Caroline Masson juggles motherhood and golf in LPGA Tour comeback

SINGAPORE – Life on the LPGA Tour has changed drastically for Caroline Masson over the past year.

Her priorities are no longer just centred around golf, but instead being the best mother she can to her son Benton, who turns two in April.

While the two roles may be equally demanding, the German golfer wants to prove that she can juggle both.

“It’s a bit more busy with less time to focus on the things that I used to do,” said the world No. 291 on the sidelines of the recent HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore.

“He’s my No. 1 priority, so I have to make enough time for him, but also make enough time to be able to compete, which is not easy.

“These are the best players in the world, so it’s tough to juggle both, but it’s been a really enjoyable year and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Since the 35-year-old returned to professional golf in March 2024, she has travelled to most tournaments with Benton and her husband Jason McDede, who is women’s world No. 1 Nelly Korda’s caddie.

With both of them on the Tour, the couple are keen to experience travelling as a family for a few years.

Compromise is par for the course, as Masson noted that her sporting schedule is often secondary – a typical day during a tournament week starts with dropping McDede off at the golf course, and then sending Benton to daycare before she gets her practice in.

Her practice time is determined by Benton’s schedule. In the past, she would not have hesitated spending another hour on the course, but she has other priorities now.

Having her son around has also given her a different perspective, she said.

Previously after a bad round, she would obsess over her results, but becoming a mother has helped her develop a healthier mindset.

She said: “For most of us players, our lives have been about golf for so long, it’s all we do, and sometimes it feels like that’s who we are.”

“You come off the golf course, and he’s there, and no matter what I shot, he really doesn’t care, and he’s happy to see us, and it puts things in perspective,” added the 2016 Manulife LPGA Classic winner.

At one point, Masson had accepted that the CME Group Tour Championship in November 2022 could be her last event.

She said: “It’s not an easy thing to just not play for a year, have a baby, have all these body changes, and then come back and think that you can still compete on that level.”

She began practising a year after stepping away from golf to have her son, and it was tough initially, as her body felt like it was at “zero” and her ball “would not go anywhere”.

Changing to softer clubs provided some height on the ball, but her swings still lacked speed.

When she made her comeback at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship in March 2024, Masson was heartened by the reception from the other players, with many coming up to her and telling her how much they respected her.

While she has posted varying results since her return, she is pleased with her progress.

Out of the 20 events she has played, she made 12 cuts, with her best result coming at the 2024 T-Mobile Match Play, where she finished tied-18th.

Masson said: “The goal is just to have a few weeks where I can really try to win a golf tournament.

“I don’t think that’s out of reach, but everything has to work pretty much perfectly to be able to do that.

“So it’s less goals and more enjoyment of what I’m doing.”