Power Up Athlete: Jacklynn Miller

October 5, 2021

Practice, practice, practice!

Playing golf when she was barely into the double digits, Jacklynn Miller quickly realized she wanted to make a career of it. And her dad was her number-one supporter. “Growing up, I knew I wanted a golf scholarship,” she says. “My dad was my caddy: He drove me around and took holidays around my tournaments.” She adds that the admirable work ethic of both her parents helped motivate her to work hard at her game. “I know now as a mother the sacrifices they must have made to try to make my dream a reality.”

That dream eventually saw her play competitive junior golf in North Bay, and then at Texax A&M in Corpus Christi, where she earned a psychology degree.

“When I graduated university, I was so young—I was only 21. And I knew I wasn’t done playing. I was lucky enough that I was able to move into my university coach’s house. She and her husband worked with me while I lived there for a few months.”

She later went to Arizona and played on the Cactus Tour and the CN Tour, finishing with a T5 standing, and coming just a few strokes short of LPGA Q-School.

In 2012 she became the first woman to play in the PGA of Canada Match Play. A year later she became the first woman to win the PGA of Alberta tournament. In 2017 she was named PGA of Canada’s Class A Professional of the Year.

She’s also made her mark off the course: When the pandemic hit in 2020, she organized a food drive in response to a plea for donations from Food Banks Canada. “No one should go hungry, especially children,” she told a local newspaper at the time. Her efforts resulted in an outpouring of generosity from across the PGA, prompting its CEO Kevin Thistle to say, “What Jacklynn has done is nothing short of amazing.”

She remains the head pro at South Muskoka Curling & Golf Club, and now, after having had to shift her golf to the back burner for a time—she’s also mom to a young son—she’s ready to hit the circuit again. She’s determined to succeed.

“You can’t give up,” she says. “When I first started playing, I would get so frustrated if I started off poorly. Then I would get down and tell myself ‘Well, the round is over’—yet I still had 13 or 14 holes left. Anything could happen.”

She has simple advice for young girls pursuing a career in golf: “Practice, practice, practice! Especially practice what you need work on. If you aren’t a great lag putter, spend most of your time on the putting green. That’s where all the tournaments are won.” We’ll keep that in mind, Jacklynn. Welcome to the Power Up roster!

Jacklynn’s championship highlights:

2017 – named PGA of Canada Class A Professional of the Year

2013 – first woman to win the PGA of Alberta tournament

2012 – first woman to play in the PGA of Canada Match Play

Follow Jacklynn:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jacklynn.miller.1

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacklynnmiller17/

About the Power Up Bursary

Driven by DCM’s commitment to women’s professional development, the Power Up Bursary significantly boosts the careers of female golfers on the brink of LPGA Tour status by providing them with financial assistance, increased player visibility, training and skill development, sponsorship coaching, and marketing.

We are proud to have the continued support of our Power Up partners: