John Patton| Special to the Star-Banner
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Scott Davis said he doesn’t play his oldest daughter, Haley, much in golf any more. But they did tee it up together for nine holes in July, and something rare happened.
“I beat her,” Davis said with a laugh. “She’s really competitive, so that didn’t go over so well.”
Haley first picked up a club when she was 8-years-old when she tagged along withDad, a former high school player, to a course.
“I fell in love right away,” Haley said.
She played in her first tournament at age 9, finished tied for fifth in the US Kids World Championship three years later at Pinehurst No. 5 and began beating Scott regularly by the time she was 13.
Star-Banner all-county girls golf: Forest freshman Haley Davis is golfer of the year
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“She’s kind of gone through different stages,” Scott Davis said of Haley, now 15, and a sophom*ore at Forest. “In the beginning, it was fun. Then, she started getting better and playing in tournaments, and the competitive side in her really came out.”
And colleges already have taken notice.
When Davis plays at national events, coaches from LSU, Auburn, Florida State, Florida and many others often are there to watch, even though they aren’t allowed to begin recruiting her beyond letters and questionnaires or offer scholarships until June 15, 2023.
By the numbers
As is the case with golf, numbers provide a good indicator of Haley Davis’progression.
She broke 100 for the first time when she was 9. A year later, 90 was eclipsed. Her first round in the 70s came before she was 12, and she had marked a score in the 60s as a 13-year-old.
Yeah, for the weekend duffer who fist-pumps after pars, expects high-5s on birdies and buys the bar a round after breaking 90, reading Davis’ numbers can be disheartening.
But those golfers aren’t nearly as dedicated as she is.
“She’s worked very hard at it,” Haley’s mother, Kelly, a UF basketball player from 1996-2000 said. “She’s constantly working to get better. Constantly. And it has been great to see.”
The mental game
Physically, Haley Davis' improvements have come through repetition, practice and playing constantly.
And she takes that very seriously, even when she thinks others aren’t watching.
On the putting green at the Country Club of Ocala, her home course, on Aug. 9, an 11-footer slid just by the hole and she grimaced slightly. Then, about 15 minutes later on the driving range she hit a shot and said afterwards “I’m glad no one was filming that.”
Had there been a straight fairway in front of her, the ball would have landed in it, just on the left side and not down the middle.
While she seeks perfection in her game, Davis has shown maturity growth in recent years when something doesn’t go right.
Now, like a cornerback who gives up a first-down reception, Davis makes sure her memory is short-term.
“When I was younger, it was different,” said Davis, whose sisters Caroline, 13, and Lauren, 9, are soccer players. “When I was 9, 10, 11, I had a hard time not getting frustrated on the course if things didn’t go well. When I’d hit a bad shot, I’d get super-mad.
“Now, I haven’t done that in at least two years. I’ve learned not to let one bad shot affect the rest of my round.”
Added her mother: “Haley knows you don’t carry your trash with you. Golfers can’t blame the club, and there is no emotional outlet when things go poorly. Golf is unique in that you have to learn how to concentrate emotionally and keep cool. She’s doing that now.”
Summer travels and fall plans
Between April and early August, Davis played in tournaments in Phoenix, Puerto Rico, Savannah, Delaware, Arkansas, Chicago, Tallahassee and Columbia, SC.
She likely will play in occasional tournaments out of state during the FHSseason, but not many.
After shooting 69-72-141 to finish second to current Mississippi State freshman Izzy Pellot at the FHSAA Class 3A championships last November at Mission Inn Resort & Club at Howey-in-the-Hills, Davis sees room for improvement.
“I’d love to see us make it as a team,” said Davis, the Star-Banner’s 2021 Girls Golfer of the Year. “That would be so great. And, of course, I’d love to win it" individually.
