Megan Khang's Secrets to Staying Mentally Strong and Physically Fit on the LPGA Tour

The American pro golfer on the LPGA Tour, Megan Khang, took to Instagram to say, “Canada, you know how to do it. To @cpkcwomensopen, the volunteers, and the fans, this would not be possible without all of you. Thanks for always making this tournament world class and this event will always have a special place in my heart.” When she's not in a tournament, what does Khang do to maintain her health and wellness? Here’s what we dug up.

1. She loves to golf, of course!

She was introduced to the game of golf by her family. “My dad brought me to the golf course and said that if I hit the fairway I could drive the golf cart,” she said. Now her favorite golf memory is “getting my first hole-in-one.” According to Better Health, “golf can be good for your health and your heart. Walking an average course for a round of golf can be between five to seven kilometres. If you walk 18 holes three to five times a week, you’ll get an optimal amount of endurance exercise for your heart. If you pull your clubs or carry them, you’ll burn even more calories each round and benefit even more.”

2. She’s mentally strong

She’s incredibly mentally strong. “I learned I’m a lot more capable than I thought I was, in terms of being creative and committing to some shots that I didn’t think I could do. I learned that I can do anything as long as I commit 100% and as long as I don’t get ahead of myself. I’m a little bit of a hothead, but I’ve learned to calm myself down from the years on tour. I’ve learned, as long as you give 100%, you can’t be mad at the result,” she said.

3. She mentally preps

She’s known to give herself a pep talk, and isn’t afraid to ask friends for a little help, as well. “Most of the time, I like to have fun, and if I’m not feeling too great about a certain thing, I give myself a pep talk,” she said. When she wasn’t feeling particularly confident during a tournament, she said, “I looked at my caddy and told him that I need you to blow smoke up my butt. I said, ‘just be my cheerleader, OK?’ He did a really good job. Every time we got to the green, he’s like, ‘You got this, you’re a great putter, you make everything, Megan’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah I do.’ For me, if I’m feeling like I’m getting in a slump, there’s a pep talk I give myself, or I’ll tell my caddy to give the pep talk for me.”

4. She makes the experience fun

She takes the high pressure tournaments and makes the experience fun and memorable. “Always keep it fun. Have games and competitions. Have a putting contest. And always try to make it interesting. Golf is an individual sport, and if you’re not having fun, what’s the point,” she asked.

5. She knows what she needs to work on

Her advice? Always try to improve. “Know what you need to work on and always give it 100% because you never want to look back and say, ‘I could’ve done it if I tried harder.’ You always want to make sure that if you fail, you know you did it 100%, and if you succeed, you just believe you can definitely do it better next time. Always trust and believe in yourself because golf is such a hard and finicky game. You just have to let go and remember how good you are and stay confident when you’re not doing so well,” she said.