Sallye Hale, Grace Hale, Millye Hale, Blaine Hale, Lance Patterson and Blaine Hale

Sallye Hale, Grace Hale, Millye Hale, Blaine Hale, Lance Patterson and Blaine Hale

Yesterday, Wildcat Blaine Hale made it official. He’ll play for the Sooner golf team next year. Wednesday marked the first day seniors in several sports can officially sign to play at the college level. Football’s national signing day is February 4.

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“I’ve seen him come along over the years and become a great player,” praised Lake Highlands High School golf coach Chris Cole. “The second tournament he played in as a freshmen a made a hole in one. He won the Bart Granger [Memorial Golf Tournament], and usually the team that’s won that, 10 out of the last 11 years, has won state. He won the A.J.G.A. [American Junior Golf Association] tournament this summer, he won an all-collegiate tournament in Louisiana – he’s just a good kid. After he committed this summer, and just the way he’s played lately, he’s phenomenal to watch. He’s one of the greatest players I’ve seen, and I’ve been at Lake Highlands ten years. Last year he was really struggling, trying to figure out which college to go to. It was really weighing tough on him. I’m just really glad I got to be with him on his walk to choose OU.”

“Blaine’s been a great player for a really long time,” agreed Lance Patterson, Director of Golf at Dallas Athletic Club. Patterson, who has coached Blaine off and on since the player was 12, “never needed a lot of help.”

“When he was younger, he had a great short game but he wasn’t very big. Then all of a sudden he grew, and he hit the ball ten thousand miles and he started beating the heck out of people.”

“He’s extremely competitive, he doesn’t like to lose,” said Patterson. “Sometimes doesn’t like to ask for help as much as he should, but that comes with the age.”

“He looked at a lot of places and talked to a lot of coaches, and after he got back from his visit with OU, he said, ‘this is it.’ And what I tell all my kids when they look at schools is: the academics are the academics and the school is the school everywhere. What matters is your relationship with the coach and your relationship with the other players. Those are going to be your brothers for the next four or five years.”

Blaine’s family was also there to share his big moment.

“We didn’t expect him to go to OU at first,” said sister Sallye, who drove in from Texas A&M for the signing.  “He kind of changed at the last minute – the coaches at OU are awesome. Blaine has been playing golf since he was two in the backyard, so I’ve grown up watching him play. Since he’s gotten to high school I’ve gone to his tournaments and traveled with him and met him in Waco when I was in College Station. He went to my volleyball tournaments and supported me when I was playing volleyball at LHHS.”

Ninth grade sister, Grace, was more tempered in her enthusiasm.

“It’s awesome that he gets an opportunity to play,” Grace shared. “But I’m going to miss him a lot, for sure, next year. He comes to all my pep rallies and games. We’re very close.”