Golfer cards a Purple Eagle in recruiting round

Lacey, 17, intends to study education at the private Catholic university in Lewiston, N.Y., north of Niagara Falls. She wants to follow in the footsteps of her mother, who works as an educational assistant, and her grandmother who is a retired educator.

“I want to be an elementary school teacher, and they have a really good education program,” she said of NU. “That’s kind of what I am heading toward.”

Gannon University in Erie, Pa., also was under consideration for where the Port Colborne Country Club member wanted to continue her education and play golf at the post-secondary level.

“They were my top two choices,” Lacey said.

That Gannon competes at the Division II level factored in her decision to commit to NU as did how she felt after campus visits to the two schools.

“Campus-wise I found that Gannon’s campus was very different than Niagara University,” Lacey said. “It was kind of built into a community than an actual university campus, so that kind of played a big factor as well.”

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• Dec 31, 1969
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• Dec 31, 1969
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Initially, Lacey had her “heart set on” studying much further from home.

“But as I thought about it more and more, I thought being close to home would be a good thing,” she said. “It suits me as a person.”

Lacey was eight years old when she began taking golf lessons and began playing at a competitive level when she was 11, though always as an individual. At NU, she will be part of a time for the first time in her golf career.

“I feel it definitely will be a little bit different,” she said. “There will be more of that ‘team aspect,’ but I kind of know what being on a team is like (from playing travel soccer).

“I feel to build relationships with other girls and to cheer each other on will be fun and exciting.”

Lacey signed her letter of intent in a ceremony held at Port High that was attended by John White, her coach since “just before the pandemic” and the PGA of Canada director of golf at Beechwood in Niagara Falls.

“He has helped me to where I am today. He’s taken my game to the next level,” she said. “He was always there if I needed help with anything.

“In the whole recruiting process, he was always just a phone call away. If I needed anything, he was always willing to help.”

White’s coaching over the years has helped Lacey coach herself when he’s not around.

“He’s helped me look at different things in different ways, and I take those to practise on my own.”

As a student of golf, Lacey gets high marks from the veteran teacher of the game.

“Mikayla is a very talented young lady and a joy to coach. She brings a strong work ethic and has a passion for her sport,” said White, also the founder and director of the Niagara District Junior Golf Tour.

The highlights of her 2023 season include carding “quite a few rounds under 80” in tournament play

“That’s kind of big for me because I always tend to struggle with performance in tournaments.”

Besides two wins on the Niagara District Junior Golf Tour, she also had two second-place finishes on the Maple Leaf Junior Tour, as well as “better scores overall.”

At the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations championship girls championship in Collingwood, she placed 23rd overall.

She considers tee shots a strength of her game.

“I play like a far hitter and I think that definitely is an advantage.”

Lacey admitted that she is still working on forgetting about a bad shot and not letting it affect how she approaches the next hole.

“I’ve definitely improved on that part of my game, but it’s still a bit of a battle. But it has come a long way,” she said. “There’s been no tears on the golf course so I think that’s really improved.”

She goes out for many sports at high school, but that won’t be the case at the post-secondary level. At NU, her focus will be solely on golf, and she’s OK with that.

“I enjoy the sport and it’s something I want to take to the next level, and I think I’m willing to do that.”