Barren County senior, Bree Russell, smiles with her family after signing her letter of intent to play golf for Midway University.
(JORDAN SMITH/WCLU SPORTS)
GLASGOW, Ky. – Call it a hole-in-one decision. Barren County’s Bree Russell officially put pen to paper and signed her letter of intent to continue her golfing career at Midway University.
Russell fell in love with golf at age three, when her grandfather introduced her to the game.
“He had me out there with some plastic clubs,” she joked. “They’re not handy nowadays, but they were back then. Without him, I would never have become the golfer I am today.”
Russell began playing in tournaments three years later and eventually she earned a spot on Metcalfe County’s varsity team in 5th grade – their only female. Years of individual play caused her to miss the camaraderie of being on a team. Russell would find her way to Barren County where she would join Duane Withrow and the Trojanette golf team.
“I can relate to the guys and I can go out and play golf with the guys,” states Russell. “But when it comes to that personal aspect of traveling and stuff, there’s not much I can talk about with them.”
Bree Russell finally had the benefit of playing on a team, where she continued to improve her skills. She would accept an opportunity to play for Midway University over a number of other in-state schools. For her, it was the perfect location to become independent for the first time, but still close enough to have family nearby.
“I knew that I needed to be far away where I felt on my own, but if an emergency happened I had somebody close to me.”
Russell will begin her college education in the fall where she plans to major in pre-med, nursing, or another area in the medical field. And on May 7th, she will be taking an exam to become a Pharmacy Technician. This, she says, will give her a part time job while also taking classes and competing on the Lady Eagles golf team. A large challenge for a first-year student.
“I know academically I can do it. We just have to put it to the test to see if I can do it athletically too.”
Russell’s entire journey has led her to this moment: playing the game she loves while striving to become the person she wants to be. And when life gives you sand traps, sometimes you have to chip your way out. But she knows she will never have to do it alone.
“There have been good shots and there have been some pretty bad shots,” she jokes. “But without my family, I wouldn’t be where I am today. They truly help me get through those hard times.”
