I have played golf since I was 10 years old. For as long as I can remember, it has been one of the biggest parts of my life. From early mornings on the course to long practices, tournaments, road trips, and countless hours spent trying to become a better player, golf has been a constant in my life. It has been more than just a sport or something I do in my free time. In many ways, it has become part of who I am.
And now, as I am competing in my final year of collegiate golf, I find myself facing something I never really imagined: a life where golf is no longer at the center of my everyday routine.
Growing up, so much of my life revolved around the game. My schedule was built around practices, tournaments, and the next opportunity to improve. I have spent years chasing goals, celebrating accomplishments, and learning from disappointments. Golf has taught me patience, discipline, perseverance, and how to keep going even when things don’t go according to plan. It has pushed me mentally and physically, challenged my confidence in many areas, but has also introduced me to people and memories I will carry with me forever.
But somewhere along the way, golf became more than something I loved. It became something I used to define myself based on how I performed.
When someone asked who I was, being a golfer was always one of the first things that came to mind. It was something I was proud of, something I worked hard for, and something that gave me a sense of purpose. I think that is what makes this chapter so difficult to close. When you have spent most of your life doing something, it can be hard to imagine who you are without it.
As I approach my final season, I have found myself reflecting on that question more than ever: Who am I when I am no longer a collegiate golfer?
Through this season of change, I have been reminded of something far more important than any score I have ever shot or tournament I have ever played. My identity was never meant to be found in golf. My identity has always been in Christ.
Golf may be something I do, but being a daughter of Christ is who I am.
My faith has been the foundation of my life, even during the times when I allowed my accomplishments, failures, or expectations on the golf course to determine how I felt about myself. It is easy to get caught up in performance, especially as a collegiate athlete. Sometimes a good round can make you feel like you are on top of the world, while a bad one can leave you questioning yourself. But one of the greatest lessons I have learned is that my worth does not change based on my performance.
God’s love for me is not dependent on how well I play, what I accomplish, or what title I hold. My identity in Him is something that will remain long after my final collegiate tournament.
Looking back, I can see how God has used golf to shape me into the person I am today. The difficult roads taught me resilience. The long hours taught me commitment. The victories taught me gratitude, and the disappointments taught me humility. Even the moments when I questioned my abilities or wondered why things were not going my way helped strengthen my faith and reminded me that God’s plans are greater than my own.
I truly believe that every season of my life has served a purpose, and this one is no different.
As I prepare to finish my collegiate golf career, I am also stepping into another exciting chapter: pursuing my future as a pharmacist. Being in pharmacy school while competing as a collegiate athlete has shown me how capable of balancing, but it has also reminded me that life is full of different callings and opportunities. The same dedication, determination, and work ethic that I have developed through golf are qualities I will carry into my professional career.
Although the thought of playing my final collegiate round makes me emotional, I am beginning to realize that the end of one chapter does not mean the end of my purpose. It simply means God is preparing me for something new.
There is a part of me that wishes I could slow down time. I wish I could hold on to the team trips, the game nights in the hotel rooms, the nerves before a tournament, and even the frustrating days on the course just a little longer. I know there will be a day when I would give anything to experience one more collegiate tournament or one more practice with the people who have become such an important part of my life.
But instead of allowing the sadness of this ending to overshadow my final season, I want to be fully present in it. I want to appreciate every opportunity I have left to compete, every memory I get to make, and every moment I get to spend doing something that has meant so much to me.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” I find so much peace in that verse because it reminds me that not every season is meant to last forever. Just because something is ending does not mean it was not meaningful. Sometimes the most beautiful parts of life are the ones we must let go of.
I will always be grateful for the little girl whose dad made her pick up a golf club at 10-years-old, having no idea how much the game would impact her life. I wish I could tell her about the places golf would take her, the people she would meet, the lessons she would learn, and the person she would become all because of a small, white dimpled ball.
More importantly, I wish I could tell her that one day she would understand that her purpose was so much bigger than the game she loved.
As I look toward my future in pharmacy school, and everything that lies ahead, I am learning to embrace the unknown with excitement rather than fear. I may not know exactly what the next several years will look like, but I know who is guiding me through them.
Golf has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. This sport has shaped my character, strengthened my faith, and given me memories I will forever cherish.
And while it is bittersweet to realize that this chapter is coming to an end, I have peace knowing that the God who brought me this far is the same God who will lead me into whatever comes next.
My collegiate golf career may be coming to an end, but my story is far from over. And I truly believe the best is yet to come.