Feature Photo by Western Kentucky University

What else can you do, Catie Craig? For the White County native who’s been around the game of golf her entire life and virtually lives on the course, the answer is whatever she sets her mind to. The former GHSA State Champion left a legacy at White County, and is cementing another legacy as a Western Kentucky University Hilltopper as she enters her junior year.

Craig, a lefty, became the first Lady Topper to win a Conference Championship, as she did last semester (sophomore year) in the Conference USA tournament. She also became the first in WKU history to compete at the NCAA Regionals.

“It means so much to me to have had the opportunity to be the first WKU golfer to make it to post season,” says Craig. “It was really fun to represent Western at such a high level. Winning conference as an individual was amazing because it seemed so unlikely to accomplish something like that, especially since I didn’t even make the conference team my freshman year. I wasn’t even playing to win individually; I was trying to perform the best I could each day to only help the team. I was mainly just happy to be a part of the team as a sophomore and the individual title was a bonus! I hope it inspires others that your time will come and to never give up your passion.”

That conference crown carries with it expectation and pressure, which Craig handles with the humility she’s had all her life.

“I dealt with the pressure of that success by not making it bigger than it was,” she adds. “In reality, it was just another tournament I got to play in, which was the same mindset I had playing in regionals. My success is not my will or doing, so I am ok with working hard and accepting the outcome regardless of what happens.”

The C-USA title was part of a 2022-23 season in which Craig played in 12 tournaments for Western. She claimed a pair of wins, 3 top-5 finishes, 5 top-10s, 6 top-20s, and 7 top-25s. She was the team’s low medalist in 5 of the 12 tournaments, and carded an average of 74.6 with lows of 67 (18), 144 (36), and 215 (54). Craig’s success led to her qualification to compete in the U.S. Amateurs in Los Angeles from August 7-13. Not only did Craig compete, she advanced all the way to the Round of 16.

“Just making it to match play in the strongest field I’ve ever competed in was so special to me,” states Craig. “Coming into the US Am, I barely had any match play experience, so to be able to win the rounds of 64 and 32 went past my expectations. Winning matches is addicting, and rather than feeling timid or nervous for the next matches, I could barely sleep due to excitement. It was something I’ve never felt before. Playing in the Round of 16 while being filmed for TV was a new experience and I believe I handled it well; my caddy helped me a lot with staying calm and distracted in between shots. This tournament really helps my confidence going forward because I know I am able to compete in elite fields and succeed. It also makes me hungry to compete even more and harder.”

Craig has improved her game dramatically from her freshman season at WKU, where she played in 7 tournaments and averaged a 77.4 (low of 75 in 18, 151 in 36, 226 in 54). Her best finish was a 22nd-place in that 2021-22 campaign, with that being her lone top-25 finish. She’s done the work to put herself in this position.

“During the summer and winter, I typically practice 5 times a week so I can balance golf and having fun outside of golf or breaks from the cold,” states Craig. “During fall and spring, I practice every day or 6 times a week. I try and stay off of the range unless I had a recent swing lesson. The game is grown on the course, not the range. Being creative on the course is something I love to do; rarely do I play 18 holes straight up because that can get repetitive and I don’t want to compare my ‘fun’ 18 holes to my competitive rounds. Finding games to play with friends, playing from different tees, or changing the pars are a few examples. I mainly focus on tee shots, par 3’s, shots within 130 yards and putting.”

But Craig’s success stems from more than just the way she plays on the course.

“Managing my mental toughness on and off the course is probably 80% of my game and where I have found the most success,” she admits. “Working out is a big aspect of golf in order to keep my body functioning properly and to have endurance. I typically lift 3 times a week and do incline walking (hiking) the other days. I also make sure I am eating organic, high protein foods to not lose what I have gained in the gym.”

The sport has shaped Craig’s life, and it has continued to be such a big part of her family’s life. Her older sister Caroline Craig, also a GHSA State Champion, is currently playing at Indians University after playing prior at the University of Georgia. Her parents are lifetime golfers, and brought Caroline and Catie to ‘join their party’. Craig has gotten creative to find new challenges in the game.

“My earliest memories of playing golf were with the First Tee of Pensacola,” recalls Craig. “Bubba Watson and others always put on little clinics and taught great lessons. I also lived on a golf course, so I remember going out with my parents and sister to hit balls around for fun. It’s something that will never leave me, and I couldn’t imagine my life without golf in it. I went through ups and downs in the enjoyment of the game, especially as I grew up and constantly had to work on swing changes. It was frustrating for many years putting in so much work and not seeing any improvement, but having supportive family and friends helped me continue to love it. The more I play now, the more I am obsessed with the game. It’s hard to get burnt out playing golf year-round because every single day is a different experience. Each season plays different depending on the firmness of the course, and temperatures affecting aspects of the game, so it feels like a new puzzle to solve all the time. More recently, I’ve been studying the courses I play in regard to the architect, grass types, or strategy/intentions in order to keep my interest up.”

She’ll continue to seek ways to improve her game and find ways to cut strokes off her rounds. The future is wide open for Catie Craig, but it is guaranteed to always have golf in it.

“Professional golf is not an all or nothing plan of mine, but I am interested in trying Q school once,” says Craig of her future. “Pro golf is extremely hard to get into, especially financially. My main passion is to get my masters in landscape architecture with a specification in golf course design. I see my game now allowing me to get into the golf design industry since I will go in with decades of experience, and a creative mind. It has been a dream of mine since I was little. I would love to use my passion of the game to invent concepts, design, renovate, or restore courses so others can experience golf with such a joy like I have been able to.”

Craig won the GHSA State Championship as a freshman for White County in 2018, and was a 2-time State Runner-Up while earning a Region Championship and Runner-Up as well. She was a top-5 ranked golfer in the state of Georgia, averaging 36.5 in her high school career. She led the Lady Warriors to a team State Championship as a senior, herself coming in Runner-Up in that 2021 season. She was named BLITZ Golfer of the Year all 4 years of her career, and is in the BLITZ Hall of Fame.