Tessa Teachman found success at an early age on the golf course. She already had a New York State Junior Girls Amateur Championship attached to her resume at 13. In the eighth grade, she helped Webster Thomas High School win the New York State Championship. The following year, she was on America’s Junior Ryder Cup Team. In 2005, she was a sponsor exemption into the Wegmans LPGA Championship as a 14-year-old.
Growing up in Rochester, who did she look up to? Danielle Downey.
“Danielle Downey was the player to be,” said Teachman during a phone interview on Wednesday. “She was the player always in the paper when I was growing up and she was always very, very supportive.”
Teachman, whose family moved from Rochester to Baton Rouge, Louisiana the day Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, will play in the upcoming Danielle Downey Classic on a sponsor’s exemption July 16-19.
“I still have letters that Danielle sent me telling me to keep working hard and pursue my dreams and one day we’d both be playing the Tour together,” said Teachman. “It’s unfortunate what happened, but it is great they now have a tournament in her name.”
Now 25, Teachman still remembers playing in the same group as Suzann Pettersen and Laura Diaz in the ’05 Wegmans LPGA Championship as a young teen.
“It was kind of a circus, there was a lot of attention because Rochester rallies around golf so well,” said Teachman. “I had a lot of support when I played. It was really cool at such a young age to be playing inside the ropes in that tournament in my hometown.”
Although she was sad to see the LPGA leave Rochester because she had a goal of playing in the event again when it became a major, she was thrilled to hear about the Epson Tour event.
“It’s great that Mike Vadala (tournament director) was able to pull a Epson Tour event up to Rochester,” said Teachman. “I think there is going to be a lot of support for all the girls.”
Teachman graduated from LSU in 2012 and then turned professional. She played in one Epson Tour event in 2013 and has not played since. In 2014, she played on the Ladies European Tour (LET) and still is a member. She plans on going to LPGA Qualifying Tournament Stage I August 3-9 with hopes of earning better Epson Tour status or LPGA Tour status.
“I have been hopping around playing wherever I can since qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open in 2012,” said Teachman. “I’ve really just been preparing for Q-School this year. Since I have limited status on the Epson Tour, it was great to earn the exemption.”
Teachman knows that a good finish could help her status for the remainder of the season, but she’s more focused on the experience.
“Getting the experience of playing in a four day event will definitely help prepare me for first stage of Q-School in August.”
It will be a homecoming of sorts for the entire Teachman family next week. Tessa’s dad will serve as her caddie while her mom and extended family including aunts, uncles and cousins will form a large gallery that will follow her every swing around Brook Lea Country Club.
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