Editor’s Note: Hannah Gregg is a professional golfer on the Ladies European Tour, and a Golf Digest contributor.
One thing I’ve learned about being a touring professional is how much “rolling with the punches” factors into the equation. Of course, you need athletic ability. But at this level, everyone can play, and the great players separate themselves by adapting to whatever situation arises with curiosity and composure. Tight course layout? Your recovery shots and short game will need to work overtime. Woke up with a locked lower back? Hit the physio table and get some extra foam rolling in. A once-in-the-last-55-years-sized cyclone, with immense flooding and structural damage, forces your tournament to be canceled, costing you world ranking points and career earnings? Well, that’s a new one.
As far-fetched as this sounds, storms aligned earlier this month as myself and more than 125 other players arrived at the Australian WPGA Championship on the Gold Coast, Australia. I had excitedly accepted an invite to play, with the hope that the big purse could elevate my conditional status for the rest of the season on the Ladies European Tour—as long as I was able to make the cut. Landing in Brisbane, I heard rumblings about a Category 2 “cyclone storm” arriving later that week—predicted to collide directly with Sanctuary Cove Country Club. Some Aussies I spoke to brushed it off and said a cyclone would provide epic surf conditions for the local wave riders. Others were already preparing sand bags and survival kits in case of extreme flooding. Looking out the window of my taxi on Monday, I saw soft sandy beaches and a stunning golf course that didn’t have a blade of grass out of place.
On Tuesday morning, instead of practicing, all players were called to a mandatory 9 a.m. meeting. The local government ran weather models and calculated that Cyclone Alfred was on a direct path to hit Sanctuary Cove Country Club during the first round of scheduled play—resulting in extensive damage to the course, the surrounding areas, and the only roadway both in and out of Sanctuary Cove. Deeming it unsafe for players, spectators and staff, the tournament was canceled before the first practice rounds had been completed.
My initial reaction, selfishly, was disappointment. Why couldn’t we wait it out? These events were crucial for improving my ranking for the year, and spots in tour events aren’t easy to come by. Looking around the room, other players seemed to be thinking the same thing. Some had traveled to this event needing it to earn a higher level of tour status, and that chance had now fizzled away. As we listened to the reasoning from the staff, it became increasingly clear that this cyclone would threaten not only the integrity of the event, but the safety of the town’s population.
In the end, the tour’s decision to cancel play was certainly the right one in keeping everyone safe, but it would be wrong to say players emerged from the week unscathed. The average golfer might not be able to appreciate how much can be at stake from one week to the next on tour. The margins of ladies professional golf are wildly thin, and even the highest-ranked players are affected when an event is canceled. Plus, 125 players were left searching for a place to stay for the week until the following event, assuming the cyclone didn’t wash that one away as well. I lost roughly $300, which would have been even worse if not for the $700 stipend the tour provided all players.
Personally, I knew this was an opportunity to test my resilience as a player. My goal has always been to prepare and plan for all outcomes, then to develop a routine I can stick to no matter what. But it’s never easy. In five years as a pro, I have yet to experience a tournament where every aspect went exactly according to my plans.
But perhaps that’s the lesson of it all—they say golf is like life. Certainly, both require flexibility, and it’s worth asking if I’d play better if I embraced the chaotic nature of golf. Is that what I need to get to the next level? It probably couldn’t hurt.
Sad news guys- the first tournament here in Australia has been canceled 😩 A once-in-50-years level cyclone is going to hit the golf course and they’ve had to cancel the entire event. So bummed but I know it’s for the safety of the players and staff! Hopefully I’ll get a chance… pic.twitter.com/VnkqV99A8v
— Hannah Gregg (@hannahbggg) March 4, 2025
A mantra that I’ve adopted along my travels rang clearly in my head the last few weeks: “Control the controllables, let go of the rest.” I can’t control the weather (I’ve tried), I can’t control what divots my ball may roll into, or which of my putts will fall below the surface. My focus for the rest of this trip lies within what I can control: my preparation, and my attitude. Does that mean I’ll take advantage of this opportunity and reap the rewards I flew 25 hours hoping to grab hold of? That’s for Future Hannah to find out.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
