Trying to achieve the “star athlete” title is something many will spend their entire athletic careers on — going above and beyond to come out a victor is not unusual in the realm of sports.
In the case of junior Hadley Neese, not only is she that shining star on the golf course, but she has excelled in almost every other aspect as well, which led to her being named the 2023 Kenneth Smith Award winner.
The Kenneth Smith Award is given to the most accomplished female golfer in the KC area, but the criteria do not stop there. Not only was Neese’s incredible talent with a golf club recognized but her dedication to her community and academic excellence was as well.
“Winning an award like this means a great deal to me,” Neese said. “We have a lot of very talented golfers in the area. To have been chosen for this award among such great competition is both humbling and gratifying.”
Based on the requirements for the award, it typically falls to a senior player; however, Neese showed remarkable feats as just a junior. During the 2023 season, Neese won six out of eight of the tournaments she competed in, including the EKL and Regional competitions, and she placed second at the State tournament. Additionally, she was presented as a Hyvee Athlete of the Week and gave BV a new school record of 66 strokes — six under par.
“To win this award as a junior means a lot,” Neese said. “It shows me that if I can be successful at a young age, I can do more in life when I get older and better at the sport.”
While one would expect a stellar athlete like Neese to have started golfing at a very young age, her story is quite the opposite.
After playing softball for nine years, Neese decided to switch her bat out for a club just three years ago.
“I found [softball] very time-consuming and not fun anymore — when I chose to play a different sport, the first thing that came to mind was golf,” she said. “It has opened my eyes to what loving a sport is like.”
Needless to say, Neese’s love for golf has brought her mountains of success at a young age, but burnout can quickly fizzle any young athlete’s dream. Neese’s way of avoiding burnout: roll with the punches.
“It’s such a humbling sport — there are great days, but there are also a lot of bad days — these are the ones where [I] learn and get better,” Neese said. “There are times when golf can be very difficult emotionally, mentally and physically, but this doesn’t stop me from wanting to strive for success.”
Another way that Neese stays motivated is by remembering her loved one’s passion for the sport she has grown to love. While Neese remarked that her grandmother’s golf skills weren’t outstanding, the amount of fun Neese had with her during their golfing adventures surely made up for it. When Neese decided to quit softball for golf, her grandmother was a large influence on her decision.
“Unfortunately [my grandma] passed away due to cancer, [but] I carry stuff in my golf bag from her that she had before she passed, like a pink ribbon, her ball markers and her golf course card that I consider to be my lucky charm,” Neese said. “[My] success is a way for her to tell me she is proud of me, and will always be there for me on my journey.”
Girls golf coach Todd McCarthy has seen Neese grow as both a player and person throughout her golf career.
“Hadley is someone who is so intently focused on doing everything the best she can,” McCarthy said. “She’s the epitome of a positive person.”
McCarthy remarked that Neese is unlike any other golfer as, in just three years, she has achieved more than what most people will in 10 to 15 years. McCarthy believes that much of Neese’s talent is due to how she acts off the course.
“She is a professional person,” he said. “There’s a phrase ‘you exhibit a maturity far beyond your years,’ [and] Hadley at 16 years old comes across very differently. In today’s day and age, I find that rarer and rarer.”
While many remark that MVP awards like the Kenneth Smith and Thomas A. Simone awards are the crowning achievements for athletes on their journeys to greatness, Neese has no plans of slowing down after winning her title.
“When it comes to athletic excellence, I don’t think there is such a thing,” she said. “There is always room for improvement in any sport, and when you love the sport you play, all the time, practice and work it takes to get better doesn’t really feel like work at all.”
