Two-Time State Champion Gabby Tapp’s Success
Told in her own words
Editor’s notes: Gabby Tapp is a two-time Michigan High School golf state champion in Division 2, and is going for a 3rd this fall as matches begin soon. She never played an 18-hole round until the summer before her freshman season, but that same year went out and won the state title. We asked her to share her story that hopefully more families will follow for their kids.
By Gabby Tapp, South Lyon High School
In today’s world, parents tend to push their children into highly competitive sports from a young age. It seems as though the only way to become a successful athlete is to start rigorous training as soon as possible. Endless tournaments and travel teams and lessons and practice appear to be the sole option. However, this deprives kids of the ability to explore and pursue their own interests as they grow up. The story of how I discovered and grew to love the game of golf is a prime example of this fact: slow and steady can win the race.
When I first picked up a golf club, I had no idea where the game would take me. I started out taking group lessons at the age of 9 with the same instructor I have today, and by the end of the clinic he had faith in my potential of becoming a champion. I continued working with him, this time taking private lessons, learning my swing but never truly taking my talent to a golf course. My parents didn’t want to force me into something I wasn’t committed to or felt ready for. The extent of my golf career for several years only included visits to the driving range and a handful of 9-hole rounds with my dad for fun.
Once I finally decided for myself that I wanted to play competitively, I was thrown a huge curveball. During the spring of my 7th-grade year, I tore my ACL and meniscus in a gym class soccer game. This meant surgery, six months of rehab, and sitting out an entire golf season. The summer which I was supposed to learn the ropes of tournament golf was spent in a knee brace relearning how to walk. But this short-term setback turned out to be a long-term blessing; the hardships I faced during recovery made me a stronger person both mentally and physically.
Fully recovered and cleared to swing again, two months before my freshman year of high school was the first time I had ever played an 18-hole round – let alone competed in a tournament. My years of swinging a golf club helped me during my first season playing competitively, despite my lack of on-course experience. My scores improved quickly, as I went from shooting in the 90s, then the 80s, and finally a few rounds in the 70s over the course of the 3-month long high school girls’ golf season. My season reached a climax just in time for the state tournament, where I burst onto the scene and shot my best two rounds of the season to win the individual state title. This was the moment I finally proved to myself that I have what it takes to succeed.
By the time sophomore year rolled around, however, my lack of tournament experience finally caught up to me. It seemed as though I got into trouble on just about every part of the golf course imaginable, and I had no confidence standing over the ball. I shot some of the worst rounds of my life, unable to understand how this was happening to me after having such a strong freshman season. Looking back, although this period in my career was frustrating at the time, it taught me more about the game of golf than any of my best rounds. I learned how to overcome mistakes, trust myself, and find peace on the golf course even on my worst days.
All the experience gained during sophomore year set me up for success during my junior season. I finally understood what it would take to keep my game on track and set myself up for success. The mental and mechanical aspects of my game came together, and I flourished. I broke my school’s scoring record twice in one week, shooting back-to-back rounds of 67 and 66. The confidence I felt in myself, and my game, overpowered any doubts that crept into my mind. Once again, I found myself peaking at the right time, shooting even par to win my second individual state title (fall of 2021). Everything I went through in the prior four years led to this moment, from my knee injury, to my standout freshman season, and my struggles sophomore year. Each experience I had, the good and the bad, made me a two-time state champion.
My golf journey certainly has not been textbook, but that’s the beauty of it. I got to experience the ebb and flow of golf at my own pace, rather than being thrown into it at a young age. I was able to fall in love with the game because I discovered it was something I really enjoyed, not just something my parents wanted me to do. Golf has provided me with countless opportunities and altered my life for the better, and I wouldn’t change the path I took to get where I am for the world.
