Carly Hathorn isn’t your average eighth grader.
The 14-year-old honor student from The Kinkaid School clinched the Southern Texas PGA (STPGA) Junior Spring Championship, rising to the No. 1 rank in the Girls 13–14 division.
Golf is more than just a game for Hathorn. It’s a legacy, a discipline and a way of life.
“My grandpa got me into golf just before kindergarten,” Hathorn said. “He served in the Vietnam War and golf was his outlet during that time. None of his kids really picked it up seriously, but when he asked me to try it, I really wanted to play like he did.”
That introduction to the game began in her grandfather’s yard with a small set of clubs, hitting balls under his car. Nearly a decade later, she’s chasing collegiate competition and national tournaments with laser focus.
Her grandfather, Joe Houston, remains a guiding influence. “Even now, when he’s been sick and can’t get out much, he still checks in — asking how school is, how golf is going,” Hathorn said.
Hathorn’s first tournament was at Sweetwater Country Club when she was seven, where she won first place and made a lifelong friend.
“That’s when I really decided I wanted to play at the high school and college level,” she said. “That moment changed everything for me.”
With a powerful drive and deep discipline, Hathorn describes golf as a mirror of life: “You’re going to have good days and bad days. It all comes down to how you carry yourself — your patience, emotional maturity and ability to stay focused.”
Her mental game is what she says separates a good athlete from a great one.
“At the STPGA Championship, I shot a 75 the first day — I was strong mentally, confident,” she said. “The next day I felt off and even though my swing was still good, I scored eight strokes worse. That showed me how much mindset matters.”
On a typical day, she finishes school at 4 p.m., heads to practice for two to three hours, then tackles homework and gets to bed by 9:30 p.m. Her weekly training includes putting drills, working on her long shots and chipping skills, an area she says she’s actively working to improve.
“I probably hit around 200 balls per session,” she said. “I always start with putting it sets the tone.”
When she isn’t on the course, Carly loves reading, cooking French desserts with her mom and spending time with friends. She’s also eyeing a future in either criminology or software engineering.
“I’ve been watching FBI shows and I’m really into crime documentaries,” she said. “But I also love coding and math.”
Keep pushing. Don’t give up. Surround yourself with good people who lift you. Be ambitious and always aim higher than your goal, that’s how more opportunities open up.
Carly Hathorn, Southern Texas PGA Junior Spring Champion
With ambitions to play collegiate golf, preferably at UCLA or Stanford, Carly also dreams of competing in top amateur tournaments like the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the U.S. Women’s Amateur.
“My dad keeps me grounded with life lessons and always gets me where I need to be,” Carly said. “My mom runs my social media, packs my snacks for tournaments — she does everything to make sure I’m ready.”
It’s a labor of love for Carly’s parents.
“At one point, my husband and I were working full time,” said her mother, Dr. Jeannie Jacobs. “We had to come up with a system. Grandparents lived nearby and helped with transportation. We hired a nanny. We built a team to make sure Carly had what she needed to succeed and we’ve done the same for our other child. It takes intention.”
But Jacobs quickly points out that it wasn’t about forcing a path but following Hathron’s lead.
“A lot of parents get so wrapped up in the child’s sport that they start driving the dream,” she said. “We’ve always let Carly drive. She tells us what she wants six tournaments in two months and we sit down as a family to figure out what’s realistic. If it’s too much, we adjust. The key is letting her cultivate her own path.”
That approach has paid off not just in wins but also in well-being. Hathorn balances 2–3 hours of practice daily with homework, family time and hobbies like baking, reading and shopping with friends. She’s even considering careers in criminology or software engineering.
“She wants a hundred-plus on every grade,” Jacobs said. “But we’ve had to remind her: life isn’t just about numbers or titles. We make sure she’s social, balanced and feels like she has a full life, not just a golf life. We want her to be someone who can relate, connect and contribute far beyond the course.”
That sense of balance was essential during the STPGA Championship, thanks to mental toughness, which she and her parents value as much as physical skill.
“I just want her to realize she can do anything,” Jacobs said. “Golf is a mental sport. You’re competing against yourself more than anyone else. So I tell her to focus on who you are, know your purpose and move through life with intention. The rest will follow.”
