Photo Courtesy ECS
Sinking a hole-in-one is a memorable lifetime achievement for any golfer. But Claire Todd decided to get started on that milestone early, nabbing her first at the Hernando Golf & Racquet Club all the way back in 2018.
The sophomore at Evangelical Christian School (ECS) hasn’t rested on her laurels since then, and continues to hone her craft in Tennessee tournaments and beyond.
Todd first got into golf watching her older brother, Carson, compete. But after he stepped away from the sport, she decided to pick up the clubs and start taking it seriously. “I was just hitting for fun at first,” says Todd. “I would just go with my brother when he played, but something about it just kept me interested, so I wanted to start playing on my own.”
Once she procured her own clubs, Todd’s grandfather, Jim Jennings, took her under his wing and showed her the ropes. “We’re really close,” she says, “and he lives on a golf course, so he’d take me out there and we’d hit for hours. I saw myself starting to improve, so I began practicing at TPC Southwind.”
Currently, Todd competes as both an independent, and as one of two members of the girls varsity golf team at ECS. And her dedication to the sport is evident thanks to top-ranked finishes at many of the tournaments that she competes in solo, as well as a nomination for Girls Golf Player of the Year for the Memphis Area High School Sports Awards. Just this year, she won the Masters 2-Day competition at Old Natchez Country Club in Franklin, Tennessee, and also earned a pair of second place finishes in other tournaments. And she frequently ranks among the top performers in national golf competitions.
For the ECS team, she’s eyeing a good performance at the upcoming regional match in October alongside teammate and friend Shelby Callaghan. “The season is going really well so far,” says Todd. “For the most part, I’ve had pretty good rounds, and [in September] I shot the lowest I’ve ever shot on nine holes. I think we’ve both improved a lot, we’ve won a lot of matches as a team, and we’re in a good place.”
But when it comes to working as a unit, Todd finds it helpful to set overarching goals for every member of the ECS varsity golf team. Some competitions, they’ll come up with a target number of birdies they’d like to sink, or aim to avoid any “three-putts.” Plus, the two will check in with each other throughout the day, providing support and encouragement if one is off her game.
For independent tournaments, it’s a much lonelier affair. Out there by herself, many times at out-of-state tournaments in North Carolina or Florida, maintaining a strong mentality is a key component to success. When an athlete isn’t getting the rub of the green, Todd says it helps to stay positive. “I try to keep a good attitude at all times, but it can be tough,” she says. “If I’m playing badly, I’ll say to myself, ‘It’s golf. Everyone has bad days. Even the pros have bad days.’”
And that rock-solid mentality is key, with those tournaments bringing in a much wider pool of talent to compete against. But Todd relishes the challenge of playing at a high level. “It just makes me better, having to go up against these really talented girls,” she says. “You’ll see athletes who are always on top, and it kind of gives you a goal that this is the person to beat. And in golf, anything can happen on a given day, so you have to keep pushing yourself and see how high you can go.”
As the season winds down, Todd is focused on her ECS team. Her previous two appearances at the state tournament have been as an individual, but under coach Beth Miller, the hope is to get the full team qualified. That would provide the perfect springboard for next season, when a third student is set to join the team. “We’ve usually had a small team, so getting to grow will be really helpful for us,” she says.
Expect the golf successes to keep coming for Todd. After high school, she has her sights set on continuing her upward trajectory into college athletics. And with several seasons to improve before then? Keep an eye on this rising star.
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