Striving for the top
Baker blossoms in final year at Gila Ridge
When it comes to girls golf, you’d be hard pressed to find a player who made more strides in the region than Gila Ridge senior Jaymi Baker.
On Oct. 14, 2021, Baker shot a personal best of 85 during the district championship meet at Mesa Del Sol, which placed her third overall in the competition. She also finished the year with an iWanamaker rating of 11.065, the second lowest in the city.
A two-time state qualifier for the Hawks, Baker says saving her best performance for the district championships was the biggest highlight of her senior campaign. Further, the golfer says she was grateful to have competed as such a high level.
“My senior year has been the most competitive year for me,” Baker tells the Yuma Sun. “A lot of the girls on my team are all very competitive and did really well. It was fun being a part of the team and getting the opportunity to grow as a golfer and person alongside some of these great athletes.”
A Yuma native, Baker reveals she took up the sport of golf in the third grade. Her grandfather,
Mark Hammons, first introduced Baker to the joys of golf. Baker credits her grandfather passing along his love for golf. After an accomplished high school career in San Diego, Hammons played collegiately before becoming a certified teaching professional with Professional Golf Teachers Association of America.
“When he played high school golf, he was in the No. 1 position on his team,” Baker says of her grandfather. “It is super cool to see that I was able to accomplish the same thing of being in the No. 1 spot in high school at Gila Ridge.”
As it turns out, golf was not always a top priority for Baker. By the time she reached middle school, she says she took a break from golf and put her energies into combat sports such as wrestling and jujutsu. Once Baker reached ninth grade, she decided to get back out on the course and noticed that her results improved thanks to the extra work she was willing to put in.
“I think it really just came down to being able to practice more. That is when I really made major strides as far as golf is concerned,” Baker added.
After Gila Ridge, Baker says she plans to attend Arizona Western College and is already on pace to earn an associates degree in December 2022. From there. she plans to attend Arizona State University and has ambitions to major in emergency management and homeland security. Baker expresses deep gratitude for the family support she has received which allowed her to enjoy success on and off the golf course.
“I’ve been playing for quite a while and I really thank my parents, grandparents and coaches for pushing me to get better and staying involved in the sport,” Baker concluded.