When Epson Tour sophomore Hailee Cooper saw how much she was earning from her T7 performance at the 80th U.S. Women’s Open presented by Ally, she cried tears of joy. A dream of buying a new car was now a reality. But the car isn’t for her.

On her 16th birthday, the Montgomery, Texas native received a brand-new car. When her younger brothers turned 16, so did they. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was a new car, which her parents trusted would safely get her from point A to point B.

Her father, on the other hand, flew to New York to pick up a 2000 Chevy truck that was being sold for $5,000. He drove it back to Texas the next day and has been driving with the windows down for the past year and a half due to a broken air conditioning unit.

With a $358,000 paycheck hitting her bank account and Father’s Day approaching, it’s her time to pay it back.

“He’s sacrificed quite a bit. Not just financially, but going with me to tournaments,” said Cooper. “He missed a lot of my brothers’ stuff – soccer games, football games, whatever – just to travel with me. He’s given up a lot for me to do this.

“He and my mom are my number one supporters, so to be able to give something back to him is awesome. It won’t repay it, but it’s still really cool that I get to do something.”

When Cooper told her father the news, he immediately refused, urging her to save her money. While she does plan on saving most of what she earned, the 25-year-old knew in her heart that no matter what, her dad was getting an upgrade.

They had a heartfelt negotiation, toying with ideas of fixing the AC unit, but ultimately, they reached a compromise that still leaned toward what Cooper wanted. Her father will be upgrading vehicles—nothing fancy or new, but still an upgrade.

Once the truck is purchased, the rest of the paycheck will go into savings. Currently No. 9 in the Race for the Card rankings, the Texas A&M University alum has a good shot to head to the LPGA Tour in 2026.

Her consistent performance on the Epson Tour, coupled with a strong showing at Erin Hills, demonstrates that she has what it takes to compete with the best in the world and potentially be the best. The more she saves, the less stress she has regarding her finances, which allows her to play more freely and trust in her talent.

The road to the LPGA is not easy, but with the support of her family, Cooper can achieve anything.

Hailee Cooper Earns U.S. Women’s Open Paycheck Just in Time for Father’s Day

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