Flashy but Fun, Simmons Sees Green in His Major Dreams

HP sophomore set for state tournament, then hopes to play against the pros

Brooks Simmons is easy to spot on the golf course. If you don’t notice the colorful attire, you might be drawn to his funky swing.

The Highland Park sophomore also tends to open some eyes because of his low scores. And he doesn’t mind the attention.

“I want to try and have fun,” Simmons said. “It settles the nerves and helps me play better.”

Last year, Simmons competed at the Class 5A state tournament as a freshman alongside his HP teammates. He shot 150 over two rounds to finish in the top 20 individually as one of the youngest competitors in the field. The Scots won a silver medal as a team.

Simmons will return to state this year at the Class 6A level, but he won’t have his team beside him. The Scots were eliminated after placing third at the District 7-6A tournament, although Simmons advanced as an individual qualifier.

He ultimately hopes to be a state champion like one of his idols, former HP great and Masters champion Scottie Scheffler.

“I look at how unique his swing is,” Simmons said. “My swing doesn’t look the best, but I can beat a lot of people. It doesn’t really look like what you would imagine a golf swing would look like.”

Three years ago, Simmons finished second at the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship in North Carolina. Since then, his tournament schedule has included events in Arizona and Montana, and he’ll head to Mexico this spring.

In an age of long drives off the tee, Simmons prides himself on being more of a short-game specialist around the green.

“When I get into trouble, I’m really good at saving a hole,” he said. “Everyone can hit the ball 300 yards, but it doesn’t matter how far you hit it. Putting is half of your strokes in a round of golf.”

Scheffler played his first PGA Tour event as a teenager in 2014 at the Byron Nelson. Eager to follow in those footsteps, Simmons, 16, recently competed against seasoned professionals twice his age at a Monday qualifier for the Texas Open in San Antonio. In May, he intends to enter an open qualifier for the Nelson.

“I played just for fun to see if I could do something and did really well,” Simmons said. “It was really cool to see what separates them from me and what I need to do to get to their level.”