Senior Jess Meek is a well-traveled individual. She’s originally from Scotland, she goes to school in the U.S., and she’ll soon head to Mexico to compete for Team Scotland in the World Amateur Team Championships.
A course with sunshine and tropical weather adorned by the sunny beachside awaits her and her competitors there. Before she can get there though, she must remain focused on the preparations for one of the biggest tournaments of her life. Nonetheless, she maintains an attitude of professionalism and determination, looking forward to her adventure.
“Being the only senior, sometimes there’s little things I can help out our younger girls with, like making sure everyone is in the right place at the right time for things like class and workouts,” Meek said. “But overall, our team are very capable of that, so sometimes I’ll have to help out in comforting the freshmen and newer girls.”
Last season, Meek approached a program record with a 71.8 stroke average, good enough for second all-time. At the opening tournament last season, the Lady Paladin Invitational, she finished second individually and led Mizzou to a team victory. In her last season at Mizzou, she’s reprioritized and is optimistic heading in.
“I think we’ve got an awesome team this year,” Meek said. “Everyone has a great work ethic. We had a great fall, and we’re ready to play well this year. I think the important thing for me especially is really remembering that all this is supposed to be fun, and we’re all about the process of getting better.”
Meek came to Missouri from Carnoustie, Scotland, in the fall of 2013. She not only had to deal with the change of life and culture here in the U.S., but she also had to adjust to changes on the golf course.
Golf in Scotland is predominantly played on links courses, known for sandy dunes and abrasive weather conditions near the ocean. American golf is predominantly played on parkland courses, which typically are in wooded areas, with favorable course conditions. The name arose from early course architects to describe the rough area of land that linked the ocean to good farm land.
“Playing here has helped me deal with pressure so much better than I did when playing on the national team in Scotland,” Meek said. “In Scotland … you get a lot of gusts, bounces, all kinds of stuff that affects your game. As a freshman, I thought I’d love American golf immediately, but it took some time to get used to it.”
Before the 2016-17 season begins on Sept. 23 at the Lady Paladin Invitational for the Tigers, Meek will head to Riviera Maya, Mexico, to compete for Scotland in the World Amateur Team Championships.
“I’m not sure what to expect of the amateur championship,” Meek said. “It’s something I never thought about competing in, but after a great fall and summer, I was put in a position to go, and it’s obviously a huge honor and pretty special.”
Despite the pressures that could come with competing at both an international and NCAA level, Meek made it clear where her focus predominantly lies.
“I just want to go out next week, and obviously play well, but having fun is really the big thing,” Meek said. “Being a senior, I just want to take in each moment and really enjoy and improve by the experience of playing against the best players in the world at the amateur level.”
Meek aspires to play at the professional level, which would obviously require even more worldwide travel. While playing here at Mizzou, she is majoring in parks and recreation and sports management.
But no matter where she travels, Meek made it clear that Columbia has been a warm home throughout her four years at Mizzou.
“Mizzou has made me feel welcome, from the very start,” Meek said. “I felt so welcomed and supported by everyone involved here, which you just don’t see everywhere, definitely not in Scotland.”
_Edited by Peter Baugh | pbaugh@themaneater.com_
