Before every home game, the University of Iowa Hawkeyes football team enters Kinnick Stadium, their home field, and jogs slowly onto the field, hands locked, with the captains in front. The showcase of team unity, nicknamed “The Swarm,” will make anyone – no matter if they’re donning black and gold or opposing colors – get goosebumps.
It’s a scene all too familiar to Lisa Pavin, a noted college football buff who went to school at Iowa. As was the case most of the time during the mid-1990s when she attended the home games, this team unity translated into a Hawkeye victory.
These days, coach Kirk Ferentz and his Hawkeyes football team have taken a back seat in the mind and heart of Lisa Pavin. In fact, a lot has, including her own birthday. Instead, Pavin’s allegiance and her time has shifted to the red, white and blue, and helping her husband Corey fulfill his dream of leading the United States team to victory at the 2010 Ryder Cup next month.
From designing team clothing to planning out gala events to just taking care of things at home so her husband can play his best golf, Lisa has done a tremendous amount of work leading up to the biennial tussle between the U.S. and Europe. And who knows, if Team USA arrives at Celtic Manor before the first round matches hands locked with Captain Corey in front, we know whom he got that idea from.
“I want to win the Cup more than anything,” Lisa said. “That’s all life has been about lately, the Ryder Cup.”
So much so that Lisa has earned the nickname “Captainess,” which actually appears on one of her e-mail accounts. It’s a name that she has endeared ever since her husband was named captain of the 2010 team nearly two years ago. Not only is she Captain Corey’s bride and mother of their beautiful daughter, Alexis, Lisa is also his personal assistant, his staunchest defender and his best friend.
“I am very passionate about everything I do,” she said. “If I choose to do something I’m going to go full force. This [the Ryder Cup] is my passion; this is my husband’s dream. At the end of the day when your husband has this dream you are going to do everything you can to make his dream come true.”
To truly understand Lisa Pavin, you must understand the hardships of her childhood. Leaving for the United States during the fall of Saigon in 1974 as an infant with her family. Growing up in Des Moines, Iowa, a city not known for its Asian-American influences. Losing a mother at age 11. Helping her dad, a former South Vietnamese naval officer, raise her two younger sisters and younger brother.
The former Lisa Ly Nguyen could have become an isolated soul, and people would have understood why, especially after her mother’s passing. Even Lisa admits that this was a “definite turning point” in her life.
Only Lisa blossomed into the driven person that she is today. She didn’t play sports in school, but she was a pom squad dancer at Urbandale High School. Instead of remaining at home after high school, she went to the University of Iowa, where she learned all about Hawkeye football and basketball, and excelled in finance and accounting. As for golf, well…
“I did not know anything about golf. I didn’t even know who Jack Nicklaus was,” she said. “Let’s face it, Iowa weather is not conducive for golf.”
Golf was the furthest thing from her mind when her job at Deutsche Bank brought her to Dallas. She then got transferred to IBM and worked in California for a bit before returning to Dallas. Lisa wasn’t alone in the big city, though; she had family that lived in the Metroplex, and her extrovert personality easily won over many, including Chris Noss.
Noss just happened to be the caddie and conditioning coach for Corey Pavin. Back in 2000, Corey and his then-wife, Shannon, were looking for someone to help them out with their daily lives. Noss introduced the Pavins to Lisa, who had aspirations of starting her own Personal Assistant boutique firm. Lisa struck out on the job front after that meeting, but she did make quite an impression on Corey.
That year turned out to be a difficult one for Corey. His game was in shambles. He divorced from his wife and separated from his two sons, Ryan and Austin. And his relationship with his extended family deteriorated.
Soon after his divorce, Pavin hired Lisa as his personal assistant. Three months later, they became romantically involved.
“I was Corey’s personal assistant when we went on our first date, so having that date was sort of a blending in-type thing,” she said. “The two things I remember about it – he talked non-stop about the Ryder Cup and I remember asking him if he was going to finish his food because if not I was going to eat it. We shared more personable things about our lives on that date than we had previously while working together.”
The couple got engaged in January 2002, and tied the knot exactly one year later.
“He is the kindest, caring, most trusting man I have ever met,” Lisa said. “His family and friends tell me how lucky he was to have met me but it’s the other way around. I’m the one that’s fortunate to have Corey in my life.”
The phone call came early one morning in November 2008. The Pavins were still in bed at their Los Angeles home and their newborn daughter was sound asleep.
“Corey pointed at the phone and mouthed the words ‘P-G-A’ to me,” Lisa said.
The Pavins had an inkling that Corey was a top candidate to become the 2010 Ryder Cup captain, but they did not want to jinx it. He was an assistant captain for the 2006 U.S. Ryder Cup team, which good friend Tom Lehman captained, and they came away from that event with a good feeling about the PGA of America and the impression they made on them.
It was a phone call that the Pavins will remember forever.
“He hung up the phone, we gave each other a high-five, and did our own little dance in the room,” Lisa said. “It was very nice to get that call, that call from them stating that Corey was picked as the captain. Corey had been looking forward to something like this since he started playing.”
Only one problem – they could not tell a soul about it.
“Very, very difficult,” Corey said at the announcement press conference about sitting on the decision for a couple of weeks. “Lisa and I have wanted to just run on the streets and shout it out. I’ve been waiting 17 years to be sitting right here at the podium, and I figured maybe another few weeks or so was OK to wait.”
The PGA knew about Corey’s fervent for Team USA, and his bulldog tenacity. What they were equally impressed with was Lisa’s energy and style.
“It wasn’t until Corey and Lisa came down to the PGA of America headquarters to go through our ‘mind-bending,’ two-day Ryder Cup Captain orientation that we found out just how much love and passion flowed through her veins,” said Julius Mason, senior director of communications and media relations for the PGA of America.
Since that phone call, Lisa Pavin’s life has been a whirlwind adventure. Numerous cross-country and trans-Atlantic flights. Meetings. Press conferences. Phone calls. E-mails. More meetings. More e-mails. More flights. And this on top of being Corey’s assistant, as well as being a wife and a mother.
“She is a multi-tasker on a mission, a spit-fire organizer,” Mason said. “In addition to her responsibilities as a loving wife and new mother, she has also been playing the role of strategist, councilor and confidant to Corey.
“Managing a Tour player’s schedule is challenging. Managing a player’s schedule whom is competing on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour is complicated. Managing a player’s schedule who is playing both Tours and has committed to being the United States Ryder Cup captain is insane.”
Lisa’s secret? Could be a number of things. For one, she rarely sleeps. Mason can recall numerous occasions when PGA team members would receive e-mails or texts from her at 2 a.m. She even admits to all-nighters at least once if not twice a week.
Also, a phone – check that, two phones – are with her at all times. She’s constantly on the computer and usually has a stack of documents or notebooks under her arm. Her mind is constantly thinking of things to do. She doesn’t like to delegate jobs to anyone; she’d rather do it herself so that the job is done right. “Let’s face it, a lot of this work is confidential,” Lisa added. “Some are surprises, and I’d like to keep it that way.”
Her job entails a lot more than just picking out apparel for the U.S. team or their wives, although Corey joked that “Lisa has an unlimited budget with clothing at home; so I just want to give you guys a fair warning right now about the clothing.”
No, her role as Captainess goes a lot further than that. She’s taking care of the team gifts, the daily dining menus, team room and clubhouse décor. She wants to make sure each player and caddies’ rooms are tailored specifically for them – anything that creates a positive team spirit and environment throughout that week, etc. “Let’s not even talk about what I’m doing for our friends and family who are flying to Wales to support Team USA,” she laughingly added.
“I want this position to stand out. And I want to help the PGA brand the Ryder Cup to another level. To another market. To another niche. I think that’s where my business mind comes in.
“It’s not just about clothes; people think my job only involves clothing. I’m thinking how to take the PGA of America to other people who wouldn’t normally be interested. That’s just my business mind working versus doing the usual responsibilities that a wife does. We’ll see if it works.”
Tammy Wynette would be proud of Lisa Pavin.
Leading up to the Ryder Cup, the Captainess has proven that she will stand by her man and defend him against the rogues of the media.
The first battle pitted the Pavins versus Sports Illustrated writer Alan Shipnuck. This past January, Shipnuck began using Twitter and tweeted:
“Just discovered I’m being blocked by Corey Pavin, aka @RC_CAPTAIN_2010. That clinches it, I’m rooting for Europe.”
Lisa promptly responded on her Twitter account:
“Europeans….you just found yourself a new fan!!! Look at what I found….no wonder the Tour calls him Shipwreck.”
The battle was on. Lisa blocked Shipnuck. Shipnuck called the Pavins out on his weekly e-mail column the following week. Then on Feb. 12, Shipnuck and Pavin exchanged more friendly fire on Twitter. Lisa ended it by tweeting:
“Before I end for the evening b/c it is 9pm, I do live in LA, and have better things to do tonight: @alanshipnuck – will you be my Valentine?”
Shipnuck’s retort:
“Don’t you just love happy endings? My answer: yes! (But don’t expect Godiva…)”
“I’ve never met Alan, but I’ve heard a lot about him from a lot of different golfers and a lot of different wives. And the reputation is not good,” Lisa said. “However, by saying that I definitely respect him as a writer. I think we are both intelligent enough to know our boundaries.”
Recently at the PGA Championship, Lisa was in the middle of another controversy, this one involving her husband and Golf Channel contributor Jim Gray. On the Tuesday of the PGA Championship, Gray reported that the Ryder Cup captain said he would pick Tiger Woods for the team if he didn’t make the top eight automatic berths.
“Of course I’m going to pick him. He’s the best player in the world,” Corey reportedly told Gray.
However, Corey denied the report and tweeted that next day that Gray misquoted him. At the press conference Corey reiterated his stance, which led to an unexpected and heated exchange between the Ryder Cup captain and Gray when it was over. During the argument, Lisa pulled out her video cell phone and stated that she was recording everything. According to eyewitnesses, the two men were face to face and Gray stuck his finger in Corey’s face, saying “You’re a liar! You’re going down!”
When asked about the incident, Lisa replied, “I could say a lot more and of course, release my video. But right now our focus needs to be on Team USA. I’m here to support Corey in his quest of having the best team and making our country proud by retaining and bringing back the Cup.
“It happened, it’s unfortunate, however I have a bigger goal than to feed the frenzy. It would be a disservice to the team, to Corey, and to the USA to continue on with this insignificant person. If something is said that’s not true or I feel is not right, I do feel the need to protect Corey. I refuse to have my husband’s credibility questioned.”
Lisa Pavin wears her heart on her sleeve. She’s not shy about expressing her thoughts and opinions. With her, what you see is what you get.
“I’m very Type A, yet I know I need to relax and chill out sometimes,” she said. “Sometimes things become unbalanced, yet I have Corey and Alexis to check me in. I’ve got great friends and family to help get that balance back.”
In the weeks leading up to the Ryder Cup, it’s these friends and family that the Pavins will need the most. So many will be clamoring for any little tidbit about captain’s picks, pairings, any insight. The past 20 months will seem like a tropical breeze compared to Category 5 media storm expected just days before the event. One thing Lisa will divulge – her husband will be a damn good Ryder Cup captain.
“He’s a very quiet leader,” she said. “There’s nothing wrong with that. That doesn’t make you a bad captain. He may do things very differently than the past captains. What I can tell you is that he has a very good way of leading people.”
Lisa has relished this opportunity to support and assist her husband with any and all things Ryder Cup related. Yet, she knows it’ll all come to an end on October 4. The meetings. The press conferences. The event planning. The traveling. Some of the e-mails. The all-nighters.
OK, so maybe she won’t miss the all-nighters. But she will miss all the friendships she has developed over time with the PGA of America. Win or lose, October 4 will be an emotional day for the Pavins. That day also will signify a new chapter in Lisa and Corey’s life, one that will eventually lead them to change their primary residence from Dallas to Los Angeles. Their daughter will be starting school soon, and Lisa wants to curtail her travel schedule and workload.
“I think it’s time to take on another endeavor,” she said. “We’re not letting go of Dallas; we’re just embarking on another journey.”
At home, the Pavins are like any other family of three (four if you count Juicy, their Irish Jack Russell Terrier). They have their similarities – their family values; their belief in God; their late night fast-food cravings. And they have their differences – Corey is 14 years her senior; her closet is very neat and organized, while Corey “is very unorganized with everything besides golf. At the house he has shoes and socks everywhere. He doesn’t mind chaos, it doesn’t bother him to have our dining room as his desk.”
Lisa also remains close to her siblings – one sister lives in Dallas, the other in Iowa, and her brother works for the government in Afghanistan. And they have a great group of friends both in Dallas and on Tour.
“We’re a really laid-back family,” she said. “There’s nothing hoity-toity about us.”
And the age thing? It’s nothing but a number in Lisa’s eyes.
“After he hit 50, I think he realized that,” added Lisa, who turned 36 a month ago. “I’ve always had older friends and I tend to think I have an older kindred or soul. I don’t see our age difference as a big roadblock.”
After every victory in either football or basketball, the Iowa Hawkeyes and their faithful rejoice to the Hawkeye Victory Polka, or what many know it as “In Heaven There is No Beer.”
In heaven there is no beer
That’s why we drink it here
And when we’re gone from here
Our friends will be drinking all our beer.
Lisa Pavin may have sung that a time or two at Iowa, and should the U.S. Ryder Cup team defeat the Europeans at Celtic Manor next month, best believe she will be bellowing this for all to hear.
Ever since that fateful call back in November 2008, Lisa’s life has been maddening, fast-paced, invigorating, frustrating. Most of all, it’s been exhilarating.
“She’s a scene setter, a stage maker,” Mason said. “Lisa’s ‘normal’ life is a production everyday. And she’s a big reason why Team USA’s journey to Wales this Fall will be memorable and perfect.”
That’s music to Lisa’s ears. While most wives of Ryder Cup captains have remained low-key throughout their tenure, Lisa has stepped up and enhanced this position for her and for future Ryder Cup captain’s wives.
“When the Ryder Cup is over, I want the PGA of America to remember the positive ideas and inputs, and hopefully, they have something to remember me by,” she said. “I want the Ryder Cup to keep getting better and better. I want to see that brand grow.
“I’ve learned to live with this motto, ‘When I die what do I want on my tombstone?’” I don’t want to be known as the Tour wife; I want to be remembered as someone who was very family oriented, but also very passionate and driven.” |
