Molly Ratchford '25 Recruiting Profile

***UPDATE***
**I have committed to a college to play golf**

My name is Molly Ratchford and I've played golf since the day I was born. I grew up around golf as my mom played in college and my dad is a very good golfer. As a kid, I participated in a ton of other sports, including basketball, soccer, cross country, volleyball and more. But golf was different for me. Golf became a passion. I fell in love with the sport at a very young age, but it wasn't until my 8th grade year when I realized that this is something I wanted to do in my future. I began practicing with my highschool in 8th grade, and that exposure to what my next 4 years could look like set a spark inside of me. The summer before my freshman year, I played in quite a few junior PGA events to get me ready for the upcoming season, and it worked. I earned my spot as the number 1 player on my highschool team as a freshman. Throughout the season, I was able to play alongside some of the best players in the state with that position, and it strengthened my love for golf even more because it allowed me to see what I could become if I continued to grow as a player. 

Starting my freshman year, I began to think about my future and my collegiate aspirations. I set it in my mind that I wanted to play Division 1 golf and I was going to do whatever I can to make it happen. The summer after my freshman season, I received verbal offers from a couple colleges, and that drove me to continue to work as hard as I can to acheive my goal of playing college golf. In the middle of the summer following my freshman season, I faced an injury that took me out of golf for the remainder of the summer. When I was released to play again, it was near October, so not great golfing weather. However, I took every opportunity I could to get out on the course just for a little bit longer in order to gain back what I had before my injury. I then continued to practice and become better for my sophomore season.

As my sophomore season concluded, and I began practicing on my own during this past summer, I’ve begun to figure out what I want to do with my future in golf. I now know that I definitely want to play in college, but I know it may not be at the level I originally desired. However, I will continue to work at it so I can become a better athlete for next season and so coaches will see me and think ‘I want her on my team‘. I not only want to be known for my golf talent, but for my personal characteristics and leadership abilities. 

I am a great candidate for your golf program because I am dedicated. When I am given the task to give my full effort for something, I put forth everything I have to succeed. I will never back down from the task at hand and I will show up. When I came back from my injury, I dedicated my time to regaining my skill, strength, and becoming better for the next season. Also, I will give everything I have to strengthen my team. I not only want myself to succeed, but I love seeing my teammates strive alongside me. I am different from other recruits because I strive both on the course and in the classroom. I have maintained a 4.0 gpa both freshman and sophomore year, and I plan to keep that steady through my junior and senior years.