Brittany Lang Is Grateful for Every Shot

When Brittany Lang won the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open, she didn’t attribute it to her golf swing, her concentration or her tireless hours of practice. While all of those elements play a role in every game she plays, the 31-year-old LPGA pro golfer from McKinney, Texas, says her secret weapon is her attitude. “A positive attitude is everything,” Brittany says. “Whether you just made a mistake or just played a great hole, you have to move on. Your attitude is the difference between having your best day and having your worst day.”

Now in her 12th year on the LPGA Tour, Brittany is definitely having plenty of good days. She says they’re made better by the fact that her career has become a family affair. Her husband, Kevin Spann, handles her scheduling while her brother, Luke, is her caddy. Her parents attend as many of her tournaments as they can, and they all spend time together as a family when she isn’t on the road.

That really makes it easy on me—having my family around me, supporting me and watching me play. It makes it feel like home, no matter where I am.

Brittany's parents have always been supportive of her goals and instilled her with gratitude and positivity. That, she says, helped her grow into a happy, well-rounded woman who is grateful for every opportunity she has been given.

“It’s easy for professional athletes to get caught up in the pressure and everything around them, but I remind myself that it’s a beautiful day and I get to play golf for a living. That puts it all in perspective.”

BRITTANY LANG: Every second of every day that I’m with my brother. He’s my caddy, and he’s hilarious—so he’s great to have on the bag. He’s very positive, and I can’t tell you what a difference that makes when you’re out there playing.

BL: I would say it’s the way my parents have given of their time. They have always been there for my brother and me. I think of how unselfish they are, and I know the reason we have such a close relationship with them is because they were always there for us, no matter what.

LH: How do you pay it forward?

BL: I am involved with a few charities, and wish I had time to do more. One of them is the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County, which provides support for kids who have been dealt a really bad hand. The people who help those kids are angels, and we are involved with them in a few different ways to do what we can.

LH: Where is your happy place?

BL: Definitely at home, surrounded by my entire family, cooking out and watching a game on TV. That is my No. 1 favorite place to be. You just can’t beat it.

Paula Felps is the science editor for Live Happy magazine.