How a PGA Scoring Official Trains for Ironman 70.3 on the Road — Triathlete

In February 2025, McKenzie Wells decided to start training for triathlon. After growing up as a hockey player and golfer, the endurance world was uncharted territory.

“I wanted to do something that not many people are doing,” Wells says. “I wanted to be different. I have been like that my whole life. And then I thought about the Ironman tattoo and finishing one of them – how cool would that be?”

While most beginners ease into the sport with a sprint or Olympic-distance triathlon, Wells’ first race was Ironman 70.3 Ohio in July 2025.

“I just jumped right in,” Wells says. “I wanted to see if I liked the sport, and that was the perfect way to find out.”

Training on the road

Wells, 30, lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, Cam, who introduced her to triathlon. But she only spends about two months of the year at home. As a PGA scoring official on the Champions Tour, Wells travels all over the world for work and can be gone for three-plus weeks at a time for back-to-back tournaments.

Often on site for up to 14 hours a day (and sometimes longer depending on the weather), Wells is responsible for ensuring all professionals are accounted for at the tee box at the beginning of the day and gives them their scorecards. At the end of the day, they come into the scoring area, where she verifies that they signed their card and that their scores match what the system has for them.

“If something does not match, we will fix it right there,” Wells says. “If players make a mistake and leave scoring, they risk getting disqualified. So it’s important that both myself and the players are focused and paying close attention to this process.”

Despite these rigorous and demanding workdays, Wells finds a way to continue working toward her triathlon goals.

“Travel training,” as Wells calls it, takes planning, flexibility and creativity. With tailored guidance from her coach, Wells can find time to train 10-13 hours each week.

“There are a lot of unique ways to get your workout in and be able to meet your goals,” Wells says.

Wells’ typical schedule while she is on the road is the following:

• Monday: Travel day, rest day
• Tuesday: Light work day, one morning session and one evening session
• Wednesday & Thursday: Pro Am Tournament, long work days, one session in the evening
• Friday-Sunday: Championship Tournament, long work days, one session in the evening

While much is out of her control on these trips, Wells focuses on what she can do. She plans ahead by calling YMCAs or local gyms to inquire about spin bikes and pool hours, and prepares nutritious snacks for her work days.

“If you have that small nugget of time, do what you can with that time,” Wells says. “The amount of times my coach schedules a 2-2.5 hour bike and I can get in an hour ride. I go straight to the YMCA after work and get as much as I can in with the time. I try my best to do what I can.”

A passion for the job

Since her first triathlon in July last year, Wells has gone on to finish three more half-Ironmans in Palm Springs, Chattanooga, and Augusta.

“I have to plan my races based on my work schedule,” Wells says. “I don’t get a choice in which races I want to do. It is just, ‘Am I working that weekend, yes or no?’”

Wells travels to places like Canada, Morocco, Portugal, and Hawaii for the Champions Tour. It can be challenging to be on the road so much, but Wells is extremely passionate about her work and is grateful her husband can travel with her occasionally. If she is lucky, she even gets to play a couple of holes herself on iconic, bucket-list courses.

“This is a really unique job that thousands would love to have,” Wells says. “These players are golf fans’ heroes, and the chance to work alongside them is so rare. As someone still young and without kids for now, I look at it as an opportunity to travel and also play some great courses along the way too!”

With her Instagram account (@mytri_lifestyle) she hopes to share her journey and show people that you don’t have to put your life on hold when you travel, whether it’s for work or pleasure.

“I get to work with famous golfers every day and consider them my friends,” Wells says. “Guys like Vijay Singh, John Daly, Bernhard Langer, Ernie Els, and many other hall of fame golfers. I’ve built a trusted relationship with them, and I enjoy talking about golf and life with them. They’re all so interesting and have such cool stories.”

Surrounded by inspiration on the golf course, Wells is determined to compete in a full Ironman someday. She knows that her current work schedule is too demanding to prepare properly for that distance, so she has put that dream (and the tattoo) on hold for now. She is currently chasing PRs and hoping to podium in her age group at a 70.3.

“I really love my job,” she says, “and I am glad I can do this sport on the road and continue to get better.”