She Doesn’t Want To Go Pro...so Why Was Rachel Heck in an LPGA Qualifier?

WEST CALDWELL, N.J. — Monday Qualifiers never fail to bring out interesting storylines.

Tales of local heroes looking for their big break. Past stars looking for their redemption arc. You never know what you're going to get, but here's a kicker that wouldn't be on anyone's bingo card. A former standout college golfer—on one of the nation’s best teams—not far removed from her peak. She chose not to turn pro, instead focusing on staying competition-ready. Rachel Heck has long been something of an enigma, and the past few years of her golf journey have only made her story more compelling.

If you need a little fresher, in March 2024, Heck wrote an open letter on No Laying Up on why she's maintaining her amateur status.

In it she wrote, "After a couple of years of painful deliberation, I have come to realize that I do not want to play professional golf. I do not want a life on the road and in the public eye. I no longer dream of the U.S. Open trophies and the Hall of Fame. I realize now that these dreams were never what my dad intended when he first put a club in my hand. He pushed me when I was young so that I could find myself in the position I am right now: Stepping into the future equipped with the skills to tackle any challenge and the courage to pave my own path."

To this day, her words echo in my head, and I believe that Heck was brave to make the decision to walk away. She could've chosen the path that many viewed as simple. She had all the makings to become a great player on the LPGA, but after suffering from injuries, her time away showed her that there's more to life. And she sought after that.

And despite choosing to focus her time elsewhere, a she was still ranked inside the top-30 in the WAGR and qualified for a spot in last year's Augusta National Women's Amateur. She didn't make the weekend, but it was still an impressive feat for the Stanford alum who was (at the time) still going through her final year in school, while also preparing for an internship in private equity and final training to be a Lieutenant of the United States Air Force.

The girl is bad ass.

And though her dreams may have changed, Heck is still too good of a competitor to just walk away completely. Which is why she's teeing it up in this week's Mizuho Americas Open qualifier. First reported by Ryan French of Monday Q Info—Heck still won't be turning pro, but she would love to feel healthy and confident enough to continue to keep playing in elite amateur events like ANWA again. And now that she's residing in NYC, the local qualifier felt like an easy lay up.

She isn't playing full time by any means, but Heck is getting it in when she can. She posted to Instagram just a few days ago getting tuned up inside a simulator at Konnectgolf, a spot that's on our list of best indoor golf facilities in NYC!

RELATED: What Are The Best Indoor Golf Simulators in NYC? We Went Searching For Them

Heck shot a 5-over par, 77 on Monday at Mountain Ridge Golf Course, in West Caldwell, New Jersey the new home of the Mizuho Americas Open. And though she didn't make it into the field, her story is just another example of why Monday qualifiers rock so much, and why golf needs more Rachel Heck's in it.