want to enjoy every day, whether I’m alone, with family, my boyfriend, or my friends. Lately that concept has been hard for me. I am a forward thinker, which is not bad at all, but sometimes it makes me think too much and as we all know overthinking isn’t always the best. I’m just trying to put more trust in God and enjoy this life He’s given me. With all that being said here’s an update for anyone following along with my journey.

Last week I headed over to Wisconsin to spend some time with my boyfriend (which was much needed), and we played in the Illinois Women’s Open in Romeoville, IL. This was the first time that Alex caddied for me in an actual tournament. For those of you that don’t know, Alex works at Erin Hills (home of the 2017 US Open). He’s an absolute AMAZING caddie and I’m honestly not just saying that because I’m dating him haha! He truly has a special gift and I am so lucky that he’s willing to share that gift with me! We made a great team all week shooting scores of 75, 72, and 70 to finish in a tie for 7th.

At the end of the week I came back over to Michigan to prepare for the Michigan Tournament of Champions that begins next week. Alex will be coming over again to caddie for me! After that I will be heading back down to Florida for a week before flying out to California for Stage 1 of LPGA Qualifying School. My dad will be out there with me for the prep event and then Alex will be joining me to help me get through that first stage.

Last year I created a GoFundMe page because as many of you know, golf isn’t cheap, but in reality I know not everyone can financially help so I just could use all the positive thoughts and prayers I can get! I’ll keep everyone updated about the dates and how things are going. Feel free to check out my website too where you can see my schedule and I’ll put a link up for scoring in my coming tournaments!

Thanks for all the support! www.jelsholz.com

Xo, Jen

US Open and Michigan Women's Open :)

Update time! 

I have two things to update everyone on! So first off, the US Open…was amazing! My boyfriend works over at Erin Hills so my dad and I absolutely had to go check it out and it did not disappoint! I had never been to a major before so that was neat in itself, but I always love seeing the pros up close and personal because the majority of the time I only see them on TV. Plus being able to watch them up close helped me with my game, including things I need to work on. We went Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and we stayed all day because there was so much to take it! I am so thankful that I got to be there with my dad and I got to see what my boyfriend had been working towards over the past three months!

Next, I just got back from the Michigan Women’s Open at Crystal Mountain Resort. I shot 78, 71, and 73 to finish in a tie for 28th place out of about 120 women. Overall it was a good week. I struggled the first day, but found my swing again the next two days. It was such a fun week because I got to stay with my bestie (Lindsey Mcpherson) and our good friend Josee Doyon. On top of all that the MI Open is one of my favorites and I know a lot of other golfers love it as well! And I knew the winner this year: Lindsey Mcpherson!! I’m very excited and happy for her and now we can both play in the Michigan Tournament of Champions at the end of July!

As for the rest of the summer leading up to Q School, we’ve added some tournaments into my schedule and changed some of my plans so stayed tuned for all of that within the next couple of days! We’re about a month and a half away from Stage 1 so it’s time to make a game plan, stick to it, work hard, and trust that God has a perfect plan already set.

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend and a safe Fourth of July! 

Xoxo, Jen

Time to work out the kinks

Hey all!

I thought I'd jump on here real quick and give everyone a quick update :)

Currently I am back home in Michigan for a month! I drove home last week and let me tell you, that drive sucks :/ I had done it once before by myself but it's harder the second time! I made it and I actually made pretty good time and I am just so excited and happy to be back home. I haven't been back to Michigan since Christmas which is the longest stretch I have gone so being back is nice :)

Since I have been back I have played in two events. The first was the Monday qualifier for the Meijer LPGA Classic which is played right down the road from me. I am here to inform you all that I did not qualify and actually played pretty awful, but being inside the ropes was a cool experience. I need to work out some kinks in my game at the moment which is what I will be doing for the next few weeks before my next event at the Michigan Women's Open. But the qualifier was neat because my mom was actually my caddie! To be honest I was a little nervous because she had to carry my bag which she's only done once before and it was only for six holes or so, but I am pleased to inform you that she did it and she was a trooper! Although I did not qualify, this week is still going to be amazing because my dad and I are headed over to Erin Hills to watch the US Open! (Just a perk of dating one of the maintenance guys :) 

The second event I played in this week was the Junior Achievement Pro Am in Angola, Indiana. It was an amazing opportunity for me to play with some awesome people and to play for a good cause!

Well that's all for the time being! Thank you to everyone who has been following along, your support means the world to me!

xoxo, Jen

Living Life

Whoops! (insert see no evil monkey emoji) It has been nearly a month since my last blog, yikes! Life has just been crazy busy lately and honestly I just haven’t set aside the time to do some of my favorite things such as blogging :)

There’s nothing really urgent to update everyone on so I’ll just give an update about my life! As far as golf goes I have completed the winter series on the NWGA tour and I had a fantastic time just as I did last winter! The tournaments are always run really well and are always a blast to play in! My dad and I were talking about my improvements so I decided to find out my scoring average from last year and compare it to this year and the difference made me really excited. Last year I averaged 79, compared to my average this year which is 75…that’s four strokes people! Those averages are only from the tournaments I played in between January-May of the last two years because my scoring average for 2016 actually was 77, but I was still so happy!  I am very excited to see what the summer holds for me and my golf game! And speaking of summer I am putting my schedule together and will share that on my website very soon so stay tuned!

Continuing on the topic of summer I will be going home to Michigan for the month of June to play in a few tournaments before I come back down to Florida. Time just seems to be flying by and I’m unsure if I want it to slow down or continue. It’s hard to believe June is almost upon us. I mean I just celebrated my 24th birthday last Monday! I can’t believe I’m already that old! (I know it’s actually not that old, but there was always a comfort in telling people I was only 23). All I know is that I need to start cherishing every moment of every day whether I’m with family and friends or I am alone because one thing is for sure—we never know how many more days we’ll have to cherish.

But everything else in my life has been pretty good, and in reality I have nothing to complain about! I got to visit my boyfriend last week (he lives in Wisconsin) and I love our visits, but hate leaving him. Long distance can be so tough, but I simply try to stay positive and enjoy this time of growing as a couple together. (Maybe I’ll write a post about long distance in the near future??)

I am so thankful for the life I live and I know God has blessed me so much, and I just want to continue to grow into the woman He wants me to be.

I’ll try to be better about blogging :) Thank you to everyone who reads these small updates. You’re support really does mean the world to me!

Xo, Jen

"If only"

Happy Sunday y’all!

At church this morning, as I was listening to the sermon I had to smile because of how relevant it was to my life at this moment. Our church has started a series called “Transitions” and we are looking at the book of Exodus and the journey the Israelites take through the desert. Today’s reading was from Exodus 16: 1-18. The people of Israel were grumbling against the Lord for taking them out of Egypt. “The Israelites said to them, ‘If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.’” Exodus 16:3

That phrase “If only” robs us of joy. Just yesterday I was talking to my boyfriend about comparing myself to other girls. Being a professional golfer, it’s easy for me to look at another professional who has had or is having more success and say, “Why is she successful, but I am not?” Every time I do that, some of my joy slips away from me, and that’s not what God wants. God wants me to look at myself through His eyes because the plans and successes and failures He has for me are not the same that He has for someone else. “If only” focuses on the things that did not happen and the things that aren’t going to happen because of what has already taken place.

God wants me to live a joyful life and He doesn’t want me to focus on the past or the “If onlys.” He wants all His children to live a life filled with joy; a life His only Son, Jesus, lived when he walked the earth. I don’t know where you’re at in your walk with God or what you needed to hear today, but I know I needed this message and I pray you heard what God wanted you to hear! :)

Xoxo, Jen

Life and Golf

Hi all! So sorry I have been MIA lately! Life has been crazy busy as of late and a little stressful, but I am here to give an update on life and golf :)

On the golf side of things I just finished back to back weeks on the NWGA tour. Last week we were at Wekiva Golf Club and my parents were here for that! I didn't play as well as I would have liked too (78, 78, 78) but on the positive side I was very consistent! I just got back from the second event at the Deltona Club and finished a little better with scores of 75, 73, 71, leaving me in a tie for 16th. It's a constant grind out there, but I think that's what makes playing professional golf so much fun! If I put in the time and energy I can see it all unfold during tournaments! As of right now I'm not sure when my next tournament will be as I am figuring out some things, but I will be practicing my little tail off preparing for when the next one comes!

Moving onto life in general, I am so happy :) My personal life is on the upswing and I will soon be living in Florida full time! There's so much that's going on that it's both overwhelming and exciting! God has truly laid out an incredible path for me and I am so blessed to be on this journey.

There's not too much else to update y'all on so I guess I will leave it at that for now and I'll be back hopefully next week so if anyone has a topic they want me to talk about let me know!! Feel free to contact me on the "contact" page of my website: www.jelsholz.com

xoxo, Jen

My Savior

Hey ya’ll :) 

Living in Florida I realize I say the word ya’ll a lot more which isn’t necessarily a bad thing! I actually like saying it, makes me feel a little southern! ;) Anyways, I was doing my Bible study this morning and then I was looking around my emails and decided to check out my blog, and realized I haven’t written in a while. Luckily I was pretty inspired by today’s chapter so here I am typing away.

I am a part of an online Bible study community called Good Morning Girls. Throughout the year we read through books in the Bible one chapter a day and then within my group we email everyday about what we read. It’s a fun way to get into God’s word and read what everyone else thought about the chapter. We pray for each other too and share our lives which is always fun! Most of us are in different states and some even in different countries so it’s cool knowing that I have sisters in Christ all across the nation and world! Yesterday we began the Gospel of Luke (one of my favs!) so today we read chapter 2. The verse that stuck out most to me was Luke 2:11, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Jesus is born! Our Savior has entered the world and will one day die for our sins! I think it’s so amazing to read that verse knowing how much Jesus has done for me. This verse was spoken by the angel of the Lord who appeared to the shepherds and told them about this child, and it got me thinking about how amazing that moment must have been for those shepherds who were out in the fields tending to their flocks. It probably seemed like a normal day before this angel appears to tell them about a Savior who was just born! It’s hard to imagine, but cool to think about.

On that day when Christ was born, those shepherds got to see Him. They got to be a part of such a special day, one they would never forget. One of the discussion questions for today’s chapter is “When did Jesus become your personal Savior?” I love this question. Like the shepherds who went to see Jesus, we as Christ followers also have a day that we can say we “saw” Jesus. Today was the first day I wrote out my testimony on paper and I’m going to put it in my Bible. It’s amazing to relive that day and see how far I’ve come with Jesus by my side and as my guiding light.

So maybe today you should answer the question, “When did Jesus become your personal Savior?” and maybe you should write down your testimony and surrender yourself, again, to your Savior.

I hope you have a blessed day!
Xoxo, Jen

Patience

Hello! So it’s been a few weeks, but I’m here to give ya’ll a small update on golf and on my life :)

This past week my parents came down to visit and to come watch me golf in our tournament at Timacuan golf and country club! My dad was on the bag this week which always helps and the scores showed! I shot 74 and 70 the first two days for a total of even par. Unfortunately we got rained out on the final day so they kept the 36 hole scores which left me in a tie for 5th!!!! Best finish on the NWGA Tour for me!! I’m very happy about where my game is at. The improvements from last year to this year are huge and I can definitely see all my hard work starting to pay off.

The hardest part about playing professional golf is being patient enough to see improvements. I have been told time and time again that it could take five to six years for me to make it on the LPGA tour. That’s a long time to grind and practice, but I also know it can be done. Professional athletes can work all day, every day and still find ways to get better, which is amazing, but also hard! But that’s what I love about playing this sport; every day I work my hardest and when it all comes together it’s a great feeling!

Recently I feel like my life has been lining up. Lindsey and I are getting more involved at our church and I’m starting to volunteer more, and now that golf is starting to come around I feel more comfortable being down here and playing professional golf. At first it’s incredibly scary because I didn’t know what I was doing, but now I’m starting to get in the groove and I’m learning so much about myself!

We are headed to our next tournament tomorrow so stay tuned :) Thank you all so much for following me on this crazy journey.

With love, Jen

Here's to a great year

Well, the 2017 season is underway! 

Lindsey and I have traveled to two tournaments and are headed into an off week before we travel for another two weeks! I have to say I am so excited about the way I am hitting the ball! I have been working really hard with my coach and on my own to make that part of my game more solid. With that being said, the strongest part of my game seems to be lacking. Looking over my stats from the last tournament at Zellwood Station Golf Club, I had a lot of putts and didn’t get up and down as often as I should, but not to worry because those will be the main focus during this week.

Although the scores didn’t turn out exactly how I wanted them too for the first two tournaments of the year, this past tournament was a little bit more fun than some of the others because Lindsey and I got to stay with a host family, and believe me when I tell you that it’s way better staying with people than staying in a hotel! It’s just nice to come home and talk to someone about golf, but then talk about other things; not to mention a home cooked meal! During the week we also learned how to play a few new games that were a nice distraction from the actual reason we were there. Sometimes this lifestyle isn’t always easy and it’s always nice to do something else to take your mind away from the game, even if it’s just for an hour. So a huge thank you to the Pruim’s who housed us and entertained us for the week :)

I have to say that I have gained some more confidence with my game due to the fact that my ball striking has gotten better. Anyone who has known me during my college career knows how much I struggled with that part of my game so to see it improve is really exciting!

I know my posts about golf aren’t always the most exciting, but I like to think that there’s someone out there who’s curious and interested and if not that’s okay too. I know there’s a lot happening in our country right now, and it breaks my heart to see so many people angry and full of hate. So maybe reading about my golf is a nice distraction :)

Next tournament: January 30- February 1, Daytona Beach, LPGA International

Love each other.
xoxo