Hard as it may be to believe, the only NCAA Division I women’s golfer to win three tournaments this fall has an inferiority complex.
Or at least, she had one.
“I suffer from Imposter Syndrome,” said High Point University sophomore Makayla Grubb.
The symptoms, according to Grubb (rhymes with “tube”), include feeling insecure when she plays against top players from prominent programs.
Seeing the names of elite college programs on competitors’ golf bags put doubts in her head.
“I get intimidated,” said Grubb, who grew up in Stafford, Virginia, near Washington. “I still feel inferior.”
Grubb’s symptoms are difficult for anyone else to detect. And they’re fading away.
The 2023 Virginia State Golf Association Women’s Amateur champion and match-play qualifier for the 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur, Grubb beat some of the nation’s top players this fall while earning medalist honors in tournaments hosted by Furman, Charleston and Tennessee.
At Furman and Charleston, she won by four strokes in 71- and 80-player tournaments.
At Tennessee, Grubb shared medalist honors at 13 under par with Myrtle Beach’s Madison Messimer after battling the Vols’ top player head-to-head on the final day and finishing five shots ahead of the rest of the 81-player field. Grubb shot 4-under in the final round, pulling into a tie with a birdie at 17 and holding on by saving par after missing the green at 18.
“That was my best win,” said Grubb. “It tested my mental game. I stayed calm and focused. That showed me I could do this, that I do belong.”
Makayla Grubb shows has a long follow through on her swing. Tim Cowie/Tim Cowie Photography
Grubb, who tied for 14th in a Golfweek Preview at Caledonia in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, and 16th at Notre Dame, finished the fall season, ranked 40th in the official women’s rankings determined by a formula.
Why no higher than 40th?
“It’s just due to the strength of the fields. There’s a lot of things that contribute to it,” Grubb said. “We played in some tournaments with bigger programs, but most of the teams were smaller.”
Grubb and HPU will have a better opportunity to move higher this fall, playing against strong competition at Florida State, Georgia and Maryland.
The HPU team, which finished the fall season at No. 60 in the team rankings, has produced three consecutive Big South Conference Freshman of the Year (Anna Howerson, Anais Arafi and Grubb) winners. Rachel Joyce of Pinehurst gives HPU a strong contender to extend the streak.
Last season, HPU made its first-ever appearance in the Division I regionals.
A skilled ball-striker with ample length off the tee, Grubb credits her improved mental approach since working with Washington-area mental coach David MacKenzie for much of her recent success.
“Once I started going to him, I’ve been a lot better. It’s really taken off,” Grubb said. “Now, I have the confidence that I can hit any shot in any circumstance. I’ve tried not to focus on scores, but the process.”
In prior years, Grubb said she often hit the wall when she reached 2 under par in a round, trying to protect her score rather than continuing to attack.
Plus, she harangued herself with harsh “Self Talk” after disappointing shots.
“Over time, I’ve noticed a big difference in how I handle pressure, how I approach both setbacks and successes, and especially how I talk to myself throughout my rounds,” Grubb said.
During her fall victories, Grubb shot rounds of 5 under three times and shot rounds of 4 under and 3 under twice each.
Grubb said she started playing golf as a way to bond with her father, Matthew. Her older sister, Andrea, started playing first.
“She seemed to get all Dad’s attention,” Grubb said.
As a “relatively unknown” rising high school senior attracting little attention from college recruiters,” Grubb pulled off a surprising victory at the Virginia Women’s Amateur, sinking a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole of the match-play championship.
“Before then, I had no big wins. “Some people knew me, but it wasn’t like they said, ‘Wow, Makayla is here.’”
Just before coming to HPU, Grubb won the North-South Junior at Pinehurst.
High Point coach Lyndsey Hunnell noticed the state amateur victory and reached out.
“I was shocked when they called me,” Grubb said. “I cried after I got off the phone.”
Two months later, Grubb committed to HPU. Though she’s raised her status and could transfer to a more high-profile program, Grubb said that’s not a consideration.
“Loyalty is very important to me,” she said.
A Women’s Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar and HPU Presidential Scholar, Grubb is studying kinesiology and biomechanics at HPU.
She also loves to travel, something she’ll have many opportunities to do if she plays professional golf.
“Playing professionally is definitely a dream for me,” Grubb said. “It’s definitely what I’m reaching for.”
