Jackson Woolley: The Man, The Myth, The Legend

It was a slow day at the news office until our manager, Chris Hopwood, noticed something unusual on Facebook. A post showing Sullivan High Schooler Jackson Woolley on the cover of a magazine called “Inside Golf.”

We searched the ends of the web for the issue until we realized the publication did not exist. Being fooled, we wanted to uncover the truth behind how this cover came to life. So, we sat down with the man, the myth, the legend himself... Jackson Woolley.

He stopped by the office and revealed that photographer Kristi Hines designed the cover after taking Sullivan’s team pictures. Woolley was also struck in awe when first seeing it, saying, “I couldn’t believe it myself when I saw it… It was not only just how it looked real and everything like that; I was amazed at the back of my shoe. It was basically me just branding that brand.”

The incoming junior has golfed since he was eight years old and has played two seasons with the Eagles. His inspiration to take the course was his grandpa, sharing that “After he passed away, I just kind of wanted to play golf. Because I don’t know about you, I didn’t want to play football; I didn’t want to play basketball or baseball… I wasn’t really that kind of guy. I don’t exercise all the time, but I just wanted a sport where I could just kind of be chill in everything, and golf was kind of the best option.”

Woolley has also looked up to John Daly, who has helped shape his personality as a player. “I’m not on the golf team to compete,” he explained. “I’m just in there to have fun and probably just to get out of classes too, just a little bit.”

Woolley enjoys meeting other players who share the same passion for the game that he does. He remarked, “As corny as it may sound, I enjoyed all of the games because not only did I get out of school, [but] I also liked how I got to meet new people from other schools. I know probably a handful of people from the other schools because we talked while we were playing and everything. We just had major fun.”

The junior believes that to be a great golfer, it does not entirely matter what club you use but rather how strong you are mentally. Woolley described it as, “People think that golf is just easy—‘ohh, you just hit a ball and everything’—but it’s more like you got to think about hitting. You got to think [about] where you want to put it and everything like that. It’s all body movement [and] everything… [If] I mess up the shot… I talk to myself, I take a deep breath, and I say, ‘Okay, remember what to do. What you messed up last time, change it this time.’”

Being on the course also prepared Woolley for when he took a swing at the stage. During his sophomore year, he starred in Sullivan High School’s drama production of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.” Woolley stated, “I was given, like, the Sword of Gryffindor when [my director] said ‘Scorpius Malfoy,’ which means that… I’m going to be on stage in front of the audience—the majority of the time.”

But the junior found himself in a deeper hole than he had ever teed off from. Woolley said he struggled to remember his lines during rehearsals and even considered giving up the lead role. “I like wanted to quit in the middle of it,” he shared. “We’re almost there at the end, and I wanted to quit. It broke me down that bad... I just felt really nervous and stuff because this is the first-ever show that I’ve done.”

Like what Woolley learned in golf —that iron sharpens iron —he memorized line after line, then rose under the spotlight. Once Woolley bowed to the roar of the crowd, he realized that the shot he took was worth it.

Woolley received great praise from teachers and students for his debut performance. He was also awarded with having the best scene in a play at Sullivan’s end-of-year ceremony.

Woolley is unsure when he will return to the stage but plans to continue playing golf into his junior year. He invites other Sullivan High Schoolers to join the roster and see what makes the game so great. Woolley exclaimed, “I want more people on the golf team because I want more people to experience how fun this sport can be. And how it’s not just a boring, rich sport that everyone just plays, just like for all willy-nilly and stuff.”