Gulbis discusses her TV show, celebrity and more

                    

	Now do you know why Natalie Gulbis is so popular? Ethan Miller/Getty Images
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Natalie Gulbis may not want to admit it, but she's sexy. That's really the only way you can describe the blonde bombshell as she poses in a swimsuit on a golf course for a magazine shoot. Gulbis was on the links, seductively holding a golf flag behind her back, because she is, of course, a professional golfer.

While golf is her day job, Gulbis is one of the most famous women golfers today in part because of her activities off the links. It is why, despite not yet having won an LPGA Tour event, she has endorsement deals with Taylor Made Golf, Adidas and Cannon, among others. It is also why the second season of her show, The Natalie Gulbis Show, will begin airing this Wednesday on the Golf Channel, chronicling her every move, from a sultry magazine photo shoot to an unforgettable bachelorette party in Las Vegas.

Gulbis recently spoke about her foray into reality television, her relationship with a Super Bowl-winning quarterback and why so many athletic sex symbols emanate from the Arizona desert.

SI.com: What's been the biggest highlight and lowlight so far on your show?

Gulbis: The biggest highlight has definitely been all the cool things you get to do. When you have a reality TV show, you can do anything you can think of. I remember when we were in Hawaii telling the producer at one point, "Hey, I got the afternoon off, maybe we should rent a boat," and he said, "Wow, yeah, let's do it." They can make almost anything happen. I wanted to go to Pearl Harbor and they set up this tour where we got the special treatment. It was a lot of fun.

The goofiest thing was I always wanted a Viper, so my dad rented me a Viper for the weekend and I was so excited, but the stupid thing was a stick shift and I didn't know how to drive a stick shift. And then of course they wanted to show it. They thought it was so funny. I was actually doing pretty good, and then when they said it was time to shoot, I said, "OK, great, I'm ready, I'm doing good with this Viper." Then they started me uphill and the car stalled, so they tricked me again.

SI.com: Tell us what we can look forward to when the second season debuts.

Gulbis: I just saw the very first episode, and in it my father and I are building a custom motorcycle and it shows the photo shoot I just did with FHM, which is kind of an uncomfortable thing for me, being an athlete and doing a swimsuit shoot.

SI.com: It may be uncomfortable for you, but it's certainly not for the guys who see the pictures. Are you still trying to cope with the fact that you are an athlete and a sex symbol?

Gulbis: The swimsuit shoots are hard. I just think anytime anybody is in a bikini it's awkward, especially for me because I've got tan lines and I do some of these shoots after tournaments and I'm not really sure how to prepare for a swimsuit shoot. I'm sure there are all these diet tricks I should do and I've learned to not have as much sodium a day or two before. One photo shoot I did they told me not to chew gum! I was like, really, why? Is the gum going to add on five pounds? I had no idea, but they told me I would look bloated if I chewed gum. So if you see me looking bloated in a bathing suit, you know it's because I've had too much gum.

SI.com: I'll keep a close eye out for that. When was the first time people began recognizing you for your looks and asking you to do photo shoots outside of golf?

Gulbis: When I first turned pro, I was asked to do a photo shoot where I was in a tight shirt and rolled-up jeans and the headline said, "Golden Girl." I remember seeing that and thinking, What are they talking about? I'm not like an All-American girl or player. The whole article was about that and I remember thinking that this is weird, these people are crazy. They must have me mixed up with someone else.