Hope Walthall wasn’t always just a golfer.
The El Dorado senior said she ran cross country for three years.
“I quit cross country because golf is my main sport. I loved cross country but I put golf first,” said Walthall, who said the fact that both golf and cross country are fall sports didn’t really matter.
“I don’t know. Even when it’s off-season for golf, I’m still practicing and taking all of my time with golf.”
Now, Walthall isn’t just a golfer. She’s a three-time All-State golfer and a two-time state champion.
The 5-foot-9 17-year-old said she’s played competitive golf for 10 years and first picked up a club at 3-years-old.
“Me and my dad would play when I was three. I had my little plastic Snoopy clubs,” she said.
Does she still have those clubs?
“I do but I have no idea where they’re at.”
Walthall outgrew the clubs but not the game. She hopes her love of the sport will serve as inspiration as the lone senior for the two-time defending 5A state champion Lady Wildcats. She is the only returning player who actually competed in last year’s state tournament.
“Hope has definitely had to take on a different role with having new girls on the team,” said El Dorado coach Chris Ezell. “She has really embraced the leadership role and encouraging the other girls. Her game has improved as well and she is establishing herself as one of the top players in our conference.”
As a freshman, Walthall shot 85 and finished ninth in the state tournament. She shot 82 and was tied for fourth as a sophomore and was seventh last season, shooting 88.
In four tournaments this season, she’s won medalist honors twice and carded a career-best 74 at Hurricane in Bryant.
“I feel like the season has started off pretty good. Me and my team have started off strong. I’m very proud of them for that. As the only senior girl on the team, I want to make sure the girls have the best experience they can,” Walthall said.
“Overall, I think it’s started off pretty good and we’re just going to continue to lower the scores and get better as a team and myself. Hopefully the other girls want to do that, too.”
As the lone returning scorer from the state tournament, Walthall said it’s her role to be a leader. She also wants to keep El Dorado girls’ golf at the top of the state.
“I would say it’s a little pressure because I want to keep the momentum going for the Lady Cats and make sure we’re the best we can be at state and conference,” she said. “I have high hopes for the girls. I feel like we’re going to do good. Lakeside is a big competition this year for sure but I think our girls can do it if we put our minds to it.”
As far as the leadership role, Walthall said she’s not doing anything differently.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say I’m trying to be a leader. I’ve always been one,” she said. “With me helping with the Kids-N-Golf and working with the younger kids, I’ve always had that, I guess you could say leadership role. But, as the lone senior girl, I do look at them and try and make the girls the best they can be and make sure they know I’m there to support them fully and I’m there for them as the oldest one on the team.”
It’s far too early in the season to gauge El Dorado’s odds on winning a third straight state title. Losing all but one scorer, it would probably be a surprise.
“We wouldn’t necessarily think about that right now,” said Walthall. “But by the end or mid-September is about where we would start thinking about, O.K., do we have a chance? Do we or do we not? But right now as we continue to get better, I feel like there is a chance. If we continue to get better, I think we might have a chance.”
It’s a chance the Lady Wildcats wouldn’t have if Walthall hadn’t stayed loyal and true to those plastic Snoopy clubs. Wherever they might be, right now.
She’s athletic enough to play other sports but Walthall said she’s content being just a golfer.
“I found the most joy in golf. I mean, the other sports are fun but golf just brings me a lot of joy,” she explained. “I feel like playing just one sport, if you focus on that you can be great. You can be great at any sport if you put your mind to it. I just like playing golf. There’s no other sport that compares to me and my golf.”