JACKSON, Miss. —A junior golfer from Germantown High School is back in the headlines yet again after dominating the green during a state tournament. Kaylee Gatlin took home first place in the MHSAA 7A state tournament. The teenager credits trusting her training for securing the win. “I had ‘Mamba mentality,’ as you would say. (I was) just going for the gold, and it was a tight day the whole day,” Gatlin said.
Gatlin has become somewhat of a local golf phenom, as she traveled the country over the summer, playing in NBA star Stephen Curry’s “Underrated” Golf Tour.
Kaylee Gatlin has a natural swing — just ask her very first competitor, her dad. She very well could be one of the best junior golfers in Mississippi — and she has scores that might be better than most players. Last fall, the young golfer won the Randy Watkins Junior Tournament. She was also the player of the year for the Bank Plus Junior Tour.
The junior golfer shot two over during the two-day tournament at Patrick Farms golf course. She went up against other players from as far as Ocean Springs and Starkville. “It feels pretty great. I don’t think it has kicked in yet, but next week, I’ll be more stoked,” she said.
In a social media post, Gatlin thanked her family and friends for supporting her. “I’d like to thank my family for teaching me hard work pays off and I guess they were right,” Gatlin said. Kaylee is now turning her focus to the all-star tournament, where the best golfers in the state will hit the green for ‘match play‘ at Dancing Rabbit in Philadelphia, Mississippi. The teenager thanked her mom and dad, who she calls her hydration specialist, transportation service, and camera crew.
