For years, Savannah Carlson has measured life in tournament weeks, practice rounds, and miles traveled between Epson Tour stops. This season, however, Carlson is navigating a different kind of journey; one marked not by scorecards and leaderboards, but by gratitude and the anticipation of the arrival of her first child.

The California native is sitting out the 2026 season as she and her husband prepare to welcome their daughter, Claire, in June. While stepping away from competition was no easy task for the Epson Tour veteran, Carlson speaks about the pause with the kind of peace that comes from knowing exactly where she is meant to be.

“We've decided to take the season off, as much as we wanted to try to start it,” Carlson said. “But my husband and I are super excited to welcome our first baby girl. We have baby Claire on the way, and we just couldn't be more excited. So, although I genuinely miss being out here, our hearts are so full looking forward to meeting this girl.”

For an athlete accustomed to structure and constant motion, pregnancy has offered Carlson a fresh perspective, one that isn’t always easy to acknowledge while in a competitive mindset.

“I joke because during the first trimester, nothing sounds good,” Carlson said. “Golf, all your favorite foods, whatever, and then the second trimester came around, and we started to play a little bit of golf, and it was the most fun that I have had on the golf course. There were zero expectations, and you just got to delight in the company that you kept and the golf shots that everybody hit, and it was so fun and relaxing. What a great perspective to gain when you're not in competition.”

That shift in mindset has only deepened her appreciation for the game she’s temporarily leaving behind.

“I definitely miss it now, having that time away,” Carlson said. “I think just naturally, it just lets you appreciate what it was, even the stressful moments. I'm definitely looking forward to getting back out there, maybe halfway through next season, and playing a couple events just to get my feet wet with it again.”

Despite stepping away from competition to prepare for her next great adventure, Carlson recently made a surprise return to the Reliance Matrix Championship presented by Epson, this time not as a competitor, but as a supporter, spectator, and ambassador of Reliance Matrix. She arrived quietly, without telling many people that she was pregnant or would even attend, and she found herself overwhelmed by support.

“I didn't tell a soul that I was coming out here, just going for the surprise, and it was amazing to be met with so much love,” Carlson said. “Seeing all the girls again, it was overwhelming and in the best way possible, and spectating is fun.”

The experience reinforced the sense of community surrounding women’s golf, something the 32-year-old says she has increasingly come to value throughout her professional career.

“It's been a lot of fun, just seeing the girls, hearing how everybody's been doing, catching up, seeing all of the Reliance Matrix family,” she said. “The welcome was incredibly warm. It felt so much that they mean it when they say we value you as a person beyond just being a golfer, and feeling all of the support and being part of the outside the ropes activities this week has really, really shown me that. I'm just even more proud to be part of the Reliance Matrix family, so I'm genuinely grateful.”

Determined to support her friends and sponsor as they host their second annual tournament in Las Vegas, the 35-and-a-half week pregnant Carlson cautiously made the 200-mile drive with her mother to accompany her, and a “just in case” hospital bag sitting in the back seat.

“Packing the hospital bag definitely made it real,” said Carlson. “It got our attention, and it made me appreciate even more the experience of being pregnant.”

Though eager to meet Claire, Carlson is embracing the process with patience and perspective.

“I've been lucky to have a super easy pregnancy, and I really look forward to meeting her, but I'm not in a hurry,” she said. “And packing the hospital bag, it just kind of gave me a little pause to remember this is part of the process. It's not something you want to rush through. And if she does arrive, then you are prepared, and that's okay.”

Carlson’s journey to become both a mother and a golfer reflects a broader evolution taking place in women’s sports, where athletes are increasingly redefining what career longevity and success can look like.

“I've been lucky enough to talk to a lot of women who aren't limited by motherhood,” Carlson said. “Motherhood becomes part of who you are, and it doesn't mean that you can't set out and still keep all of your dreams up.”

For Carlson, motherhood was never separate from her ambitions. It was simply another dream waiting for its moment.

“Motherhood is definitely part of my dream, and it's now part of my identity,” she said. “And I think there's no reason that being a mom and a professional golfer can't coexist, and if I can model that for other girls and show how to keep that work-life balance, I guess I'm honored by that as well.”

For now, the clubs can wait. The practice rounds, the travel schedules, and the pressure of competition will still be there when Carlson is ready to return. What matters most in this season of life is the little girl she and her husband are preparing to meet, and the new identity Carlson is proudly stepping into.

Between Fairways and Family: Savannah Carlson Embraces a New Chapter

Related Articles