Jayda Sidney is looking at golf being front and center for her moving forward in life, whether it’s on the course or off. To that end, Sidney, who played high school golf for Sierra Vista, is likely heading to play her college golf at Ottawa University in Surprise, AZ, with the help of an SNJGA scholarship.--by Bill Bowman, Las Vegas Golf Insider

Sidney said her time on the high school golf team, as well as her SNJGA interactions, are building blocks that will help her down the line.

“This is just a great community of golfers,” she said. “I met a lot of great and interesting people. I also got to play a lot of great tournaments at very good courses.”

She said the Walter M. Galyk Memorial scholarship money will definitely let her keep her mind on the classroom and the golf course.

“Receiving the scholarship will let me have the opportunity to play college golf,” she said of her next step. “I’m about 99 percent sure that’s where I’m going. They made me an offer and I visited the campus.”

She said the award shows her hard work is paying off.

“I was shocked when I got it,” she said. “A lot of people applied for the scholarship, so you just never know. It makes me inspired to keep pursuing my dreams.”

Now, as she gets ready to leave Vegas, she’s gearing up for the changes that college will bring.

“It’s going to be tough leaving home,” she said of the possible trip to Arizona. “I’m going to miss my teammates and all the work we did together. But it’s also going to be an exciting time going to college.”

She plans to study psychology and said golf will always be part of her life. That life may also include a look at playing on the LPGA Tour.

“The LPGA is Plan A,” she said. “But if that doesn’t work out, I still want to be involved in the sport.”

Hence the psychology route.

“I don’t think people realize how tough golf can be mentally,” she said. “I’ve been reading a lot of books that focus on the mental side of golf and they have been helping me. Over the last few months I’ve been focusing on the positives because that is what will keep you going.”

She also loves the fact she will get a little more time to focus on golf.

“My short game still needs improvement,” she said. “And I need to work on the mental part of my game. One thing I’m looking forward to is getting the time to work more on my game.”

In the end, she’s got one main goal for her time in college.

“I want to improve in every tournament,” she said. “Even if it’s something small. If I don’t chip well and then work hard and then improve my chipping the next tournament that’s a good thing. It’s a positive.”