T E X A R K A N A M A G A Z I N E
G raci Henard stepped up to the 15th tee box of the 2020 Jay Brewer Memorial Lady Tiger Classic at Texarkana Country Club, down five strokes with four holes to play. After a 30-foot birdie on the 15th hole and a par on the 16th, Henard was still down three strokes with two holes to play. During this improbable comeback moment, she kept saying to herself (and out loud) “I want it more than her. I want it more than her.” After forcing a playoff by birdieing three of the last four holes, Henard won the playoff by sinking another birdie putt—this time from ten feet away. “It was Brewer’s tournament. And I miss him every day, so winning it was more than another trophy for my shelf. It was the smile from him I felt as he looked down,” Henard said. Jay Brewer was Henard’s former high school golf coach at Texas High, who passed away unexpectedly during the summer just before her junior year. “I will never forget that day when I won that tournament. I felt so entirely loved that day. The feeling was indescribable.” Ryan Huntze, Henard’s golf coach at Texas High, said, “No female golfer from Texas High had ever won our tournament, and Graci became the first. It was extra special because of the bond she and Coach Brewer shared. Graci told me last year one of her goals was to win that tournament for him, and the way she did it was truly remarkable.” According to her mom, Joy, Coach Brewer used to tell Henard, “grit was the best club in her bag.” Nothing could have been truer, revealed by the way Henard came back to win that tournament. A golfer and recent graduate of Texas High, Henard learned the game of golf with her family at an early age. She said, “I would go to the golf course with my dad and sisters to hit golf balls or to play holes. I played so many sports growing up, and golf was the one I chose. It’s a sport I can always work at getting better at, and I can enjoy the rest of my life. I also chose it because of the responsibility it requires. Golf is an individual sport, so I have to rely on myself. My mistakes are my own and that’s what motivates me to better my game.”
Graci Henard
Henard’s dad, Jeff, mimicked those words of wisdom. He said, “Golf is a game you will never master. It’s one where you only hope to get better. I tell Graci to be patient and let her practice become permanent. Her worth is more than the number she posts on the course on a given day.” Henard’s work ethic and passion are just a few of the characteristics she is known for among her family, coaches and teammates. Coach Huntze said, “If it’s cold and rainy, she would still be out there practicing. It did not matter what the conditions were, she would be out there. Graci was always the first to get to practice and the last to leave. You can tell how much she loves the game just by watching her practice.” Her father said, “Graci’s dedication and sacrifice have been inspirational. On summer days before she could drive, she would beg to be dropped off at the golf course by 8 am and wouldn’t be ready to be picked up until after 5 pm. Those summer days could have been spent playing with her two younger sisters, but instead she chose to work on her game. She has missed sleepovers and other fun activities to practice.
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