Palm Beach Gardens, FL - Henry Liebwein (Boys 13-18), Alexandra Phung (Girls 13-18), and Eli Widom (Boys 11-12) were all victorious at the South Florida PGA Junior Tour’s Jim McLean Labor Day Classic held this weekend at PGA National Golf Resort in Palm Beach Gardens. Competing on both the Champion and Fazio courses, more than 160 juniors from all across the nation showed up with hopes of claiming the prestigious Labor Day Classic title.

For Summer Pilot, golf has become much more than a sport. It has shaped her competitive career, strengthened her relationship with her dad, taught her valuable life lessons and helped prepare her for a future in healthcare. A Boca Raton native, Pilot grew up around sports and played basketball before ultimately choosing golf. Her father introduced her to the game and regularly brought her along to his golf clinics. She spent years watching, learning and becoming familiar with golf before competitive play ever became part of her plans. Then, during her freshman year of high school, Pilot told her dad something that would change the direction of her golf journey. She wanted to “play real golf.” That moment marked the beginning of Pilot’s transition from simply being around the game to pursuing it competitively. Her dad, who had first introduced her to golf, became an even bigger part of her development, serving as her swing coach, mental coach, caddie and biggest supporter. “I never pressured her. We just played. We had fun, and that’s what it was all about,” her dad said. “She said to me, ‘Dad, I want to play real golf.’ I said, ‘We play real golf, honey.’ And she said, ‘No, I want to play tournaments.’” What began as a father teaching his daughter how to play became a shared passion and a way for the two to spend time together, work through challenges and build a strong relationship around the game. “A lot of times when kids turn 14, 15, 16, the last person they want to hang out with is Dad or Mom,” he said. “I was very lucky that I got to hang out with her all through her teens and school years.” Behind that journey, however, was the support of her entire family, including her mom, who played an equally important role in helping Pilot pursue her goals. Throughout her junior and collegiate careers, her mom has made countless sacrifices, supported the demands of tournament and college schedules, and remained a constant source of encouragement through both the highs and lows. Together, her parents created a support system that allowed Pilot to pursue competitive golf while continuing to grow academically and personally. In 2020, Pilot began her South Florida PGA Junior Tour journey on the Links Tour, playing nine-hole events with her dad by her side as her caddie. The Links Tour gave her a foundation in the game, teaching her rules, etiquette and how to think through each shot. As she progressed to the Prep Tour, Pilot began developing her own game, discovering her strengths and learning how to manage herself on the course. Eventually, she moved to the Medalist Tour, where she competed against some of the best junior golfers in Florida. Each level brought a new challenge. The Links Tour taught her the fundamentals, the Prep Tour helped her develop her game, and the Medalist Tour taught her how to handle the pressure and mental demands of high-level competition. Those experiences would ultimately help prepare Pilot for college golf. She began her collegiate career at Florida Gulf Coast University before transferring to Tennessee Tech University, where she now competes at the NCAA Division I level as a junior while pursuing a degree in Biochemistry. When Pilot arrived at the collegiate level, she found herself surrounded by players who had been among the best golfers in their respective states. But rather than being overwhelmed by the competition, she felt prepared. “The Junior Tour really helped make the transition to college smooth for me,” Pilot said. “When I got to college, everyone was the top player in their state, and I had already experienced competing against some of the best players in Florida. There weren’t as many surprises.” College golf also gave Pilot a new perspective on competition. While junior golf is largely individual, college golf gave her something bigger to play for: her team. “Junior golf is individual because it’s you versus the field,” Pilot said. “When you play on a team, you have something to play for. You want to perform and be your best for the team’s success.” Head Women’s Golf Coach Amanda Smith has seen that same balance in Pilot since she arrived at Tennessee Tech. “Summer is a soul that just lights up the room. She’s super competitive, but she also enjoys being around other people and being part of the game. She knows when to be serious and when to have fun, and she brings that balance to our team,” Smith said. “She’s super coachable, and you can tell from her junior career that she put a lot of work in and really wanted to be good.” Away from the course, Pilot has learned to balance the demands of Division I athletics with a rigorous Biochemistry curriculum, laboratory work, travel and tournaments. Organization and communication have become essential, allowing her to stay ahead of her coursework while managing her golf schedule. That commitment has paid off. Pilot currently maintains a 4.0 GPA while pursuing her Biochemistry degree and has her sights set on a master’s degree. She also hopes to become an anesthesiologist assistant, combining her interest in science and chemistry with her desire to pursue a career in healthcare. She sees a natural connection between the skills required in golf and those she will need in the medical field. Golf has taught Pilot patience, emotional regulation, thoughtful decision-making and how to remain calm under pressure. Her faith, teammates and family also help keep her grounded through the highs and lows of being a student-athlete. While her golf career has taken her to the collegiate level, some of Pilot’s favorite memories remain rooted in the South Florida PGA Junior Tour. Her fondest Junior Tour memory came at Indian Spring, where she made her first hole-in-one on the Prep Tour at No. 13. The moment was especially meaningful because Indian Spring was also the site of her first-ever tournament. Pilot celebrated the ace on the tee box with her playing partner and good friend Payton Balliet, while her parents and grandparents watched nearby. By her senior year of high school, Pilot had developed into one of South Florida’s standout junior golfers. She served as captain of the Boca High School varsity golf team, finished ninth in the 3A High School State Championship and placed third in the South Florida PGA Junior Tour Championship. Her accomplishments also earned recognition as an ESPN Palm Beach Land Rover Player of the Week, Sun Sentinel Golf All-County First Team selection and Boca High School Player of the Year. Having gone through the recruiting process herself, Pilot encourages junior golfers beginning to consider their college options to be patient and ask questions. For her, finding the right college was about more than choosing a school with a strong golf program. It was about finding an environment that fit her game, academic interests and long-term career goals. Today, the young golfer who once attended her dad’s clinics and told him she wanted to “play real golf” is a Division I student-athlete, Biochemistry major and accomplished junior golfer. From the Links Tour to the Prep Tour, the Medalist Tour and now Tennessee Tech, each step has taught Pilot something that extends beyond the scorecard. Golf has given her a competitive career, lifelong friendships, a stronger relationship with her dad and lessons she will carry with her long after her final college round. Along the way, the unwavering support and sacrifices of her family have helped make that journey possible. What started as a way to spend time with her dad has grown into a foundation for the person—and future healthcare professional—she hopes to become. Summer Pilot - Website Tennesse Tech Womens Golf