Nothing for Granted

On Thursday, professional golfer Hailee Cooper tees off in the U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills in Wisconsin. It wasn’t that long ago that her golf game and mental health were in crisis. 

Just two seasons after one of the best freshman seasons in University of Texas golf history, Hailee Cooper was ready to quit golf. Her All-American season from her freshman year in 2019 seemed like a distant memory. She was struggling badly with her game, fighting depression, and battling anxiety. And yet, somehow, things were about to get worse. 

Things were so bad with her game that in late March of 2021, she failed to crack the starting lineup for the Longhorns, something Cooper never envisioned happening in her career. That week, her teammates encouraged her to travel with the team despite not being in the lineup. 

The Augusta National Women’s Amateur was just days away, and despite her struggles, Cooper had a spot in the prestigious field. Playing in the event was going to be a dream come true, especially after earning a spot in 2020, only to have the event canceled because of Covid.

Cooper eventually decided to make the trip with her teammates, practice, and see if she could find her game in time for the ANWA. 

Instead, she and a number of her teammates tested positive for Covid, and Cooper found out she wouldn’t be allowed to play at Augusta. It was the final straw. 

“That was a low point,” says Cooper. “I wasn’t having fun. I was really considering quitting.” 

A phone call with Texas A&M Head Coach, Gerrod Chadwell, changed her outlook and career. 

After contracting Covid and missing the 2021 ANWA, Cooper was putting serious thought into quitting. Her mental struggles had gotten so bad that she remembers having to step away from shots during competition because her hands were shaking too intensely to swing. She had started to see a therapist and was taking antidepressants. 

Cooper had always been an exceptional student and after her third year at Texas, she was set to graduate. Her dad, Ronnie, who coached her high school team and had been by her side for most of her golfing life, implored her to enter the transfer portal. 

“One semester, Haliee, just give me one semester,” Chadwell pleaded with her. The conversations were more about finding joy in the game again rather than helping the team, or getting her back on the path to a future in golf. 

The line that sealed the deal was when Chadwell told Cooper, “I don’t think your golf journey is over, but no matter what, we are going to find Hailee again.” Soon after, Cooper signed to play for Texas A&M. 

“How about one more semester?” Chadwell asked after Cooper’s first semester in College Station. Her play hadn’t improved much, but she had started to feel better over the ball, and for the first time in a long time, she enjoyed the game again. She agreed. 

In her final year at Texas A&M, the old Hailee Cooper was back. She averaged 72, four strokes better than her previous two years, had three top-10s, and went undefeated in match play at the SEC Championship. 

The love for the game was back and after her final season of eligibility, Cooper was set to turn pro. In December of 2023, an email changed those plans. The email was from Augusta National inviting Cooper to play in the 2024 ANWA. 

“It was very emotional getting to play there,” Cooper says, recalling her playing in the ANWA. “When I struggled, I felt so worthless. My family had sacrificed so much, and I wasn’t able to provide their dream of seeing Augusta. Getting to play there was a full circle moment.” 

Cooper made the cut on the number and was able to play Augusta National with Ronnie on the bag. 

Soon after, Cooper turned pro. She had gone to Q school as an amateur and advanced through the first stage before struggling badly at second stage. Although she would technically have Epson Tour (the feeder tour for the LPGA) status, it wouldn’t get her into any events. Cooper faced a year on the mini tour grind. 

In her first pro event on the Women’s All Pro Tour (WAPT), Cooper shot 65-66 in the final two rounds and won by six shots. The winning check for $10,000 was much needed, but more importantly, the win came with an exemption into the next Epson Tour event. As a member, Cooper was eligible for the reshuffle, so a made cut could be season–or even career-changing. 

These were the kind of putts Cooper’s hands would shake over a few years ago. A four-footer to make the cut in her first Epson Tour event as a pro: make it and earn starts the rest of the season, miss it and head back to the mini tours. 

It was dead center. Cooper finished T58 and moved up in the reshuffle. 

Cooper took full advantage of the starts she earned, making 11 of 12 cuts for the season, including a runner-up finish at the Tour Championship. She finished 32nd in the season-long points list, and retained her full Epson card for the 2025 season.  

This season, Cooper has continued her success, making all seven cuts, and is currently eighth in points. The top-15 in points on the Epson Tour earn their LPGA card for the following season. Now, she is at Erin Hills after winning in a playoff to earn a spot in the U.S. Women’s Open. Most importantly, she is enjoying playing golf and isn’t taking a second of it for granted. 

“I’m just really grateful,” Cooper says. “There was a time I was done with golf. All of this is a bonus.” 

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Hailee Cooper is a Carry athlete, she is looking for sponsors, and has some very cool experiences you can purchase to help her along in her career. Her profile is here.