Freshman Laney Frye led UK in scoring average, top-10 finishes and top-20 finishes. (UK Athletics Photo)
Laney Frye had an exceptional Kentucky high school career winning the individual state title in 2018, finishing second in 2019, and helping Lexington Christian win team state championships in both 2018 and 2019. She was also a two-time Kentucky Miss Golf.
Yet she had no expectations coming into her freshman season at the University of Kentucky.
“I think it was actually better not knowing so everything was just a bonus,” Frye said. “My team was so great and getting to know them was so much cooler than I ever thought. The whole season was just better than I ever imagined. I made some great friends that will last way longer than I ever anticipated.”
She made the SEC All-Freshman Team — only the fourth UK player ever to do that — and averaged 73.5 strokes per 18-hole round, fifth-best in UK history. She also led the Cats in top-10 and top-20 finishes thanks to a team-high 13 rounds of par or better. The freshman also helped UK make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1992.
“I am definitely a better player than I was when I got to Kentucky,” Frye said. “The SEC is the toughest conference. Getting to experience that competition every other week makes you get better.
“You have to just stick to the process. You hit fairways and greens and then hope putts will fall. If you believe in that and can just stay committed to the process, then you will be good.”
Frye was consistently good all season. She was “thankful” she didn’t have more high rounds.
“I had more good rounds than bad,” Frye said. “I am definitely proud of being able to hang in there on a bad day and still squeak out a 76 or so.”
She recently went to the Women’s U.S. Open in San Francisco to caddy for teammate Jensen Castle. Even though Castle did not make the 36-hole cut, Frye said it was a great learning experience for them both.
“It was a way different situation for me because I was not thinking about the shot. I helped her call the shot and then she had to execute, not me,” Frye said. “It was a different way for me to see the course and was really beneficial because hopefully, I will be on a stage like that one day.”
Castle played practice rounds with LPGA stars Lexi Thompson and Paula Creamer.
“Her game was right there with them. It’s just a matter of playing experience,” Frye said.
Frye has a few tournaments on her summer schedule but plans to spend more time practicing than anything else.
“It’s also going to be nice to be home to get some rest,” Frye said. “Physically I feel good but it is just different staying in your own bed. I was lucky that I got to see my family some during the (COVID) year. I was lucky.”
Frye also adjusted well to basically all online classes at UK due to the pandemic. She wasn’t sure if the workload was the same as normal but says she had to spend a lot of time on homework.
“It did take some quality time out of my day,” she joked.
However, she did maintain a streak started in high school of making all A’s.
“I wasn’t too sure about chemistry lecture but I had a solid final and kept that A,” she said.
