On Wednesday at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, Bailey Shoemaker went viral. The ANWA’s Golf Channel broadcast showed the USC junior as she stood over her approach shot at the 8th hole at Champions Retreat and struggled to pull the trigger, starting her backswing several times but balking pre-impact.
The video played into a specific type of frustration that golfers — and golf-watchers — feel about the sport. Here, in one 75-second clip, was a perfect encapsulation of the way young golfers play slow and disrespect the game — and the way tournaments fail to rein it in. This is nothing new; recreational golf is plagued by slow play, tournament golf even more so, and pros who take a long time over the ball continually catch viewers’ ire.
Shoemaker didn’t dispute what the video showed. But she also knows there’s more to the story.
Speaking to GOLF’s Claire Rogers on site, Shoemaker explained that her struggle to take the club away traces back to an arm injury she dealt with last year that required playing through pain and numbness before she elected to have surgery. She has struggled to align communication between her brain and body since returning to competitive play.
“I’ve been battling injury for over a year now, and so, I mean, I’ve got some things bugging me. But, I mean, when you have nerve surgery, you aren’t in control,” Shoemaker said. “Like, it doesn’t matter what my brain says or does — you think I want to do it intentionally? Of course not.”
Shoemaker lamented the limits of a single clip.
“It was better today. And, I mean, that was the worst one yesterday, of course it went viral,” she said. “And I mean, you clearly don’t see the rest of the round. You don’t see me at home working out five hours a day, going to rehab, waking up before practice to go to rehab. You don’t see what’s behind the scenes.”
Shoemaker’s bid to make the cut fell short after a second consecutive 73; her two-round total of 146 was three shots too many. Shoemaker finished runner-up at this event in 2024 and will be disappointed not to play a competitive final round at Augusta National, although she will play there Friday during the event’s in-between day. In the meantime, she’s hoping to keep her focus on the big picture.
“I put a lot of faith in USC and my coaches and trainers and whatnot, and I mean, they got me to here, where I am today,” she said. “I know I keep saying it, and I sound like a broken record, but like a year ago, I didn’t know if I’d be playing golf anymore. This was like, a pretty substantial injury, given it was my nerve. And I’m happy to have motor function over my hand.
“I thought I was going to like, lose my hand, basically, y’know? So that’s pretty scary to think about. So, I mean, to have control over my body is nice, for once. And just being out here playing is good.”
Rogers also asked whether Shoemaker had been affected by the attention after her first round. Of course she had — how could anyone not be? — but did her best to channel that into determination.
“If anything it was fuel. I mean, my dad has trained me right, to use that as fuel to ignite me a little bit. But I didn’t play too much mind to it. I mean, I’m happy where I am, and I’m making leaps and bounds in my health, and that’s all I really care about.”
Shoemaker found a clear silver lining — “I’m playing Augusta National tomorrow” — even if it was a trying week.
You can watch her comments below.