PGA Pro's daughter makes her mark

FAIRMONT, W.Va. -- "The only time I will be disappointed is if you quit. If you give it your best, that's all I can ask for."

That's a quote Bailey Frederick's father, Andy Schallmo, has said to the East Fairmont senior golfer and one that he feels describes her perfectly, even more so now that she's about to finish her high school career as one of only two golfers in school history to golf at the state tournament with her team in consecutive years.

"That is one thing Bailey has never done ... quit," Schallmo said. "She is determined and will give it her all, even when the odds are stacked against her. Her ability to overcome obstacles is why she's become the person and golfer she is."

For the past four years, that's all Frederick has been doing -- overcoming obstacles.

A female in a sport full of males, Frederick has consistently gone onto golf courses around the state of West Virginia and come back with better scores than the guys she's played against.

For her, that mentality is something she's carried with her over her career. And now, for the past two seasons, she's seen that pay off with a trip to the state golf tournament in Wheeling.

Playing with the guys -- and beating them -- isn't something Frederick would change, though.

"They've always respected me," Frederick said of playing with the guys. "I typically don't get respect from many other people. It's been very difficult, but I've been blessed with the ability to play with the guys."

Frederick has been a standout on the Bees' golf team for the past four years and has seen her score come up big quite often.

While she's played with golfers like Brennon Vincent and Mason Weese ahead of her at the No. 1 position in the lineup, Frederick said it doesn't matter to her where she's seeded, as long as she's out there.

"I could play No. 1 through 6 and it wouldn't matter," she said. "You play and it doesn't matter. You count the Top 4 scores every match."

But getting those good scores during the high school season depends on how you prepare during the summer.

And for Frederick, that comes by playing the best of the best around the state all summer long.

Frederick regularly plays on the Callaway Junior Tour and played in the West Virginia Women's Amateur Championship and the West Virginia State Junior Amateur.

"It's good to play in those events in the summer," she said. "During the high school season, you have other people to depend on, but during the summer, it's all you. You literally get out of it what you put into it. It gets you ready for the high school atmosphere. You're used to the adrenaline and know how to play with it."

But it even goes deeper than that for Frederick.

To understand, you'll need to go back into her family history.

Her father got into the PGA of America in 2003 as an apprentice and became a PGA Professional in 2009, when his daughter Bailey was just about to enter high school.

It was around then that he bought her her first set of clubs, and that's when she began competing.

Since, her father has been teaching her the tools of a trade they both enjoy.

Schallmo even served as her caddy during the state Women's Amateur Championship, a moment Frederick said was very special.

From an early age, Frederick set a list of goals that she's set out to accomplish as a competitive golfer.

Near the top?

"It was a big goal for me to be on the golf team in high school," she said. "I've been the only girl on the East Fairmont golf team the four years I've been there. To actually be successful with it, that's paid off for me."

Frederick plans to play golf collegiately when her high school career ends, something she's been eyeing for quite a while.

"With my dad being in the golf industry, I've always known the opportunities that are out there for girls in college golf," she said.

Looking back on her golfing career, Frederick believes that when she tees it up with the guys, she gets better each day.

That, she said, has been one thing that's driven her day in and day out.

"Honestly, I wouldn't have changed it," she said. "There's girls in the state that actually have girls' golf teams, but I think playing with the guys has made me better.

"Just playing against them and consistently beating them," she said, "there's no special treatment. You have to work for everything you get. That's what I've done."

This article was written by Matt Welch from Times West Virginian, Fairmont and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.