Sophie McGinnis knows golf perfection is elusive.
“Golf is one of those sports where you could shoot 59 and be like, ‘If I hadn’t done that, I could have shot 58,’” she said.
Yet, the Westfield High School senior said a part of her is pleased with how she performed in her final high school tournament.
McGinnis finished ninth individually with a 76-75 for a 151 total to help lead Westfield to a third-place finish in the Oct. 1-2 IHSAA Girls Golf State Tournament at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel. Her sophomore teammate, Samantha Brown, tied for 13th at 79-75 for a 154.
“I was pleased with the consistency and my ball striking,” McGinnis said. “As a competitor, part of me is thinking, if I could have done this better or hit this shot close (I could have scored better), but overall, I’m happy with how everything panned out.”
McGinnis, who will play for Butler University next season, said this has been her most enjoyable high school season.
“Having good players on our team pushing me to be better is amazing, too,” McGinnis said.
Westfield coach Trevor Neu said McGinnis is a great competitor.
“This season, she has really taken her game to a new level,” Neu said. “She has not allowed herself to be affected by a mistake. She has a short memory and moves on, oftentimes bouncing back with a birdie in the following holes. She brings a consistency to the team and a comfort of knowing what you are going to get out of her in each tournament. I think one of the things that is often overlooked by many but hasn’t gone unnoticed by us is the way she prepares for tournaments.
“She does a tremendous job of getting ready to play in tournaments, studying the course and having a game plan of how to play that course, and this has been a good example for our younger players.”
McGinnis dabbled in multiple sports growing up.
“I played every sport you can possibly imagine, except I was never a swimmer,” she said. “We moved to Bridgewater (from Hendricks County) when I was 10 or 11 and I picked up the game, playing at the Bridgewater Club. I gave up basketball in seventh grade. Basketball was my second sport. After a broken ankle and spraining both ankles, I decided golf was a less dangerous and better sport for me.”
When she started golf, she would spend all day practicing and playing.
“I’ve got to where I am with a lot of time and a lot of hard work,” McGinnis said.
McGinnis attended Guerin Catholic High School her freshman year and was a member of the Golden Eagles first girls game team to make a state championship appearance. Guerin finished fifth. She then transferred to Westfield, which finished fourth in the team standings in 2019 and fifth in 2020.
Prior to this year, McGinnis’ previous best individual state finish was a tie for 15th in 2019.
Meet Sophie McGinnis
- College plans: Plans to play golf and major in international business at Butler University
- Favorite movie: “Clueless”
- Favorite athlete: Danielle Kang
- Favorite subject: History
- Favorite vacation spot: St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
