Golf is sometimes a sport that is forgotten about in high school. In the hallways of MHS there is a Freshman that is paving her way through the golf world. Freshman Rylee Brockhouse, is a rising star whose dedication and skill have set her apart on the golf course. At the young age of six, Rylee was introduced to the sport and it seems as though it came naturally to her.
“My dad got me into this junior camp, and then after I tried that, I just fell in love with it and wanted to do it more and more.” Rylee recounted, “And then after that, I started doing tournaments, and I ended up being pretty good at it. So that’s just kind of what happened.”
Many professional golfers and golf commentators say that golf is a mental sport. Although you are on a team in high school, the majority of it is individual play. This is most certainly difficult for someone as young as Rylee.
“It’s so hard to stay focused and getting there before the round, I feel like my mind is in so many different places than it needs to be.” Rylee said, “When I finally get into it, I end up doing good. But once you’re out of it during a round, it’s really hard to get back into that little grind that you were in.”
Some golfers are more superstitious than others. Whether it’s a pre round nap, or meal or a certain warmup routine, everyone has a different way of getting “in the zone”. Rylee is not very superstitious but she does have one thing she does.
“A lot of times, I call my dad because he’s usually not with me because he’s working.” Rylee said, “So I normally just call him right before my round, and then I end up playing pretty well, because he’s good at calming me down.”
Although she is only a Freshman, she has had a very successful first year on the high school team. She is one of the top golfers in the state and hopes to play well at regionals in Muscatine, on Wednesday, May 15th.
“I want to do good at state this year, hopefully, if I make it. And then in the future, I definitely want to go to a Division One school, hopefully, on a scholarship. I just want to do something with golf, down the line, as a career.” Rylee said, “Not necessarily going pro or anything, but, having something to do with golf, such as lessons, coaching, that kind of thing. Just, keep it in my life.”
In such an individual sport like golf, having a support system is huge because you know you won’t have many students there to cheer you on. Rylee’s parents are both some of her biggest supporters and love to share about how she did after tournaments.
“It does feel cool because a lot of people I don’t know end up asking me about it. It’s definitely confusing a lot of times, not knowing people who know you. It’s like, oh, how do you know me?” Rylee said.
Every golfer most likely has a golf course that is their favorite to play at for any different reason. In Muscatine, there are two golf courses. Geneva Country Club and Muscatine Municipal Golf Course.
“This one (course) I played when I was in Florida, where I shot, like, my best round ever. I’d say that one is my favorite just because I played so well there and made a lot of memories there.” Rylee said, “But around the area, I would say, Geneva, the course that we play for high school, because, it’s just been, a big place where I’ve grown a lot.”
