THE FINAL 36

Havre High golfer Teagan Fee has already put together an illustrious career, and this weekend, at the Class A state tournament in Hamilton, she will have the chance to write the final chapter.

But no matter how her story as a Blue Pony golfer ends, up to this point it has been quite the tale.

Fee started golfing at a very young age and learned the game from her dad, Eric, and also her mom, Mel, who played golf for the Montana State University-Northern Skylights. So far, that tutelage has paid off, as Fee has unquestionably developed into one of the top golfers in Class A.

“I remember when I was about 5, I had a plastic set of golf clubs,” Fee said. “Ever since I could walk they have been taking me out to the golf course. My dad has always been willing to go out with me and help me when I am struggling, so it has helped a lot that they have been supportive of it.”

The family background in the game has certainly helped Fee, but she has also done her part to improve. While she became a varsity player as a freshman under the direction of former head coach Brett Gilman, Fee has continued to get better and better each year. As a sophomore, at the state tournament, she finished 15th, following rounds of 94 and 100, earning her All-State honors. Last season, she continued to steadily improve and earned All-State again with rounds of 91 and 101 in Sidney, setting the stage for a monster senior season, which has included three wins and seven Top-10 finishes.

“Teagan is tenacious and driven when it comes to golf,” Havre High tennis coach George Ferguson said. “She is ultra-competitive, and she doesn't like to fail. That's a good trait to have in golf, where you usually end up failing a lot. It's a hard sport, but I've watched her really develop, not only into a very good player, but over the years, she's become much more mentally tough, and that's a credit to her and to Brett (Gilman), who really helped her with her game and, especially, the mental aspect of it the past three years."

Fee may be a successful golfer, but she is also much more than that. She also plays tennis for Ferguson at Havre High and is the ideal student-athlete, who carries a 4.0 GPA.

"Teagan is a great kid,” Ferguson said. “I might only be her tennis coach, but I've known her forever. I've watched her grow up, played golf with her and watched her become a really outstanding student-athlete. I'm really proud of not just the golfer and tennis player she is, but more importantly, the person she is. And I know she's going to have a great state tournament."

Fee’s career list of accolades was already pretty long prior to last week’s Central A Divisional tournament. However, on her home course of Prairie Farms, she added to her resume with maybe her most impressive win yet. After firing a 91 and fending off competition from Lewistown, Belgrade and Livingston, she can now call herself a divisional champion.

“It felt good,” Fee said. “I know I was expected to do it, but I still worked hard for it and still had to play my best. I was only three up with three holes to go. But I came through and ended up winning by 10, but it was still stressful.”

The win was probably the most significant of her high school career and it was another high point in a stellar senior season, which she credited largely to her work around the greens.

“A big thing for me has been my short game,” Fee said. “That’s really where I save myself a lot of strokes. But I have also learned a lot of mental stuff just to keep my head up and not get down about bad shots or bad holes, just bounce back and not be upset the rest of the day because of one bad shot.”

One thing that should help Fee this week is playing the course in Hamilton, the same course where she took 15th at state as a sophomore. The senior said the course just sets up well for her game.

“It’s pretty straight forward,” Fee said. “And it’s not really a long course, which means I can hit shorter approach shots and I am better at those. I have more trouble with the longer shots. But I played the course as a sophomore and a few other times and I really like it.”

Another goal of Fee’s is to play golf collegiately, something she may get the chance to do at Jamestown College, which has shown interest in her. However, before getting too far down the road, Fee said she is focused on state and making the most out of her final opportunity as a high school golfer.

“Hopefully, I will play my best,” Fee said. “But I would like to take top five at least. There is one really good girl from Butte Central, but other than that, it’s pretty close between all the rest of us.”

Without a doubt, Fee is already one of the best female golfers Havre High has ever produced and even if she doesn’t win state, she’s a strong bet to become a three-time All-State golfer, which in its own right is a spectacular achievement.

Given Fee’s background and work ethic, it’s also not one that’s the least bit surprising.