Fieldcrest state qualifier Jessica Schultz is the 2024 Times Girls Golfer of the Year

One of the best female professional golfers in history, Annika Sorenstam, once said, “There are no shortcuts to success.”

That statement would definitely apply to Fieldcrest senior girls golfer Jessica Schultz – the 2024 Times Girls Golfer of the Year.

“I always want to do better than I did the time before,” Schultz said. “Even when you feel like you played really, really good, you always think back of things that could have made the round even better. That factor of golf where you never really know if you played the best you could have is the motivating factor. It’s a very mental game, a game with a lot of setbacks, but a game that just keeps me wanting more. It keeps me working on getting better.”

Schultz said her the love for the game really started as she entered high school.

“I started playing golf when I was in seventh grade. My sister, Natalie, was a freshman and came home from school one day and told everyone she was going out for the golf team here,” Schultz said. “From there my parents got us both a set of clubs, but I really didn’t start focusing on the game until my freshman year. That’s when I knew this was something I wanted to put a lot of time into.”

This past fall Schultz placed second (86) at the Class 1A Seneca Regional and tied for fifth (93) at the El Paso-Gridley Sectional to qualify for the state meet.

“I normally don’t look at the [scoring] app [on my phone] other than to open it, put my score in after each hole and then close it,” Schultz said. “But for whatever reason during the sectional I also kept looking at the leaderboard in between holes, and I regretted it. It really got in my head, and it’s something I shouldn’t have done. I felt like I was playing pretty well that day so I’m not sure what I was thinking, but luckily everything worked out.”

Then at the state tournament at the at Red Rail Run Golf Course in Decatur, Schultz shot an opening round of 84 and followed it up with an 86 for a two-day total of 170 and a 30th-place finish.

“I was very nervous, but I think that kind of wore off after a couple holes,” Schultz said. “Overall, I felt I played pretty well both rounds. Sure, there were some shots I wish I could have done over, but the whole experience was all I hoped it would be.”

Schultz posted a 43 nine-hole average and 85 18-hole average for her senior season. She also won the Woodford County Invite and placed fifth at the Heart of Illinois Conference Meet.

“I knew right from her freshman year that she was naturally good at golf, but she has also worked extremely hard to make herself better, and it has shown each season,” Fieldcrest coach Lisa Lindstrom said. “Her goal has always been to qualify for the state tournament, and as a junior she missed advancing by just three strokes. This past summer there weren’t many days when she didn’t play 18 or more holes or spend an hour or so on the driving range. She’s very driven to be the best she can be.

Lindstrom said that while she had confidence in Schultz’s chances to reach the state meet, she knew it would take her player’s best efforts.

“This season she was in a very tough regional and sectional, but she just refused to let anything stop her from reaching that goal,” Lindstrom said. “I feel the biggest key for Jessica this season, especially in the postseason, was she was consistent. All her hard work paid off, and as a coach that was great to see.”

Schultz plans to attend Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg next year to continue her golf career and studies towards a major in criminal justice and eventually a job as a police officer.

“I’m excited to be able to continue to play golf at the college level,” Schultz said. “This past summer, along with working toward the goal of going to state, proving to myself that I could play at the next level was a goal as well. I did that.”