This Black Woman Is Taking The Golf World By Storm One Swing At A Time
Take a quick glimpse into black history and you will see the infinite groundbreaking achievements that various black figures have made that ultimately impacted our people and the world. One of the more popular areas that many African-Americans have left their footprint in is the world of sports. Who can forget Jackie Robinson, who faced overt racism every day as the first African American to play in Major League Baseball. And we have to acknowledge our black queen Serena Williams who continues to rack up titles in tennis despite modern-day racism and sexism.
Whether it's breaking barriers as a top-tier player in a predominately white sport or proving that athleticism knows no gender, we have always found our way to victory. Following in the footsteps of these legends is self-taught golfer/long-driver Troy Mullins. After years of being a Track and Field star, Troy decided to trade in her track shoes for a golf club instead. "I fell into golf and long driving. I used to be a track athlete. I used to do the heptathlon. Shot put and javelin have pretty much the same lower body movements as golf, and so I had this natural kinda swing," she told xoNecole.
Golf Digest
As she began embarking on a new journey into golf, she started to notice how far she can hit the ball and with more practice, she started entertaining the idea of long-driving, but it was a risky move. Being a long-driver is all about hitting the golf ball as far as you can by driving it with the swing of your golf club. When she decided to meet with a long driving coach, he cautioned her that if she went this route, she would no longer be labeled as a "golfer." His warning kept Troy at bay for only so long, as she knew that this was a new avenue that she was willing and ready to explore.
So in 2012, Troy decided to enter a long driving contest as a golfer instead of a long driver, and she ended up taking second place. And in that moment, her new career in long driving began. Even with such an astounding win, five years went by before Troy decided to enter another contest and in 2017, she entered the World Long Drive Mile High Showdown and won, even breaking a world record, solidifying her position as a World Long-Drive champion. "My aspiration is to still be on tour. I love golf and I love all aspects of it so being able to hit the ball really far and do all these long drive contests is just a plus," Troy explained.
"I love golf and I love all aspects of it so being able to hit the ball really far and do all these long drive contests is just a plus."
Being successful in a sport that she picked up for only a few short years is unheard of, and as talented as she is, there are others who seek to dim her light. A black woman with big, natural curls on a golf course isn't necessarily something that you see every day, and just like the aforementioned athletes before her, her presence wasn't always welcomed.
"It's still a very elitist sport and there's a lot of country club girls that end up playing golf. There's a lot of situations but golf is---when I step onto a golf course--I'm usually the only woman of color and I've definitely had looks and comments, but nothing outright racist. I haven't been verbally assaulted or anything but I've definitely been picked on and I think it's just with any sport that's only beginning to be more diverse. I think that's expected and I don't really let it hinder [me]. I expect that people still have their views and that's ok, that's their prerogative. It doesn't stop me from what I'm set out to do."
World Long Drive
But when things do get rough, she turns to her support system or, as she lovingly calls them, "her tribe." These people range from her mom to her friends, and even the parents of students that she tutors.
As a young black woman breaking barriers on the golf course, she understands that other people are looking at her, especially children and so she always makes sure that she is carrying herself in a positive light, even when social media says the opposite. "I know in this world of social media, you can kinda get sucked into it and as a woman athlete, people try to sexualize [us] and because I have a lot of young followers, I think it's important to show that you can be who you are and you don't have to give into the male gaze," she expressed.
Golf Digest
"It's important to show that you can be who you are and you don't have to give into the male gaze."
Having morals and a strong identity of self might have a little to do with her personal heroes. One, in particular, is her father Billy Mullins, who was a professional track and field athlete and was invited to participate in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Moscow. She also admires Florence Griffith Joyner aka Flo Jo, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Serena Williams, and Michael Jordan, just to name a few. When she's not knocking golf balls out of sight, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her Pomeranian named Etta James and catching up on tea over tea.
Troy Mullins
But whether she's golfing or sipping tea with friends, one thing's for sure, Troy is leaving behind a legacy by laying down the foundation for other young black girls who are wanting to pursue golfing and don't instantly see themselves. Because of her, now they can, and now they do.
To keep up with Troy Mullins and her history-making journey, follow her on Twitter @Troyger and Instagram @trojangoddess.
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Featured photo by World Long Drive
- Tiger Woods challenges Troy Mullins to a long-drive contest ›
- Swing Sequence: Breaking Down Troy Mullins' Power - Golf Digest ›
- Long Drive star Troy Mullins wants you to drive like her - Golf ›
- Troy Mullins is Driven to Conquer | African American Golfer's Digest ›
- Meet Troy Mullins, a long-drive champion with LPGA dreams - Golf ›
- Tiger Woods drops the mic on Troy Mullins | Golf Channel ›
- TROY MULLINS (@trojangoddess) • Instagram photos and videos ›
- Long Driver Troy Mullins' Dynamic Drill Exercises | Golf Channel ›
- Troy Mullins is long drive golf champion but she's striving for the LPGA ›
- World Long Drive: Troy Mullins Interview - Wins The Mile High ... ›
London Alexaundria is the contributing editor for xoNecole. She is an alum of Clark Atlanta University, where she majored in Mass Media Arts and has worked in journalism for over ten years. You can follow her on Instagram and TikTok @theselfcarewriter
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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It’s been nearly twenty years since India.Arie’s crown anthem, “I am not my hair,” gave Black women an affirmation to live by. What followed was a natural hair revolution that birthed a new level of self-love and acceptance. Concerns around how to better care for our hair birthed an entire new generation of entrepreneurs who benefitted from the power of the Black dollar. Retailers made room for product lines made for us, by us, on their shelves, and we further affirmed that though our hair doesn’t define us, it is part of our unique self-expression.
Today, that movement has turned into a wig uprising where Black women are able to experiment with colors, styles, and more without causing irreparable damage to our hair. It could even be said that we’ve arrived at a new level of acceptance: one that does not equate love of oneself to one’s willingness or lack thereof to wear her hair the way others deem acceptable. Not even other people who look like us.
However, as with Blackness itself, the issue of Black women’s hair is layered.
On the surface, it’s nothing more than a matter of personal preference. However, in a deeper dive, issues of texture, curl pattern, and of course, proximity to social acceptance, as well as other runoff streams from the waters of racism and patriarchy, rear their heads. The natural hair movement, though a wide-reaching and liberating community builder, also gave way to colorism and often upheld mainstream beauty standards.
Sometimes, favoring lighter-skinned influencers/creators with very specific hair textures, the white gaze leaked into our safe space and forced us to reckon with it. Accurate representations of natural hair in various states of being—undefined curls, kinks, and unlaid edges—are still absent from brand marketing. Protective styles, though intended to provide breaks from styling for our sensitive hair, have become a mask to help our hair be more palatable. A figurative straddle of the fence in order to appease the comfort of others in the face of our hair’s power.
And then there’s the issue of length.
Giphy
As a woman who has spent much of the last decade voluntarily wearing her hair in many variations of short hairstyles, from a pixie cut to a curly fro and a sleek bob, what I’ve gleaned throughout the years is that there is a glaring difference between how I am treated when wearing my hair short than when I opt for weaves, extensions or even grow it out slightly longer than my chin.
The differential treatment comes from women and men alike and spans professional and personal settings, including friends, coworkers, and industry peers.
What has become abundantly clear is that long hair is often conflated with beauty, softness, and any number of other words we relate to femininity in a way that short hair is not. That perceived marker of the essence of womanhood shows up in how I am received, communicated with, and complimented.
Even more so than texture, length has a way of deciding who among us is deserving of our attention, affection, and adoration. Whether naturally grown or proudly bought, the commentary around someone’s look or image greatly shifts when “inches” are present.
When it comes to long hair, we really, really do care.
In an effort to understand whether I had simply been misinterpreting the energy around my hair, I decided to take my findings to social media. I began with two side-by-side photos of myself. In both pictures, my hair is straightened; however, in one, I am wearing my signature pixie cut, and in the other, I am wearing extensions.
I posited that treatment based on hair length is a real thing, and what followed was confirmation that I was not alone in my feelings. “Long hair, like light skin, button noses, and being thin are all forms of social capital,” one user commented. “Some Black women enforce the status quo too, why wouldn’t we?”
Courtesy
This also brought to mind the many times celebrity women (like most recently Beyoncé's Cécred hair tutorial) have done big reveals of their own natural tresses in an attempt to silence any doubt that Black women are able to grow their hair beyond a certain length. Of course, we all know that to be true, so why do we still feel the need to prove it so?
The responses continued to pour in from women of all skin tones, who felt that hair length played a role in people’s treatment of them. “When I have short hair I always feel like people don’t treat me like a woman, they treat me like a kid,” another user commented. “When my hair is long I get a lot more respect for some reason.”
From revelations about feeling invisible to admitted shifts in their own perceived beauty, Black woman after Black woman poured out her experience as it relates to hair length. Though affirmed by their shared realities, knowing that reactions to something so trivial have become yet another hair battle for Black women to fight was disheartening. Though we continue to defy gravity and push the bounds of imagination and creativity by way of our strands, will it always be in response to the idea that we are, somehow, falling short?
Unlike more obvious instances of hair discrimination, the glorification of longer length is sneakier in its connection to Eurocentric beauty standards. Hair commercials, beauty ads, and even hip-hop music have long celebrated the idea of gloriously long tresses while holding onto the ignorant notion that it is inaccessible for Black women.
Even as we continue to fight to prove our hair professional, elegant, and worthy in its natural state to the world at large, we’ve also adopted harmful value markers of our own as a community. It’s evident in how we talk about who has the right to start a haircare line and which influencers we easily platform. It’s evident in the language we use to identify those with long hair versus short hair. And it’s painfully obvious in how we treat one another.
It makes me wonder if India.Arie’s brave rallying cry, almost two decades old in its existence, will ever actually hold true for us. Or will we just continue to invent new ways to uphold the harmful status quo?
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Feature image by Willie B. Thomas/ Getty Images