This past weekend, the career of one of the best golfers in Henderson County’s history came to a close as senior Meryl Grogan played her final round at the KHSAA state tournament. While she was not satisfied with her finish, she has appreciated every moment afforded to her as a member of the Colonel golf team.
“My career at Henderson County has been nothing short of extraordinary, in my opinion. I’ve accomplished a lot within the six years that I’ve been here. I’m just grateful for the experience and for everything that was given to me,” Grogan said.
Extraordinary is a fair assessment of her career as she accomplished several impressive feats in her six years on the team. One of those remarkable achievements was Grogan shooting a record-breaking round of 64 (-8) at the Christian County Invitational last year. Later in the season, she also captured the girls’ individual 2nd Region Championship, becoming the first Lady Colonel to do so since one of her coaches, Payton (Carter) Knight, did it in 2017.
Jessica Grace, who has been coaching Grogan since she joined HCHS golf, once referred to her as having “supernatural talent” and as a player who is at the “next level.” Based on the results, Grace provided an apt description of her talented star.
Grogan attributed parts of her success to her coaches.
“Mrs. Grace has had such an impact on me, especially my mental game. She’s been helpful in how to get around a golf course mentally since being out there for five or six hours is draining,” Grogan said. “Payton and Austin Knight joined us my junior year and they taught me so much, not only as a golfer, but as a person and just a bunch of skills that I’ll need on the golf course. It has just been so helpful.”
Hopefully, those mental and physical skills follow her to college where Grogan will continue her golf career at Transylvania University. She cannot wait to play a higher level of competition at Transy, calling it a “great school with great people to be around.”
While furthering her career on the course, Grogan hopes to walk away with a degree in finance as well. She has always loved math and statistics and believes that field to be her best opportunity to do something that she enjoys, while also obtaining a well-paying job.
Arriving at Transy will be a surreal moment for Grogan who remembers seeing pictures of herself holding a golf club as soon as she was old enough to walk. She said that she first truly felt inspired to dedicate her time to golf while attending her father Adam Grogan’s Hall of Fame induction at Murray High School, where he was a standout athlete. He went on to play golf at Murray State where he was an Ohio Valley Conference medalist in 1996.
“That kind of inspired me to have that sport have the same impact on my life as it did his, and just following in his footsteps has been my biggest accomplishment. It’s just being able to love the same thing that he loved whenever he was younger,” Grogan said.
Grogan’s parents, Adam and Kelle, have always been her biggest fans, along with her younger sister Edie Jo. She said they have always been “supportive and super happy” for everything that she has accomplished. She also gave credit to her coaches and friends on her team for helping to make her last year of high school golf really special.
Another unique experience for Grogan has been playing sports alongside her twin sister, Maggie, an excellent softball player in her own right.
“I think playing different sports has allowed us to push each other in what we both do to become the best versions of ourselves in that sport. But I think just having each other’s support and being there for each other is definitely the biggest part of it. It helps just having that person with you all the time,” Grogan said of her sister.
Though Meryl will likely be best-remembered for her skills on the golf course, she is in fact a two-sport athlete and her mentality in each could not be more different. She trades her quiet concentration and clubs on the fairways for high-energy school spirit and pom-poms as a member of the varsity cheerleading squad. Grogan said she has participated in cheer since the fourth grade.
When asked if she felt there were any similarities between the two activities, Grogan replied, “Honestly, not really.”
She continued, “It’s about just having two different mindsets for each sport. For cheer, it is knowing that you have to work for the team and knowing that you have people behind you at all times and in golf, kind of, you’re on your own and if you play bad, you play bad and you just have to accept that. I think it’s helped having both situations. It makes me grow as a person.”
No matter where the future takes Grogan, whether it’s her dream round at Augusta National or a successful career in the finance world, there will always be one thing that she cherishes most.
“It (golf) definitely grew all of our friendships, and it was not only being able to play the sport together, but being able to have that friendship that will last outside of the game,” she said. “It’s so special to have people to support you and who are so close to you, while having a successful season with the people that you enjoy it with the most.”
