Collegiate Golfer Liz Miller Has BIG Dreams! By Mike May Ohio native Liz Miller plays golf because she doesn’t like to run. She is a life-long resident of Jamestown and started playing golf when she was 11 years old, because of an ultimatum from her mother. “My mom told me I had to play golf when I was in junior high school. Now 20, I still hate running, it is not for me. The only sports offered for junior high students were soccer, cross country, and golf.” As a non-runner, Miller had no option, golf won out. It didn’t take long for her to understand the skill set necessary to compete in golf was a challenge. “I am a first-generation golfer in my family on either side, so learning golf was a lot, to say the least.” Liz finished her sophomore year at Milligan University in Johnson City, Tennessee and is a member of the women’s varsity golf team. “I love college golf. It is so much fun to be in a competitive environment where everyone is pushing to be a better player. I think college is enjoyable, but adding golf, makes it ten times better!” Looking back, Miller has vivid memories of her first organized golf competition. “I participated in my first tournament on June 10, 2016. I played in the Southern Ohio PGA (SOPGA) Futures Tour Event at the Mound Golf Course. It was a nine-hole tournament and I shot a 57, taking seventh out of ten players in my division. Since then, I’ve participated in events during the summer every year, save one.” Miller’s four-year high school golf experience at the Legacy Christian Academy in Xenia, was rather unique. “I competed as an individual in invitationals because I was a team of one. In my senior year, I was asked to play in conference matches for the boys’ team to boost our conference standings. We took second!” Even though her mother forced her to play golf, she’s very pleased with the decision. “My main draw to golf is how difficult it is. I love a challenge and golf is just that. I enjoy the chase of that one perfect round and the grind of duplicating it. There are also so many aspects and sides to golf – physical, mental, and emotional.”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTQ2Nzk4