DALLAS – It's a moment SMU women's golf coach Lauren Mason should have expected from sophomore Mackenzie Lee, yet it still caught her slightly off guard.
After Lee's final putt to conclude the American Athletic Conference Tournament on April 17, Mason reset the pin and went to give her standout golfer a hug. Instantly, Lee was overcome with emotion. While she had played well throughout the event, Lee felt like she'd let her teammates down.
Mason just smiled, letting Lee know that all her teammates had finished among the top 25 individually, with Ashley Chow having a career effort to tie for 10th. Meanwhile Lee, Emily Odwin and Ellie Szeryk had all tied for fifth individually as the Mustangs edged Tulsa by two strokes to capture a second straight AAC title.
In a flash, disappointment turned to pride, not for herself but for her team.
"She puts this overwhelming amount of expectation on herself, but when her teammates step up and get the job done, she's so proud of it. She immerses herself in the opportunity to celebrate with them," Mason said. "She has grown to know that she can rely on her teammates and that she doesn't have to be that top person all the time. I think it takes a lot of self-discovery to be in that place and she knows that if Ellie is playing well and does nudge her out and beat her from an individual standpoint, she knows that Ellie or whoever it is on that given day is just trying to take her to new heights."
Make no mistake, as SMU prepares to take part in the Bryan Regional to open NCAA Tournament play on Monday, Lee is a golfer to watch. She has the talent to be among the individual leaders at the event, with aspirations of guiding the Mustangs to a second straight NCAA Championship appearance after the team won its regional in 2023.
Lee's efforts during that historic 2023 season set an exceptionally high standard. As a freshman, she posted a year-long scoring average of 71.78, the second-best in program history. It was an impressive accomplishment, but it was a spotlight she shared with former teammate Michelle Zhang. Back then, both freshmen were on record-shattering paces, as Zhang reset the program's season scoring average at 71.38.
A year later, Lee stands in no one's shadow and is once again on the cusp of history. Through 11 events, she has a 70.97 scoring average, helping SMU pick up five team wins while she has been the squad's top finisher six times.
The secret to it all – consistency. During the offseason, Lee worked with her swing coach to make some minor adjustments to her swing. Aside from that, the sophomore made minimal modifications to last year's approach on the course. Instead, she credits personal growth and maturity as the reasons she's in this historic position.
"It's kind of ironic because golf is an individual sport, but I've kind of grown to appreciate my teammates' great performances just as much as I appreciate my own," Lee said. "I honestly don't really feel the pressure. Obviously, I do want to play well but it's not really about me having to lead the group or anything. It's about me wanting to be up there for them and with them. I would be more happy if my teammates would be up there with me than me leading them honestly."
Part of that maturity has been realizing that one off round isn't a defining moment. Because collegiate golf is a team sport, Lee came to understand that she plays a role in collective success. A high score during one round can be balanced with a low one in the next, helping the team stay in contention.
Mason can see first-hand the fruits of that growth. She knows her up-and-coming underclassman has the chance to continue making strides and redefining success at SMU over the coming years.
For Lee, it's been a rewarding process, one that still has chapters left to unfold. Last year, she was figuring out her role in the collegiate environment. Now, with championships on the line, she's eager to show the world just how far she, and her teammates, have come.
"I think a lot of people last year perceived our success like, 'Oh, it's a one-time thing.' But I think us making it to regionals again and performing well this spring season just kind of goes to prove that it's not just a once-in-a-lifetime happening," Lee said. "It's the hard work, the depth in our team and how good we are right now. It wasn't just pure luck, it was all the hard work we put into it."
