Lauri Merten - Part 4 (Playing with Jack and Life After Golf)

In the heartfelt conclusion of our four-part conversation with 1993 U.S. Women’s Open champion Lauri Merten, we explore life beyond the ropes and the journey that followed her greatest triumph. With sincerity and introspection, Lauri opens up about the challenges of balancing fame, personal relationships, and the emotional toll of a life in competitive golf.

She reflects on the impact of her U.S. Open win—from newfound celebrity to the struggles of maintaining her game and marriage. Lauri shares stories of teeing it up with legends like Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman, and the unexpected honor of flying on Jack’s private plane after a memorable Three Tour Challenge. She also discusses stepping away from the game at her peak and her transition into a quieter, more creative life as a gardener and decorative painter.

We also hear about her emotional return for the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open—dusting off old clubs, finding places to practice, and rediscovering her swing two decades later. Through highs and lows, her enduring love for the game and her authenticity shine through.

As we close, Lauri answers our signature final three questions with honesty and grace, sharing what she might have done differently, where she’d take a career mulligan, and how she hopes to be remembered—not just as a major champion, but as someone who cared deeply for others and stayed true to herself.

This episode is a powerful reminder that the stories behind the trophies are often the most inspiring of all.

🎙️ Listen now to the final chapter of Lauri Merten’s remarkable journey—only on FORE the Good of the Game.

Transcript

Mike Gonzalez 0:16

We always note gaps in records, particularly years that go by before between wins. And in this case, you had a fairly large gap since your last win. Bruce normally asks this question.

Bruce Devlin 0:29

Oh, you want me to ask it?

Lauri Merten 0:32

You're on.

Bruce Devlin 0:32

Yeah, what was going on? Life was going on, right?

Lauri Merten 0:37

Life. And and the thing is, because I won, now I'm a celebrity, if you will, in quotes, and everybody wanted you to, they wanted a piece of your time, which didn't allow me to practice till dark 30. And and also I was married and my marriage started to struggle because I put so much time into 1992 um prepping and and it just didn't it didn't do well on the marriage. So I ended up uh, you know, I I got to the point where I just I I couldn't excel to the level that I wanted to and make a marriage work. And so that's where I ended up um I ended up retiring because it was my second marriage and I wanted to make it work and it didn't. And and yet, you know, at least I tried. That's what I felt like. So um, and golf, I mean, even Beth Daniel came up to me years later and she's like, Lori, you did it the perfect way. You did it, you left the tour when you were at your peak. So I really didn't, you know. I mean, I I mean, yes, I played, but you know, that's when I got Callaway and I left Ping. They signed me Eli Callaway, he was a just new coming golf company. They sent me stock the right after my win because I used their driver at the US Open. So he wanted me to use all their clubs. And I couldn't, I I try to use their their irons, but I was a ping person and I've always been a ping person. I I mean I grew up with pings, other than my Patty Burgs, the next well, I had links, which were the copy of Ping, because my we couldn't afford the pings, but now I get I got it in on until Lou Bebe retires, I got it in with um John Solheim and the Ping Factory.

Mike Gonzalez 2:35

Good. Well, uh uh obviously that win at the US Open probably provided an opportunity for you to play golf with Jack Nicholas.

Lauri Merten 2:46

Yes, and I also that next year crossed the million-dollar mark, which is not hard to do anymore, but yeah, there was this million-dollar mark that it in career earnings, and I did it, I think, in either March or May of '94, and they gave you this ring that when you crossed the million-dollar mark. And I always wanted this because I saw it on Pat Bradley's finger. It was a class ring. It was beautiful. I mean, it was a class ring, but it was it had green stone for the LPGA because it was all green. And I always wanted that one. And turns out Tiffany, the jewelry company, becomes the the promoter of our rings that year. And I get this thing that kind of looks like a pipe. Um, you know, it's a little, it's not, it's it's okay. It's got like it's got X's, you know, the Roman numerals could make a million dollars, and a little teeny diamond in it. I mean, it's a nice, but it it doesn't even fit my finger anymore. I could, you know, and it's hard to, you know, size it. Your fingers get bigger in the the years. Um, anyway, that um I wanted the class ring, and the other day I was wearing when I was at Thanksgiving with my sister Kelly, who was my sidekick my whole life in junior golf. And she's always been my best friend, and always, you know, our politics don't get along these days, and that didn't help. But overall, we're we're really close, and she's my sweetheart sister. Makes me.

SPEAKER_03 4:33

And she teared up, and that's what I do with my sister Kelly. So I don't know why. Just hit me, but it's all right. Life can be tough, and she was always there for me. So um, anyway, let me regroup here.

Mike Gonzalez 4:52

Well, let's talk about happier times. That uh Jack playing the three-tour challenge that was the Wendy's challenge, which was always a I'm sure a fun deal for you guys because you get to pair up with uh with the on the men's side and uh some pretty good competition.

Lauri Merten 5:06

Yeah, yes. Uh Chi Chi Rodriguez was there. Oh, I'm I'm not even gonna name them all. Raymond Floyd shot 62 that day. Um my Greg Norman, who always a hunk, and he came up to me and said, I have a bone to pick with you. I'm suing you. And I said, What? And he said, I saw your signature on the um on the photographs. We had to do these posters, and he I had my signature, and my signature always was Lori Merton with a big loop at the end, with the end was a big loop, and then I'd put a little flag stick there. Like I was always on the putting green, I don't, or I'm you know, on the green. And so he said, That's what I do, and and he said, So I'm suing you. And I said, No, I'm suing you, because I did it first. I I don't see it on there. So anyway, it was kind of fun. And and uh um, and I played with Lee Jansen and Jack Nicholas. They both Lee had won this the US Open and Jack had won the senior U.S. Open. And I was so nervous on the first T. And I really, you know, I again that's when I didn't wasn't, I was kind of not playing as well. After I won, it was like I just I couldn't do anymore. I was I I'd done the peak, and so I think I shot 76 that day, and I think Jack shot 75 when Raymond shot 62 on his Collaton River golf course, so he was not happy. There's a picture of me, a painting of me and Jack on the 18th hole that was in golf magazine. I said, Where did they get that? It's kind of faux, look, you know, like I'm not real. And they said, Oh, it's a painting, and I paid for the painter to I paid to buy the painting. Yeah, and I left his name outside because I thought I was gonna be famous, and he would be famous because of me. So I I framed it with his signature that shouldn't be there. It's kind of on the on a weird area. But anyway, you came into the golf course, and they have this four or five by eight foot picture of you holding your US Open trophy, and that four or five feet. It was huge. That was your parking spot. And you go, well, I guess that's where I'm supposed to park. And the first hole, uh, when I finally got out there, I'm I'm Jack's hitting it. I mean, I'm nervous. I I I've never met Jack. I've never well, I maybe met him one time, but um my stomach was sick, and Jack Jr. was catting for him. And he comes up to me and he goes, Lori, he's just a dad. I go, No, he's not, he's Jack. And he said, Yeah, but he's still just a dad. And so I played, eh, you know, and but it was fun to play with Jack Nicholas. And all of a sudden, I said, Well, it was really nice meeting you. I have to catch a plan. He goes, No, you can't leave. We have uh, you know, the pro am, all the sponsors, we have to go meet all of them. I said, No, because I've gotta go do something with Heather Farr. I think it was a Fairway magazine. We did these Fairway magazines back then, and we were going, so I had to be in Key West to or somewhere down in Miami to go on this. And he's like, Well, where are you going to? And I said, Well, flying into West Palm, but I gotta be in in Miami in the morning for a cruise for this photo shoot for Fairway magazine, which was nice. Heather Farr was on it, and that was she had short hair then because she had cancer, and she was in that that spread. There were a lot of fun spreads doing those Fairway magazines. Forgot about that. Um, but Jack goes, Well, if you're going to West Palm, then you're coming with us. And I went, What? He goes, Well, you're flying back with us on the plane. I go, Well, my husband and me, and he's like, That's okay, we're you can both go with us. And John Montgomery was a guy that put all the stakes in the ground with the fencing of the golf tournament to keep the gallery ropes. He always sat with Jack. So we we get up there and he says, Jack, he's or Jack says to John, John, can you take the seat back? I want to talk to Lewis and Lori. And Barbara was there, and we're sitting the four of us. The first thing I do is I say, Can I please have your signature, you know, on this USGA magazine that has your picture on it because he had won the senior, and to my mom and dad, so George and Sue, and so he goes, okay, fine. And then they have seafood buffet on the table, you know, shrimp and cocktail and stone crabs and all sorts of stuff. It was very nice posh G3 plane that I flew on with Jack Nicholas and Barbara Nicholas. The wonderful people. And now I'm gonna think it was doing something. Um anyway, um the uh uh we flew back on his plane, and and uh and that was very, very special. And um, and then the next day I went on the cruise with Heather Farr and a few other girls, and we did this uh photo shoot for the golf Faraway magazine.

Mike Gonzalez 10:03

So Well, you mentioned uh not too long after that, 1997, uh deciding to retire from competitive play on the LPJ tour. Was it sort of a gradual thing or was it like boom, I'm done?

Lauri Merten 10:15

I was burnt out. I couldn't maintain that level, but our marriage was failing, and that also was, and I didn't think the press needed to know my marriage was failing.

Mike Gonzalez 10:26

Sure.

Lauri Merten 10:27

And so and it and we we made it work for a few more years, and and and but that was really how I quit. I was trying to make my marriage work, and yeah, it didn't, but I mean, but it did for quite a few years.

Mike Gonzalez 10:40

So as you as you as you sort of wound down your competitive career, then uh now you're thinking about boy, I didn't have a plan B when I was younger. What am I gonna do with the rest of my life? So tell us talk us through that.

Lauri Merten 10:56

Yeah, I mean, I really worked a lot in the gardens. I loved working in the gardens, and when I was married to Lewis, I was you know working in his gardens, and and just I I have a a piece there, you know, that really is even better than golf. Um golf was great, you know, it paid a lot of bills and still does, so that's good with good investments by my father, you know, helping me and me being frugal. But um I I had to find something, but I never really retired. I just started working as a gardener. Yeah, that's kind of the way I was. I and a mun monkey, and and and I would shop and things, which was, you know, that was ridiculous. I mean, Lewis would always say you'd spend$4,000 and return, you know,$3,500 of it on the credit card. I would just buy things to buy. So I learned to um I started getting into decorative painting. I met this couple in Florida. Joyce Mitchell was uh, her husband recognized me and he said, Do you play golf? And I said, Yeah, well, I did. And he's like, Oh, yes, and you won the US Open. He knew the name and all that. So he says, You should paint with Joyce. So I got into decorative painting, and she told me, Oh, I said, I can't paint. Um, but if you have a pattern, you know, then I remember one of Lewis's friends, Billy Baine, he goes, What is that paint by number? I'm like, No, it's not paint by number. It's you know, I had to learn to fade and fade things out, and you know, so it was fun, but you had the pattern, so you didn't have to have the you had the perspective. Um, so I loved painting. I love to go to the goodwill and thrift shops to buy things. I paint on um, you know, pepper grinders and and things, and and um I have all sorts of paintings that I have, and I give them away a lot, and um, but I'm not really a painter, but I'm a I'm a decorative painter and I like painting things and making them. And this summer I was painting too, I I got into this stuff called Beyond Paint, where it one layer of it coats something. I painted a uh I'm I'm more generic now. I painted a dresser and it looks really good. And I painted a kitchen countertop. I let's see how well that holds up, but it's supposed to hold up on Formica. We'll see. Um, it was a For Micah.

Mike Gonzalez 13:14

Before Bruce and I get to our final three questions that we always like to ask everybody, I've gotta I've gotta ask this. I assume, with your competitive juices still flowing somewhat, when that first women's senior U.S. Open came around at Chicago Golf, you must have been one of the first to say, I think I want to do that.

Lauri Merten 13:35

I was probably one of the last to do that.

Bruce Devlin 13:38

Really? Okay. All right.

Lauri Merten 13:40

Because I wasn't I didn't play. I didn't yeah, and you know US Open, it's like not fun. So they called and they begged and they begged. I go, I haven't played in 12 years. I think it was 12 years. Um and they said, but it's it's the inaugural, you have to 93, 2003, 405. Yeah, was it I don't remember what year it was. Oh yeah, no, 20. So I mean it was 20 some years later. Sorry, I'm from well, 97, how 2017, it was 2018. So 21 years. I said, I haven't played in 20 years. There's no way I'm doing this. And I mean, I went and got my clubs, I had to go get new ones at the pink factory. Regroup yeah, well, and new because they were illegal. And I'm looking at these clubs and dusting them off, and they've got rust on them. Like it's bad. I mean, it's like, what do I do? And so, and I had no place to practice here in South Florida. It's not like I mean, I used to be when I was married to Lewis, I was a member of Pine Tree, where they all I mean, Beth and Meg are, but they somehow kicked me out. But um, so that's bad. I wish I would be a member there so I could practice here, but I couldn't practice. So Darren Panks over at a place, um uh it's now called something else, but Jane Blaylock's a member there, and um uh Jeff Sluman and all this. And so I tried to get them to let me practice there, and they did, and then I was trying to be nice to all the members, and they found out I wasn't a member, and then they were mad that I was always there. So I think Darren Panks had to call me and kick me out or you have to join. And well, I wasn't gonna join. So I I worked and went down to Deer Creek, and that's where I made a met a guy, Colin, who I he helped me with my golf swing a little bit. Um, and I called Mike McGettrick to get him to help me, and that was just an expensive help. I I forgot that they they make they charge you to get lessons. But anyway, I I could find a place to practice. I went out to Delry Municipal, which wasn't really that conducive. It really needs to be helped, and I think Beth and Meg Mallon are both gonna, Beth Daniel and McMallon are trying to help get it to because it's a it's a uh, oh, what's it, Dick Wilson and um on one side and Robert Trent Jones, I think on the other, or I think one of those, what no, Donald Ross on the other side. Um, so it's two nines of of famous architects, but it's not in good shape. And so I had to go out to Arizona and called Missy Farr, who was the head coach at ASU, and I said, Can I come out? She goes, Absolutely, Lori. And Lou Beebe helped. We played golf at Mary or Moon Valley. I even went out to you know, Maryvale, and that was wild. And to remember all my stomping grounds, which looked completely different, but I went out there and played. I had to buy golf balls at that range. I said, I like a bucket of balls. That'll be I forget how much it was. And you know, I didn't want to tell them who I was because I wasn't that good. You know, I was like, I don't want to. Uh the good news is I lost a lot of weight that week. I had to buy new clothes and everything. And so when I was done, I I got an Evan Scholarship golf um girl um to caddy for me at the US Senior at Chicago Club, which the Evan Scholarship was a great thing for junior golfers up in that area. And so she caddied for me. I can't think of her first name, but her last name is Irwin. I remembered it as Hale Irwin. That's why I always remember that. Um, but she was sweet. I just I was in like the wrong element, and I I was expecting to do well, at least make the cut, and I didn't make the cut. So I I mean I shot a wad. I mean, I four-putted one hole, and that was the thing. My short game stumped that week, but I hit it decent. I just it's a US Open golf course, and it was hard as a rock, and and it was it was tricky, and and you just you know, it it wasn't as great. So I went down on the architectural, you know, went down to Wrigley Park that weekend, and I went on that boat that you go around the the whole area up there and architectural tour on the yeah, yeah. Yeah. And actually my caddy, Tom Hansen, was going to, this was the sad thing. He was, he was, when he knew I was gonna play in it, because he called me and goes, You're playing in this. He goes, I can't caddy for you because he had bad feet after carrying a 70-pound bag all those years. And he was supposed to come and help me with my short game and chip and keep me company, like my sister Kelly used to do. Um, and he ended up dying. And and I got a call from his phone, and I'm like, Where are you? And then his mom said that. So that was really sad. A lot of those men from our tour, I don't think they were the healthiest when they were caddying, but uh uh, you know, Lewis. It was funny, he he caddied for me a few times after, you know, during the when I first met him and and a lot of the caddies. We he owned a restaurant called the charcoal pit. And Lori Rinker, who's a dear friend of mine, she she carried a bag in the in the and it was the McDonald's tournament, and they wore charcoal pit hats. The caddies got paid to wear charcoal pit hats by Lewis. And they I don't I think they were mad because it was a McDonald's tournament, and and so that didn't go over real big. But the the caddies really he we always had a uh a get together and all the caddies and the players came to the house and and we had stuff like that. Uh, you know, it had the charcoal pit barbecue in the backyard, which was which was fun.

Mike Gonzalez 19:36

Yeah, yeah.

Lauri Merten 19:37

So, but the US Open senior, then I go to write it off the next year with my taxes. I need a new accountant. He said, Lori, this is it's not really. He says, I'm if I get a membership to a country club um and I have all my clients come out, I can't write it off. I go, but Jerry, this was a job. He goes, No, it was a hobby. I go, Jerry, that practicing for that was not a hobby. Preparing for that was a job. So I didn't write it off. And and uh and so I thought, why am I doing this? So and then that's when I hung up the clubs again. And it just takes me too much. It takes me too much to play well. I my friend Debbie and Ralph, they I can play with them and they don't care if I worm burn it on the ground. So they you know, I play with them, and some of my neighbors want to go play golf, so we do that. And um uh, but overall I wish I could play with people and they wouldn't, but my brain tells me they think, well, she hit it like that and she won the US Open. That's what's hard for me. You know, I I'm a perfectionist, and it's you know, I can picture the shot now just like it was yesterday. Yeah, but having it done doesn't work.

Mike Gonzalez 21:00

It never Bruce, you probably got over that long ago, didn't you? Yeah, I got over that a long ago.

Lauri Merten 21:08

And how did you get over it?

Bruce Devlin 21:10

Uh uh well, first of all, you gotta keep moving up in T's to offset the like uh the lack of length, of course. Uh but no, you know, I I just it's it's still fun for me to go out and play a little bit. I uh I'm getting to a point now where um to beat my age, I don't have to be all that good, you know. 87's a fairly high score.

Lauri Merten 21:41

I want that. I want that goal, 87. That sounds like I mean, that's about what who knows? That's about it's sad. But don't doesn't your brain still think that you can hit these great shots?

Bruce Devlin 21:52

Uh no, I know I can't anymore.

Lauri Merten 21:55

Yeah, that's probably why I I still think that way in your realistic.

Mike Gonzalez 22:03

He's come to the realization that the body just won't do what it used to do. And that's true for all of us. Well, anyway, let's put a bow on this thing if we can. We always finish. If you've listened to any of our podcasts, uh, toward the end with every guest, we we ask three questions, and I always defer to the more senior member of our team to to to offer the first question.

Bruce Devlin 22:26

So Laurie, 41 years ago you started out uh in professional golf. If you'd have known then what you know now, what would you have done differently?

Lauri Merten 22:44

Honestly, I would say nothing in in that um you know, your life, God puts you in areas to I I'm a very, you know, spiritual person, and I think God puts you in areas that you're to learn the tough times and the great times. And I I I I take that back. The one thing that I wish, you know, and it probably has nothing to do with golf, but to learn to say no took me till age 50. I was always a yes person. You know, you play in pro ams and you're trying to make them, you know, happy. It's their four-hour experience with you. And I think I've learned that, you know, Lori needs to, you know, say yes to Lori instead of always saying yes to everyone else. And you know, and I think that's in any in anybody's career or life, that's one thing that you would you really would like to learn a lot earlier than I did at age 50. Um, and then I learned to say no too much. Um, but I I think I'm so happy that I didn't have to choose something other than golf because I have no idea what it would have been other than being a mud monkey gardener. And I love it, and and I still love it. It doesn't pay the bills like um like the tour did, but I I really am happy with my life. I I've learned through a lot of tears, crying in the shower when you miss a cut, because you didn't want anyone to see you cry. Um but you realize that you were meant for a purpose in life, and I think I gave back to the game what what it gave me, I hope. And and I did love the game of golf. And when it became a job, it wasn't as much fun. Um, you know, especially when you didn't get the bills paid that week and you're in the negative. But I I don't think I would really do anything different, you know. It it it was a good good game.

Mike Gonzalez 25:03

Yeah, fair enough. Uh all right, question number two. Uh Bruce, we may know the answer to this question. I'm not sure. Let's see. But uh, we're gonna give you one career mulligan, one do-over. Where do you where do you take it?

Lauri Merten 25:19

Um well, I already won that tournament even with when I needed a mulligan. I I would it's more, I don't know, where did you think it would be? I I think I would love to be able to have that ball go into the trees for Patty Sheen. I know that's a negative, but um that works, that works for me.

Mike Gonzalez 25:39

I mean, Nicholas Nicholas cited three shots that other people took as his mulligans.

Lauri Merten 25:45

Well, that's the mulligan. I think it's like I would have liked the mulligan of the guy jumping and the ball not hitting his ankle and it going in there. So I could have found out if I could have won two majors, possibly.

Mike Gonzalez 25:57

That's right. Yeah, yeah.

Bruce Devlin 25:58

Well, that works. That that works. All right, Bruce. So last question. How would Laurie Merton like to be remembered?

Lauri Merten 26:08

Um, you you could make me cry on that one. Um I would say just as a good player, a a good person, and someone that really cares about people. That's what I, you know, I would like. There's things that in my career that you know I don't want to even get into, but it it it wasn't me. And and I was this line, you know, it was like a flashlight was shown on me and it was sad. And you know, I just wish that that that never happened and it's sad. But but I just want people to know that I I am who I am and don't believe everything you read. Um because I am I I really true truly believe that God made He didn't make a mistake with me.

Bruce Devlin 27:02

Well good. Well, listen, you didn't make a mistake today either. We enjoyed uh listening to your story of your life. And uh Mike and I appreciate the time you've given us, Lori. It's been great.

Lauri Merten 27:16

Well, I appreciate it. It's nice to tell my story the way I want to tell it, and um and sometimes my I call it verbal vomit when I start to talk too much, but I think I was fairly good at not doing that.

Mike Gonzalez 27:30

Well, we appreciate you joining us and adding your story to a lot of golf greats on For the Good of the Game. Yeah.

Lauri Merten 27:37

There, I really appreciate you having me, and I feel honored to be asked to do this. So yeah, I I don't put myself on that pedestal with all of them, but it's nice to be among the greats for a couple hours.

Mike Gonzalez 27:53

Thank you for listening to another episode of For the Good of the Game. And please, wherever you listen to your podcast on Apple and Spotify, if you like what you hear, please subscribe, spread the word, and tell your friends until we tee it up again for the good of the game.