She was only five years old when she hit her first ball at the Riverton Country Club with her aunt, Sheila McPherson. Since then, Tylynn McDonald has been a regular at the course, playing for the last 12 years, and in competition for Riverton since seventh grade.
“She was babysitting me. I had to play golf with her.” Tylynn said, “I was always excited to go with her, but not super excited until middle school. I always wanted to hit into the sand traps, but now I avoid them.”
Tylynn was Class 3-A all-state as a freshman thanks to consistent rounds of 99 and 98 that earned her seventh-place finish.
She narrowly missed all-state as a sophomore, finishing 11th in Class 3-A, then was again 11th, this time at Star Valley in the Class 4-A championships.
She has finished third and fourth at the two meets the Lady Wolverines have competed in so far in 2025.
When asked about her best phase of the three golf strokes, driving, the middle game, and putting, she said. “It depends on the day. Usually, my long game is the best. I can hit the ball 230 to 250 yards on most drives.”
She struggles with putting.
“There is a lot of feel to putting,” Tylynn said. “Some can stand and feel the break. I usually overshoot the hole. My biggest challenge is being consistent in my putting stroke.”
Tylynn played basketball as a freshman but enjoys being the volleyball and girls’ basketball manager more than competing.
“You get to be part of the team, take the road trips and it’s fun,” she said.
She maintains a 4.0 GPA at Riverton High School and is actively involved in the Student Council, Honor Society, and CAN.
Tylynn McDonald has goals and plans to achieve those goals.
She intends to attend the University of Wyoming and major in International Studies with a minor in economics.
“UW has a combination MBA and Law program I’m looking at after undergraduate,” Tylynn said.
Her goal is to become an attorney, working at the United Nations.
“I always thought it would be so fun,” she said. “I like foreign policy.”
In the long run, she’d like to become an ambassador or maybe even the Secretary of State.
For now, she is in the heat of competition in the Class 4-A girls’ golf circuit.
She has a chance of finishing high at this year’s state championships at the F.E. Warren Air Force Base course in Cheyenne.
Her favorite places to play are at home in Riverton, or in Jackson, but she really enjoys the course in Washakie County.
“I always play my best at Worland, “Tylynn said. “There is never any wind, and the course is always in good shape.”
She is a busy young woman, working three jobs throughout the year. She works at the pro shop at the Riverton Country Club, in the Shaved Ice Barn, and for Wind and Sand, a local candle-making company.
Riverton sometimes does not have enough girls to make a golf team, but this year, she has fellow seniors Anika Stanley and Braeden Mosbrucker on the team.
“I work at the pro shop all summer, a student membership comes with the job,” Tylynn said.
Her duties include answering the phone, scheduling tee times, and cleaning golf carts, as well as selling balls, tees, and golf clothing.
“My favorite days are during tournaments,” Tylynn said. “We have pros at the Saltwater Open tell us we are one of the best tournament sites.”
Tylynn works for club pro Mike Neuman, who is also the golf coach at Central Wyoming College.
She intends to go to Laramie next fall, and not continue in competition, but playing for Newman as a Rustler is in the back of her mind.
“Mike is great, we’ve become good friends,” Tylynn said. “He’s taught me many life lessons, including one about patience. He told me I asked God to give me patience, then I realized he gives you situations to be patient in.”
She also enjoys working with her coach, Sierra Roberts.
Tylynn gets a lot of support from her parents, Cindy and Eric McDonald, and from her aunt Sheila.
“Aunt Sheila tries to come to most tournaments,” Tylynn said. “Mom comes to almost all of them.”
Moving up to Class 4-A has its challenges, but golf is measured by the player and the course, not the size of the school.
“Last year was a rough one for me. I had mental issues,” Tylynn said. “I knew my game was there, I just didn’t have the feel. It is one of the hardest things to overcome. I wasn’t happy with anything I did. I had to remember there are good things around me, no matter what my score was.”
In 2024, Riverton didn’t field a girls’ team, and Tylynn competed solo.
Though she competed alone, her former coach, Lars Flanagan, had solid advice for her. “You need to remember the team aspect of golf,” he said.
Tylynn is a highly motivated, goal-driven young woman with big plans for her life.
“I feel like I haven’t proven myself,” she said.
No one can do it all alone, especially a 17-year-old high school senior.
Tylynn thanked her parents for all their support.
“Golf is an expensive sport, and they’ve given me everything I need,” she said.
Her other mentors were Mike Neuman and Lars Flanagan, who taught her to compete.
She had praise for her kindergarten and music teacher at Trinity Lutheran School, Susan Tucker.
“Mrs. Tucker has been a role model for me since pre-school,” Tylynn said.
The future is bright, and the world isn’t so big when you have plans, goals, dedication, and aren’t afraid of a little hard work.
Tylynn McDonald will compete well in life.