She may be Tiger Woods’ niece, but Cheyenne Woods has her own golf identity on LPGA Tour

Ever since she turned pro in 2012, Cheyenne Woods has dealt with the attention of having a famous last name and an uncle who is one of the most recognized people on the planet.

Now 28, she is handling that better and believing more in herself, as she continues her quest for a successful golf career.

That journey continues this weekend. Woods, who has played in just three LPGA Tour events this year because of a lower-priority status resulting from her finish of 124th on last year’s money list, will compete in the Valley Forge Invitational beginning Friday at Raven’s Claw Golf Club, her first Symetra Tour start since 2014.

And yes, the niece of Tiger Woods will receive her share of attention.

“I think it’s a lot easier now,” Woods said Wednesday after playing the course. “This is my fifth year now on the LPGA, so I’ve learned to manage it and I’ve learned what to focus my attention on.

“No matter what, people are going to have something to say about my last name, or Tiger, or my own game. So, for me, it’s just, what can I control? What am I out here trying to do on this golf course today or tomorrow or this week? So for me, it is what it is, and I’m just trying to play some really great golf.”

The never-ending curiosity about Tiger Woods had been a source of frustration, the constant introduction of her as “Tiger’s niece” instead of Cheyenne. She is dealing with that better as well.

“Even without the media attention or whatnot, what do I consider my own identity and feeling that that’s strong enough to then carry throughout whatever comments or media attention I get?” she said. “So, I learned that it definitely starts from within, just really trusting your own identity, trusting yourself, and believing in yourself.

“Then, I think you’ve got to exude that no matter where you are, what you do. The way I carry myself is myself, Cheyenne Woods, and the people who are closest to me see that. I can’t control everybody else. I don’t really care any more.”

Certainly, she is proud of her uncle. She got up at 4 a.m. and watched him on television from Hawaii on Masters Sunday for nine holes before having to play in a qualifier for the LPGA Lotte Championship. She missed his finish but congratulated him on his victory later that day.

Woods said the two of them talk mostly about golf, “questions of course management or drills that I can do.

“He’s always been awesome with being open to any questions I have or giving feedback to something that I might bring up,” she said. “So, he’s definitely a good resource to have for that.”

Woods, who is from Phoenix, received her first set of golf clubs from Earl Woods Sr., her grandfather and Tiger’s dad, when she was 6. He “really instilled in me the love of the game,” she said. On her summer vacation visits with him in Southern California, they would watch golf on television.

She said she grew up “a super tomboy” playing all sports and trying to keep up with her older brothers. She ran track for one year in high school and was a competitive dancer, traveling a few times a year with a hip-hop dance team. She still takes dance lessons when she’s home.

After a career at Wake Forest, where she was a two-time All-America, she turned pro. Her only pro victory came at the 2014 Australian Ladies Masters.

She began her LPGA Tour career in 2015 and tied for sixth in a 2016 tournament in Portland, Ore., which remains her best finish. After finishing 124th on the money list last year, however, her status fell, and her playing opportunities have dwindled. She missed the cut last week at the LPGA event in Williamsburg, Va.

“It’s been pretty difficult in scheduling and planning,” she said. “Obviously, I want to play as much as I can. But I’ve been trying to use it as an opportunity to continue to work, get better, and just be ready for the next opportunity that I have to play, which is this week.

“I have a good amount of friends on the Symetra Tour. We’re playing a great course this week in Raven’s Claw, so it’s good to see everybody.”