LPGA Winner Mel Reid Reveals Her Road to Becoming a Champion!

Melissa “Mel” Reid is an English professional golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour. Mel played on the Ladies European Tour from 2007 to 2017, where she won six times. Now a full member of the LPGA Tour, she had a breakout year in 2020 when she won her first LPGA Tour event, the ShopRite LPGA Classic. Her journey was not linear, after losing her mother in a tragic car accident, Mel struggled with the grief, guilt, and mental blocks that kept her from playing to her fullest potential. In this episode, Howard and Mel sit down to talk about Mel’s extensive journey that led to her first breakthrough LPGA victory. Mel paints a vivid picture of the events that she was growing through after each critical moment of her life and shares insights into what you can do to succeed as an athlete or in life in general. Through all the extensive mental work she’s done, Mel feels like all the years of blood, sweat, and tears are finally beginning to pay off. Key Takeaways [:50] About today’s episode! [2:55] Howard welcomes and introduces Mel to the podcast. [3:25] What has Mel learned about being an athlete at the highest level? [5:00] Mel talks about how not all days are good days. [6:30] Mel walked around with a lot of guilt. She was very hard on herself, and it made her feel she was not good enough. [7:15] Mel talks about the courage she summoned to make a big change in her life by moving to the U.S. in order to move forward in her career. [9:30] When did Mel get started in golf? Did she always want to be a professional golfer? She discusses how she got the bug as a young kid. [11:05] When did Mel realize she wanted to play golf full-time? She discusses the importance of learning to win at every level. [16:20] Mel shares what it was like to play in her first professional event. [24:00] Mel offers insight into why she loves playing on the LPGA Tour so much and why she knew she had to move to the US if she wanted to be a better player. [30:00] Howard asks Mel if she ever had doubt about her ability? [32:35] Mel talks about the good mental space right now and how grateful she is for the team she has built, but it was a journey to really get to this place. [33:00] Howard talks about how timing works in life. [34:40] Howard talks about the importance of an athlete developing their intuition! [36:00] Was Mel ever worried about ‘time’ or getting older in her career? [39:25] Mel shares what was going through her mind when she went on a career break to clear her mind. [45:00] Howard talks about the balance of mind that makes a true champion. [46:30] What was Mel’s experience with the mental side of the game before she met Howard? [47:40] Howard talks about the mental key to leveling UP. [49:40] Mel talks about the incredible power of WILL in executing putts and shots. [52:50] Mel talks about her experience leading an LPGA event and not closing in 2020 and what she learned from that experience. [55:00] Mel talks about her determination and INTENTION to win the next week at the ShopRite Classic. [57:00} Mel discusses some key mental moments in her final round to victory! [1:01:25] After winning her first LPGA Tour event in 2020, what has Mel learned about herself? [103:00] Mel discusses how she’s looking to make a difference in the world. [1:06:10] Mel offers her best advice for anyone looking to go to the next level.   Mentioned in this Episode Mel Reid Mel on Instagram   About Your Host | Howard Falco Howard Falco is an author and expert on self-empowerment and mindfulness. He is a mental strength coach to college and professional athletes and those looking for next-level results. His books are: I AM: The Power of Discovering Who You Really Are and Time in a Bottle: Mastering The Experience of Life. His work offers the deepest and most powerful awareness available on self-creation and the mindset for optimal success.   Stay Connected! To find more episodes or learn more, visit: HowardFalco.com, TotalMindSports.com, and Howard's Foundation for the work can be found here — 8Wisdom.org Connect with Howard on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram