Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2023 - 24

Open Experience
With the Open win, Lunke earned exemptions
on Tour but did not achieve the same
success (her best finishes include T-28th in
the 2004 Evian Masters, T-27th at the 2005
SBS Open at Turtle Bay and T-22nd at the
2006 Wegmans LPGA). In 2007, she started
a family, which ushered in the end of her
competitive playing days.
Lunke has not really looked back. She
and Tylar are raising three girls (Greta, 15,
Marin, 13, and Linnea, 10) who became the
focus of their mother's life. During her time
away from the game, Hilary saw the shot
distances of the players increase and felt
returning to form at that level was a daunting
prospect.
" I have no regrets about leaving my career
when I did, " she says. " I wanted to have a
family and it had become difficult for me
to compete. I was playing better than I ever
had but I was performing worse because
the level of competition had risen so much
and the [longer, wider] courses were less
suited to my game. I had to play 100 percent
my best game ever just to be scraping by. It
became apparent that it was time for me to
step away. "
But not completely away from sports.
Lunke now plays tennis to stoke her competitive
fires. " It's on a completely different
level, but it's the same feeling of performing
under pressure and enjoying the moment
even when it's tense. So, I think maybe if I
didn't have that outlet, I would probably
miss golf more. " She also teaches a bible
study class which she greatly enjoys. And
she is looking forward to revisiting a club
she'll be a member of for life.
" The Pebble Beach U.S. Open Champions
reunion this summer, when you look at the
other names on that list, you think, 'How
am I in this company?' Wow, what a blessing.
I can't believe I have the opportunity to
go do this. I am going to soak it up, enjoy
it and be thankful-these are the times that
winning versus getting second turns out to
be a big deal. "
Regarding other big-name golfers, a
Netflix series called " Full Swing " featuring
behind-the-scenes looks at last season's
PGA Tour is currently streaming, and the
second episode focuses on the juxtaposition
between a rising star named Scottie
Sheffler and a then-dimming one named
Brooks Koepka. We see four-time major
(including two U.S. Opens) winner Koepka
has suffered several injuries and struggled
to regain his form-demonstrating just
how transitory success can be at the highest
level of the sport. Near the end of the
episode, he is asked what's next for him
after yet another failure in a Major, and
Koepka looks down, blankly, and answers
" I don't know. "
Hilary Lunke never seems to struggle
with that question.
" It kind of goes back to this mindset of I
never try to look too far ahead in the future
and put myself on a certain track with an
end goal in mind, " she says. " I just kind of
go, here's where life has me right now, I want
to enjoy the moment. I want to take the next
right step. And I'll find out later what road
God had me on.
" It is very similar [to playing the Open],
" I had to play 100 percent my best
game ever just to be scraping by.
It became apparent that it was time
for me to step away. " -Hilary Lunke
24
MINNESOTAGOLFER Summer 2023
and what gives me the peace and confidence
about that was the experience I had.
If I am in the moment and fully present
and just try to be faithful to what I can do
right now, I think then you look back and
go, 'Wow, that turned out way better than
I expected.' In a lot of ways that is the way I
try to live my whole life. That one-shot-ata-time
mentality. And the U.S. Open experience
had embedded in me a willingness
to live that way. "
mngolf.org
PHOTO: JOHN MUMMERT/USGA
http://www.mngolf.org
Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2023

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