No Result
View All Result
Reserve & National Guard
SUBSCRIBE FREE
No Result
View All Result
Reserve & National Guard
SUBSCRIBE FREE
Reserve & National Guard

Navy reservist pursues lifelong passion as pro golfer

Teal Yost
by Teal Yost
January 22, 2021

When it comes to professional athletes who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, David Robinson, Roger Staubach, and Joe Bellino might come to mind. More recently, Keenan Reynolds, Joe Cardona, and Billy Hurley have made it in the NFL and PGA too. 

Read more about Joe Cardona: For love of country, for love of the game

Add Laurel Gill to that list. The 2011 USNA grad served six years active duty, continues to serve in the Navy Reserve, and now competes as a professional golfer. 

Gill developed a passion for golf at an early age. 

“I started golfing when I was about eight. My parents signed me up for lessons and sent me to golf camps,” she said.  

After all, when you grow up in San Diego, you’ve got ideal golfing weather nearly every day of the year. 

“I love golf for the camaraderie, its competitive nature and the fact that it’s a lifelong sport. You can play golf no matter your age or ability, thanks to the handicap system,” Gill added. 

San Diego is also where Gill developed her interest in attending the Naval Academy. 

“Being from a big Navy town, that’s what got me interested. When you grow up in an environment like that, surrounded by ships and aircraft, it instills a sense of patriotism. I wanted to serve my country,” Gill said. 

So in 2007, she headed off to Annapolis. 

At that time, the USNA didn’t have a women’s golf team, Division I, or club, for that matter. 

“No matter the field you work in, having a background in golf is important as a working professional. Etiquette is an important aspect of golf, it’s a sport that requires discipline, it’s a sport that provides networking opportunities. Those are skills and lessons that are just as important to women as they are to men,” Gill said. 

She and a few of her company-mates took the initiative to start women’s golf at the Naval Academy.  

Their first year, they practiced after dinner and on weekends as an approved extracurricular activity but didn’t benefit from any school funding. Thanks to the group’s persistence, women’s golf became a club sport the following year, and the Mids began playing matches against other teams. 

The year after Gill graduated, the Naval Academy announced women’s golf was being elevated to a Division I sport. The team began play in the Patriot League the following spring.  

“They hired a coach and really started investing in these female athletes.” 

And while she would have loved golfing as a D-I athlete representing the academy during her time in Annapolis, Gill says, “It’s amazing to see that what we started on our own time has had such a positive impact on these ladies futures.”  

Gill served six years on active duty, primarily as a meteorology and oceanography officer, making sure to keep up her golf game no matter where she was stationed. 

When she left active duty, she shifted her focus to golfing full-time and as a professional, but the military moves kept coming. Her husband, who she met at the Naval Academy, is an aviator, flying F-18 Growlers.   

“I’m lucky because the military moves haven’t impacted my career as a professional golfer. I can do what I love from anywhere. Everywhere we go, there are golf courses, so I’m hoping to continue down this path wherever the Navy takes us,” Gill said. 

Gill and her husband.

While she practices her drives, chips, and putts from Oceana in Virginia Beach for the time being, tournaments take her all over the country and even the world. 

Gill was able to represent the United States in the Military World Games in China. She helped the U.S. team to a second-place finish in the event. 

In addition to tournaments, she has endorsement deals with golf equipment and apparel brands. 

“I work with Mizuno Golf as well as Bolder Athletic Wear, an American-made apparel company owned by a Navy veteran.” 

Like most things, 2020 did throw a wrench in some of Gill’s golf plans. 

“I was hoping to go to the LPGA qualifying school, but it was canceled due to COVID-19. Fingers crossed for next year. My goal is to make it on the LPGA.” 

She also hopes to see more women, especially women within the military community, take up golf, even if it’s just socially.  

“I’ve hosted some clinics for military spouses hoping to spark that interest. I’d love to see more ladies golfing. I think for spouses who move so frequently, golf can be a great way to connect and socialize while being physically active and getting outside.” 

Follow Laurel Gill on Instagram at Girl Gone Golfing.

Read comments
Tags: Bolder Athletic WearGolfLaurel Gillnaval academyNavy Reserve
Teal Yost

Teal Yost

Teal Yost is an associate editor at Military Families Magazine. She brings more than a decade of storytelling experience to AmeriForce Media. An award-winning journalist, Teal anchored and reported at NBC, CBS and Fox television stations in Texas and Iowa. She also produced and delivered live reports from the Chicago Board of Trade as a financial correspondent for Bloomberg Television. Like military life, the life of a journalist is never boring. Teal has interviewed sitting presidents and rock stars. She's covered everything from devastating floods and deadly tornadoes to the federal government shutdown and IPOs for the latest tech start-up. Television news provided unique insight into the military even before becoming a Navy spouse. Teal was one of the first journalists on the scene of the Fort Hood shooting massacre — reporting live for several hours as events unfolded. She was lucky enough to fly in an F-16 Thunderbird — wearing a g-suit and experiencing Diamond Cloverloops and Aileron Rolls to help publicize an air show. Since leaving TV news she’s spent time as a Navy public affairs officer, content director for a nonprofit, SEO specialist, freelance writer and content strategist. Teal holds a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University in New York. She received a B.A. in political science and theatre at Millikin University. Teal has five military moves under her belt. When not packing, PCS’ing or tripping over toy cars and train sets, she enjoys travel, spin classes and trying out new recipes. She’s currently based in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband and two sons.

Related Posts

8 ways to spend spring break with young children

by Emily Solberg
1 week ago
0

The groundhog might have seen his shadow this year, but spring break is right around the corner for many American...

Read more

‘Retrograde’ documentary captures humanity behind withdrawal from Afghanistan

by Will Martin
2 months ago
0
Retrograde

National Geographic's "Retrograde" captures the humanity behind America’s abrupt Afghanistan exit and its impact on those who remained.

Read more

AFRC warns of fake social media accounts

by AmeriForce Exclusive
2 months ago
0
Social media

Air Force Reserve Command's social media manager warns of fake social media accounts and urges people to take precautions.

Read more

‘Leave it to Beaver’ star Jerry Mathers recalls military service, KIA rumor

by Kari Williams
2 months ago
0
Leave it to Beaver

"Leave it to Beaver" actor Jerry Mathers stood on stage at the 1967 Emmys in full military uniform, shortly after...

Read more

49-year-old guardsman builds brotherhood on junior-college gridiron

by Crystal Kupper
3 months ago
0
Football

A North Dakota Army National Guardsman is a 49-year-old freshman defensive lineman on the North Dakota State College of Science...

Read more

Navy veteran serves as ‘steward’ of famed ‘A Christmas Story’ house

by Crystal Kupper
3 months ago
0
A Christmas Story

Former sailor Brian Jones currently owns and operates the ‘A Christmas Story' house and museum in Cleveland, Ohio.

Read more

Ads

Let's get social

The RNG Drill

News delivered directly to your inbox

Let's connect!

ABOUT US

  • OUR STORY
  • OUR TEAM
  • OUR WRITERS

MAGAZINE

  • GET PRINT
  • GET DIGITAL
  • GET THE NEWSLETTER

ADVERTISE

  • GET OUR MEDIA KIT
  • PUBLISHER’S STATEMENT

SUBMISSIONS

  • PITCH US
  • SUBMIT YOUR STORY

Never miss out on the latest stories.

© 2021 Reserve & National Guard by AmeriForce. Privacy Policy | Terms | Site by Swiss Commerce

Thank you for your interest in The Reserve & National Guard Magazine!

Thank you for your interest in The Reserve & National Guard Magazine!

No Result
View All Result
  • NEWS
  • YOUR CAREER
    • UNIT TRAINING
    • DEPLOYMENT
    • PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
    • RECRUITING & RETENTION
    • ENTREPRENEUR
    • TRANSITION
  • EDUCATION
  • MILITARY LIFE
    • MILITARY SPOUSES
    • MILITARY KIDS
    • PARENTING
  • OFF DUTY
    • ENTERTAINMENT
    • TRAVEL
  • HEALTH
    • FITNESS
    • MEDICINE
    • MENTAL HEALTH
  • SPORTS
  • OPINION
  • HISTORY
  • MONEY
    • PERSONAL FINANCE
    • BENEFITS
  • GET THE MAGAZINE
    • PRINT MAGAZINES
    • DIGITAL MAGAZINES
    • GET THE NEWSLETTER
  • ABOUT US
    • MEET OUR TEAM
    • OUR AUTHORS
    • ADVERTISE WITH US
    • SUBMIT YOUR STORY
    • PITCH US
    • CONTACT

© 2022 Reserve & National Guard by AmeriForce. Site by SCBW

Skip to toolbar
  • About WordPress
    • WordPress.org
    • Documentation
    • Support
    • Feedback
  • AMP
    • View AMP version