When Hailee Cooper held her first golf grip perfectly at 3 days old, her grandfather knew she was going to be a golfer — and a good one at that.
Within the two seasons Hailee has played for the Texas A&M’s women’s golf team, she has become an integral part of the group’s foundation, earning the title of captain among her teammates and head coach, Gerrod Chadwell. However, Hailee’s success did not begin with her transfer to A&M, nor did it begin when she committed to the University of Texas and completed her undergraduate degree in Austin.
Hailee’s success story is rooted in support; from her parents, her coaches and her teammates. It is rooted in drive, desire and the sting of failure. More than anything, her success is derived from her love for the game of golf.
“It’s not a game of perfection, but you strive to be perfect on every shot — you try to be the best you can be,” Hailee said. “I think that’s really cool and it translates to what I really live for.”
Growing up, Hailee spent most of her time on the golf course, given that her father, Ronald Cooper, was a longtime coach of the golf team at Montgomery High School. Despite the connection, she spent the first 10 years of her life playing other sports like basketball and soccer, not yet committed solely to golf.
“We didn’t get into it early on,” Ronald said. “I didn’t want to be one of those pushy dads.”
However, when she was 10 years old, she decided she was all in — Hailee stopped participating in other sports and dedicated her time to practicing golf. In that same year, she played in the Southern Texas Professional Golfers’ Association Junior Tournament, earning a fifth-place medal.
At 12 years old, she was competing in the qualifying round of an American Junior Golf Association tournament alongside high schoolers and athletes such as Kristen Gillman, now a professional golfer in the Ladies Professional Golf Association.
Her talent was enough to not only win the qualifier, but to catch the attention of Angie Ravaioli-Larkin, the head coach of Texas Christian University’s women’s golf program, who approached her father and asked if Hailee was really only 12 years old.
“At that time, she was still playing with junior clubs because she was so short,” Ronald said. “We decided to get her some real clubs after that.”
Hailee’s success followed her into her high school career, where she won state her freshman year and was able to travel around the world for fiercely competitive tournaments. And she reached even taller heights her senior year when she qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open.
“It was actually really funny,” Hailee said. “I had prom on Saturday, I won prom queen, and the next day I played a practice round for the U.S. Women’s Open Qualifier.”
That following Monday, Hailee played in the actual qualifier and won — meaning she earned a spot in one of the most well-known championships in golf. Her father, who caddied for her during the qualifier, said watching his daughter make the cut for the U.S. Women’s Open was one of the proudest moments of his life.
“It was a special moment,” Ronald said. “People dream about that their entire lives.”
For Hailee, the decision of where to continue her academic and athletic career after high school was a difficult one to make. During the recruitment process, while meeting with golf coaches from universities across the world, she found herself drawn to the teaching style of Chadwell, who — at the time — was employed at the University of Oklahoma.
“He was my favorite coach to talk to,” Hailee said. “I liked his approach to coaching and how he chose people over players.”
However, Chadwell was on his way to the University of Houston, where he planned to build a golf program from the ground up. Despite their connection, Hailee decided to commit to the UT.
“When it came to decision day, I decided to go where I thought was best for me — and that was the University of Texas,” Hailee said. “The girls were great. The golf course and facilities were great.”
Though Chadwell thought he was not going to be coaching Hailee in college, they still shared a sentiment of appreciation for one another.
“I’ll never forget when she called me and told me she wasn’t coming to Houston — she was so upset,” Chadwell said. “I told her, ‘I’ll always be your coach [and] a part of your life.’”
Hailee’s first year at Texas was met with resounding success; she represented the United States team in the Arnold Palmer Cup, was First-Team All-American and was awarded the title of 2019 Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year.
Following her rookie year, she hit a wall.
“Oh yes, my years of sadness,” Hailee said. “I was really struggling mentally with golf.”
Hailee spent two more seasons with the Longhorns, working hard to escape the slump she had fallen into.
“I had seen it before, coaching golf for 25 years — but it’s different when it’s your kid,” Ronald said. “You’re trying to say the right things and do the right things, and it just felt like nothing was helping during that time.”
Resilient as ever, Hailee finished her undergraduate degree at Texas in three years and decided to enter the transfer portal – a decision that would ultimately change her relationship with golf and subsequently, her life.
“I wanted something different,” Hailee said. “I was thinking about quitting and I kept wondering where my passion for the game went.”
While Hailee was making the decision to transfer from Texas, Chadwell was making an equally important decision 165 miles away — he was leaving the University of Houston. While speaking on the phone, Chadwell told Hailee he was interviewing for the head coach position at A&M.
Then, he asked her the question.
“He goes, ‘If I got the job, would you want to go to A&M?’” Hailee said.
Hailee, who had long since fallen in love with the atmosphere and culture surrounding A&M, was quick to make the jump and become an Aggie. Her parents, though, may have been even more excited than her.
“Her mom and I always wanted her to go to Texas A&M,” Ronald said. “It’s where our hearts have always been, and she finally found it.”