After her parents fell in love at a golf tournament and her whole life revolving around the sport, it is only fitting for senior Madison Smith to commit to the University of Memphis (U of M) to play Division I (D1) golf.

According to Smith, she was first introduced to golf through her family. Not only did her parents meet at a golf tournament, but her two sisters, Molly and Morgan Smith, play as well. Golf has been a key part of her life ever since she was born.

“I was first exposed by my sisters and my parents. I [have] played golf as long as I can remember, so it’s definitely just been something that I’ve been accustomed to,” Smith said.

According to Smith, as she continued playing golf, her passion for the game grew deeper; especially for its competitive aspect. 

Smith stated that she also deeply appreciates the sport’s longevity as, unlike many other sports, golf can be lifelong, allowing her to be able to play it even after she graduates.

Smith has had multiple accomplishments that highlight her incredible golfing ability. During the summer of 2025, she won the New England amateur, a 54-hole championship that is also one of the biggest amateur women’s golf tournament events in New England. According to Smith, her dad was caddying for her, which acted as a memorable moment she will hang on to forever.

“My dad was on the bag, so [he] was caddying for me. So it was pretty bitter, pretty sweet to have him there,” Smith said.

Furthermore, Smith was also given the opportunity to play at the US Women’s Amateur Championships, an event that accepts only the top 156 amateur women’s golfers in America. She was able to participate in the event along alongside both her sisters and, according to Smith, this was the first time three family members partook in the same tournament at the same time.

According to golf coach Patrick Claycomb, Smith’s greatest strength is not only her remarkable game play, but also her incredible mental game. No matter who she faces, Smith will always be confident and believe in herself, focusing only on winning. Moreover, she has demonstrated natural leadership ever since the day he met her. By presenting herself as a selfless teammate, Smith has earned the role as captain.

“She always believes in herself and focuses on the next shot; it is something that sounds easy, but only the elite can do it,” Claycomb said.

Smith will be going to the U of M, a D1 golf school in Tennessee, where she will major in Sports Management and Education.

According to Smith, she decided to choose this college not only because she fell in love with the campus, but also because of the coach. This is important to her, as college golf is much more of a team event than junior golf, making it crucial that she surrounds herself with a coach that she appreciates and a good team environment that Smith can involve herself in.

Despite her skills, the recruiting process for Smith was not simple. According to Smith, recruiting starts much earlier than people may think, leaving a lot of pressure during that time. Ever since she was a freshman, Smith has been sending out emails, trying to get coaches to notice her and follow her events.

“There’s a lot of unknown going through the recruiting process because some coaches are really good at letting you know where you stand with them and how interested they are in you, [while] others kind of leave it pretty broad,” Smith said.

There are multiple goals that Smith is hoping to accomplish in college. For academics, she is mostly aiming on maintaining good grades and a high GPA. For sports, she wishes to not only enjoy golf at the campus but also help her team win at least one conference championship in her four years. Furthermore, she wants her team to attend regionals, an event consisting of the top 52 teams in the area. From there, she is hoping to grasp the chance of making Nationals.

Going to Memphis also means leaving many good things behind at Westford Academy. According to Smith, one of the primary aspects of WA that she will miss is the teachers. Smith will never forget how the WA educators care for their students, not as a grade, but as an individual.

“You were more to them than just a grade on a paper or an essay you might have turned in or not,” Smith said. “I think WA does [a] great job of really caring about their students as people, which is really cool.”

According to Claycomb, Smith’s hard work and dedication allowed her to achieve the accomplishment of making D1. She has demonstrated her natural leadership and integrity and is hoping to carry her winning mindset into college next year.

“Her talent has no limit, and she has a winner’s mindset as well. That is the main reason for her massive success. She never gives up and always believes in herself,” Claycomb said.