The road to state teed off on Wednesday for the girls’ golf team as they look to finish in the top two on Thursday in the District 9-5A tournament at Firewheel Golf Park in Garland, and advance to regionals. Qualifying for the state tournament is par for the course for the team, with four straight appearances at state.

Helping lead the way for the team is sophomore Raeleigh Davidson, who has been playing golf for nearly half her life.

“I started playing golf around seven or eight but wasn’t really serious about it until off-campus PE in middle school,” Raeleigh said. “My family had all played it and my sister started tournaments, so I wanted to be like her as any little sibling does.”

Making the varsity team as a freshman, she has had to mature at a quicker rate than most.

“‘Raeleigh had to grow up fast as a freshman,” assistant golf coach, dad Adam Davidson said. “She was key in getting our team another trip to Austin last year, not just by her play, but by leading some of our younger players.”

Coming from a family of golfers has its advantages, as Raeleigh’s dad, has helped her develop as an athlete.  

“Having Raeleigh on the team as a coach is a true blessing,” Adam said. “She’s watched the program climb over 200 spots in the state rankings to a top five program in Texas. She’s learned from several older players and appreciates where we are today. But as a dad, it is stressful but worth every minute.”

For Raeleigh, there is a responsibility that comes with being the daughter of a coach.

“My dad coaching the high school team has just become normal to me now,” she said. “He has to coach a lot of different players on our team, so he kind of just trust that I can handle myself during the tournament rounds and help the girls that are struggling at the time.”

Competing in high school golf does not come easy, as head coach Shannon Glidwell believes it takes a degree of mental toughness to be successful in the sport.

“Raeleigh is an outstanding young lady who is a great leader and a fierce competitor,” Glidwell said via email. “She has become stronger mentally and is much better at shaking off mistakes, bad shots, and dealing with the mental pressures associated with competitive golf, a task that she gets better at every day.”

Despite Raeleigh’s ability to remain level headed, the sport can get the best of her at times.

“Golf can be very frustrating at times,” she said. “I’ve learned to be a lot more patient and that I can not always control the outcome. I plan on playing in college; high school golf has helped me with this, because last year when we went to state, there were a lot of college scouts there.”

Seeing her growth throughout the years, Adam supports Raeleigh’s choices as long as she is content in her decision.

“I hope for whatever Rae wants and that she’s happy,” Adam said. “Golf is a tough sport, the process translates to success in life. Her faith, her work ethic, and her heart will achieve whatever she puts her mind to. It’s her decision and I support whatever brings her joy.”