Written by: Savannah Howell

My journey with golf was steady for a long time. I started playing when I was five years old with my dad and brother, and it quickly became something I loved. I found success in junior and high school golf, and for many years, everything felt consistent.

My college recruitment process, however, was a little different. I graduated in the class of 2022, right in the middle of COVID, when most athletes would normally be visiting schools and talking to coaches. Even so, I was able to build some meaningful connections throughout my playing career.

When my recruiting window opened in June, I received an offer to play at Western Kentucky University, and I committed that October during my junior year of high school. I already knew several girls on the team, both current and former players, and WKU immediately felt like home. Committing early took a huge weight off my shoulders—I could finally play and practice freely, knowing where I was headed.

Once I arrived on campus, though, the transition was harder than I expected. I think many athletes can relate to that feeling. I wasn't scoring as well as I had hoped or expected. By spring semester, I started to find my footing and managed to compete in a few tournaments, giving me high hopes for the fall of my sophomore year. Unfortunately, that season ended up feeling very similar to the previous one. I still struggled to score the way I knew I could, and it was incredibly discouraging. I had some strong stretches during qualifying in the following years but still never fully established myself.

I put a lot of my self-worth into my scores and whether or not I was traveling to tournaments. Because of that, I became increasingly discouraged. Nothing was going how I thought it should, and I convinced myself that I couldn't be happy unless I was performing well in my sport. That mindset began to affect my motivation—not just in golf, but in school and life as a whole.

During my junior year, in the middle of that struggle, I decided something had to change. In FCA that year, the message focused on how an athlete's identity is not found in their sport. That truth hit home for me, and I started intentionally seeking to find my identity in Christ. I grew up in church, but I realized that I had never actually had a relationship with God. For so long, I had kept my faith life and my sport completely separate.

Now I was struggling deeply and knew I couldn't get through it on my own. I began opening my Bible on my own and just reading. I started to pray more—really pray. I used to only pray in church or in group settings, but now I find myself praying all the time: in the car, at practice, in class. Spending time with Jesus has been the best thing I could've ever done. I've grown more grateful for everything around me and more aware of all the good God has done in my life. And if He's been faithful before, how could this season not also lead to good?

That journey ultimately led me to find my identity in Christ and to get baptized last August. My dad, who serves as a deacon at our home church, was the one who baptized me—it was the best decision of my life.

Now, I live with God at the center of everything I do. Every time I play golf, I play for Him. Every part of my life is for His glory. Our team verse, Colossians 3:23, reminds us that "whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters." That verse centers me daily.

I know my identity is secure in Christ, no matter what my scorecard says. I'm incredibly grateful to compete at a school like Lipscomb, where I can glorify God in all that I do—on and off the golf course.