When Molly Heath joined the Brighton High School golf team three years ago as a freshman, a golf scholarship seemed pretty unrealistic.
After all, according to BHS golf coach Kim Greer, Heath was shooting in the 130s and her drive was topping out at 100 yards, maybe. Not exactly what college recruiters are looking for.
One day, while practicing at Forest Hill Golf Course in Drummonds, Heath squared up a drive and hit it 180 yards down the middle of the fairway.
“After that,” Greer said, “she was hooked.”
Over the next three years, Heath developed into one of West Tennessee’s best prep golfers and that led to Friday, when the BHS senior signed a golf scholarship with the University of Tennessee-Southern.
“For a person who hasn’t played golf that long, it’s incredible,” Greer said about Heath’s rapid ascent. “This time next year you probably won’t even know who she is. She’ll be (scoring) a lot lower. I guarantee it.”
Playing in a region that includes traditional golf powerhouses like Collierville, Houston and Bartlett, Heath nearly qualified for last year’s state Class AA golf tournament. She tied for the third and final state berth at the region tournament, but lost in a playoff.
“Her goal is to get there (to state),” Greer said. “It’s a really tough region, but I think she’s got a good shot.”
Heath said she began playing golf with her father, Kevin Heath, when she was a young child but didn’t begin to take it seriously until the seventh grade when she didn’t make the Brighton Middle School volleyball team. She said that Aubree Jones, a Brighton graduate who won state titles in 2013 and 2014 and played at Mississippi State, inspired her to work on her game.
“It became my dream to sign a scholarship,” Heath said, “so today’s very special to me.”
The chance to play at a University of Tennessee school is also a big deal to Heath.
“I’ve been a Tennessee fan my whole life and always wanted to go to a UT school. So, when we found this college, it was a perfect opportunity. I’m so honored just to get to play there, play at a UT school. I’m really excited.”
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