“On The Tee” Interview With Hailey Hunter

Hailey Hunter is a lifelong golfer. She had a successful junior and collegiate golf career and even spent some time playing professionally. You might know her from her work on Golf Channel or the LPGA Women’s Network, or from her winning appearance on ABC’s Holey Moley. She is currently a Sports Reporter and Weekend Anchor for CBA Affiliate WJTV in Jackson, MS.

You grew up in a very athletic family, where sports and competition were very important. What was that like and how do you think that prepared you for life and for your career?

Oh, big time. I always tell people that if I didn’t grow up in a family like that, where my brother was so good at everything and competitive like my dad, I don’t think I would be as motivated as a person as I am today. I was always around that environment, so I think that was really huge for me. Even growing up, I don’t think I ever won any competition against my brother, so it kind of pushed me to be better. And I think that’s why I’m so competitive and driven today.

Your dad played professional hockey, as did your twin brother. You were a competitive figure skater. When did you start playing golf and what was it about golf that clicked with you?

 I started playing golf when I was nine. My dad and brother were both golfers and they invited me out to play. I got involved in the junior golf league where we were members and I fell in love with it. I think I really liked that everything was on you. I liked that if I made a mistake I was held accountable for it and if I wasn’t playing well I had to mentally pull myself out of that.

What is it like to be a twin?

Oh gosh, it’s awesome. Reed is my best friend. We’ve always been best friends since we were little.

A lot of athletes end up in tv or radio after their playing careers, but you knew pretty early on that it was what you wanted to do, earning a Degree in Broadcast Journalism from Ohio University. When did you know that Sports Broadcasting was what you wanted to do and what was the appeal for you?

First of all, my family always called me a chatterbox because I have always talked so much. I’ve just always enjoyed talking with people. In high school I was the anchor of the little morning news show that we had, and I always loved doing it. I think that is where I realized this is what I wanted to do.

Sports can teach kids a lot and open doors for young people in many ways. Especially for young girls, there are more opportunities than ever before. Do you have any advice for young people and their parents about how they can take advantage of those opportunities?

I think that every kid should be put into some sort of extracurricular activity, especially sports. Let them try everything. My mom and dad put me in every sport, but I wasn’t the best at everything, and I kind of chose the ones that I liked the best. Even though I wasn’t the best at everything, not being the best taught me a lot of things. Really, the biggest thing is it teaches you how to be motivated and how to work hard. Growing up playing sports, or being involved in other activities, helps kids to understand how to have a good work ethic, which is one of the biggest life skills or qualities you can have in the real world

You’re from Michigan, went to college in Ohio, but you’ve spent a lot of your career in the south. What do you miss about living up north and what do you like about living in the south?

In the south I like how just about everyone is really nice and really takes the time to get to know you. It’s kind of nice to have an environment that is a little more laid back because I’m so go-go-go. It has sort of forced me to settle down a little bit sometimes. I’m a northern girl. I miss the ice. I miss kids playing outside, playing street hockey. I come from a big hockey family. There’s a very northern-type vibe that I miss a lot.

You played college golf and some professional golf and then covered both the PGA and LPGA Tours. What are some of the life lessons that you learned from playing and being around professional golfers?

I tried playing for about five or six months after I graduated and decided it wasn’t really what I wanted to do. It’s so competitive and you have to have a team of people always supporting you. And it’s the same with my career now, too. If you’re trying to work your way up in a competitive world whether you’re playing a sport or in your career, it’s so important to have supportive people around you.

You were a contestant on the ABC Extreme Mini Golf Show Holey Moley. What was that like?

They reached out to me on my Instagram account and I didn’t really know what to expect. When they told me they were the former producers of Wipeout I knew it was going to be a little intense. But it was an awesome experience. Being in the industry, I thought it would be good networking for me with ABC producing the show. It was pretty intense to be honest. The contestants got really close because you had to wait a while before you could actually compete. Fortunately I escaped all the obstacles, so I was okay. Intense and fun are the two words I would use to describe it. I wish I could have met Steph Curry, though. The time that I was there he wasn’t there.

This is your first year covering SEC Football for WJTV Channel 12 in Jackson, MS. It has been a strange year due to COVID-19, but what do you think about SEC Football so far?

It’s great. Everyone keeps telling me that I’m not getting to experience it in its entirety, but I’m getting a good idea of how big it is down here and it’s exciting. I’m glad that going somewhere to cover a variety of sports and cover football that I chose to come here. I love the energy. It makes it more exciting for me to do my job.

How much golf do you get to play these days?

Not as much as I would like. Maybe a couple of times a month. I usually try to make a day of it when I get out there.

What is your favorite golf course?

I would say the Muskegon Golf Club where I grew up playing because there are so many memories there. More so than being at my own house I grew up there. Besides that I would say Portland Golf Club. I played there in the U.S. Amateur in 2015. It was so beautiful. I’m sure that the experience of how the U.S.G.A treats the amateurs is part of that. But talking about a course that is in beautiful shape and has elevation and water and every element to it. You never knew what you were going to get on each golf hole and I like that.

Who would be in your dream foursome and which course would you play?

It might be unoriginal, but I’d have to include Tiger Woods. Growing up he was the king of golf and I loved watching him play. Honestly, Phil Mickelson, because he’s a lefty and a great player. And Reed, my twin brother. He likes the same players so I think it would be cool to play with two of our idols that we watched growing up.

And we’d play Augusta. I’ve been there but haven’t played the course and it would be amazing.

So, you’ve accomplished a lot in your career so far. What can we expect next from Hailey Hunter?

Working in golf I was doing on camera hosting and recording maybe 30% of the time. I realized that if you want to make it in this industry you need to be having reps every single day on camera, recording and interviewing. So that’s why I decided to go the local news route. So while I had other opportunities, I chose to come here to Jackson to grow and get better. And it’s been a great choice, because I’ve grown a lot here from a reporter standpoint. I want to eventually cover golf or hockey for a major network.

Hailey recently interviewed 2019 US Amateur Champion, Andy Ogletree about being Low Amateur in the 2020 Masters Tournament and playing with his childhood hero, Tiger Woods. You can watch that interview below. You can also read our interview with Andy.