All about Alana: The LPGA Tour’s most promising young talent on loss, growth, and golf
At just 22 years old, professional golfer Alana Uriell is one of the LPGA’s brightest stars. It’s hard to believe that her story started on the tester putting green at a local Sport Authority in Carlsbad, California. At the time, she and her family of course had no idea that Alana would quickly develop a passion for the sport, that she would practice daily at Aviara Golf Club until eventually returning over a decade later—this time with an LPGA Tour card and without her mother by her side.
DN: When did you first pick up a golf club?
Alana: I started playing golf at eight years old. I took an interest in the display putters at Sports Authority as a kid, so my mom put me in golf camps and I immediately took to the sport. Neither of my parents played golf, so this was my own endeavor.
DN: What have been some of the biggest highs of your career?
Alana: Some of my highs include: College golf and winning the SEC Championship my senior year; my first ever LPGA event as an amateur (the NW Arkansas Championship), and winning my first ever professional tournament as a professional; and the Symetra tournament at Port Charlotte just this March. The SEC Championship was an unbelievable experience to have my team come together and win after so much work over the years. The Walmart NW Arkansas Championship was cool because the Arkansas Razorback community cheered me on and I had the opportunity to represent the University of Arkansas in a positive way. The Port Charlotte Symetra event was the result of the hard work I put in to get ready for my LPGA debut and it gave me lots of confidence as a player.
DN: When we say “grow the game” we know that golf is more than a game. What does golf mean to you and what kind of impact has it had on your life?
Alana: As a young girl going through the difficult loss of my mother, golf gave me a healthy outlet that I could always go back to when things became difficult. The golf community served as a huge support through the good and bad times, and kept me from going down the wrong path. Golf and its community taught me valuable life lessons and I gained important mentorship and guidance in a time when I felt my life had fallen apart. I’ve been with my coach, Jason Puterbaugh, for 10 years, and he and his family have really taken me in as their own. It’s people like that who make a huge difference in people’s lives. I can’t thank him enough!
DN: What influence did your mom have on your career and on you as a person?
Alana: My mom and I were very close growing up. She would take me to the golf course and to tournaments and comfort me when I would hit my ball in the water and cry. She was a strong and positive role model for me. She was once an athlete herself, and educated me on what it would take to be great and fostered my drive to succeed in golf. She was also a great artist, and I have fond memories of painting alongside her and learning her skills. Losing her was like losing a part of me. All the fond memories I had with her suddenly became painful to think of. There were so many things I didn’t know about myself at 14. I was just getting into my awkward teen years, and that transition became so much more difficult without the support and knowledge of a mother figure. Other high schoolers were worrying about fitting in when I was worrying about how my life would play out without my best friend. These times were difficult and holidays are still a sensitive time for my family, but the strides that my family and I have made really show how strong we have become. My mom is always with me in everything I do, cheering me on from above.
DN: What does it mean to you to represent Dormie Network as an ambassador?
Alana: I truly want to get to know the people I’m working with; I love the personal connection with real people and Dormie Network gave me that right away. The honesty and compassion is what I value most, and I feel that Dormie Network has that. To be part of such a prestigious brand is an honor.
