Despite Loss At U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, Setas Making A Difference With Her Life

Battling through challenging circumstances is nothing new for Jacqueline Setas. Adversity has served as an indispensable tutor in her life. But she has certainly learned the hard way that not all comebacks have storybook endings.

The 28-year-old Nashville resident’s latest opportunity to overcome obstacles took place on Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the 37th U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur at Brae Burn Country Club outside of Boston.

Unlike the previous day where Setas staged a late blitz to erase a 3-down deficit over the final six holes to defeat Taryn Walker of Prospect, Ky. in the Round of 16, this quest fell tantalizingly short.

Setas was unable to pull off another magical finish in her match with 2015 champion Lauren Greenlief of Ashburn, Va. After earning the top seed as co-medalist, Setas was eliminated by a final count of 2 and 1.

“I learned a lot about myself this week,” Setas said. “It was rewarding to see all the hard work I put in pay off. This summer, I worked incredibly hard on the mental side, while also working on swing mechanics with my swing coach. I learned that with the right mindset, I can complete with the best mid-amateur players in the country.”

While disappointed with the outcome of her match, being back in the cauldron of competitive golf and returning to a city that has served as a mile-marker on her life journey was meaningful to the native of East Lansing, Mich.

As a senior at Michigan State, Setas missed most of her final two seasons overcoming Stage II Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Processing the news of her diagnosis was something most 21-year-olds never expect to face.

“I thought I was living a storybook life for my first 20 years,” Setas said. “I always felt invincible through high school and college. I would ride a moped around Michigan State’s campus and there wasn’t a worry in the world for me. I never thought anything bad would happen, but all that changed when I noticed a lymph node that was raised. Going through something like that totally changes your life.”

In pursuit of exhausting all her available medical options, Setas visited the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston for a second opinion. Little did she know that her next trip to the area would find her cancer-free and competing for a national championship.

“Locationally speaking, Boston is a very important part of my life story,” Setas said. “Without Dana-Farber, I may have been on a different path. During Friday’s practice round, I reflected a bit knowing that seven years ago on that day, I was sitting in a doctor’s office praying for positive news about my cancer diagnosis. Being able to be back in Boston really brought a unique perspective for me the entire week.”

When she discovered that this year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur would be staged at Brae Burn in West Newton less than eight miles away from Dana-Farber, it become a mission for Setas to make it back to Boston. With her slot sealed by finishing runner-up at a qualifier in Illinois, she once again encountered another pothole along her journey.

“Things happened leading up to the tournament that limited my ability to practice,” Setas said. “First, I had tendonitis in my left wrist, so I had to get a cortisone shot that forced me to lay off for a week and a half. Then when I was finally getting ready to hit full shots again two weeks ago, I got Covid. So, my prep was unlike any other tournament.”

With her pre-tournament preparation limited, Setas headed to Brae Burn uncertain of the condition of her game.

“I just had to let go of practicing just for confirmation like I normally would and go into the tournament not really knowing where my game was at,” Setas said. “It taught me that I don’t need to practice as much as I think I do, because I tend to overdo it. But there were definitely some unknowns coming in.”

The layoff did not seem to matter, as Setas managed to secure the top seed after finishing as co-medalist on the challenging Donald Ross design with a stroke play score of 3-over 147.

After a 4 and 3 win in her Round of 64 match, Tuesday saw Setas continue her march through the bracket with a pair of narrow 1-up victories.

True to form, Setas did not go down without a fight in Wednesday’s quarterfinal match. Greenlief was 3-up heading to the 12th hole, which Setas won with a par. Another winning par at 15 sliced Setas’ deficit to 1-down, but Greenlief refused to surrender any more ground.

After both golfers parred 16, Greenlief sealed the match with another par on 17 while Setas recorded a bogey.

While securing an exemption into next year’s tournament at California’s Monterey Peninsula Country Club by finishing in the Top 16, Setas’ result was eerily similar to her last quarterfinals appearance two years ago at Fiddlesticks Country Club in Ft. Myers, Fla. Just like this year, Setas won both of her Round of 32 and Round of 16 matches 1-up in 2022. But in that quarterfinal match she held a 1-up lead standing on the 18th tee, only to drop the next two holes to eventual runner-up Aliea Clark of New York.

“I think a big part of that was I knew I had to get stronger mentally,” Setas said. “That taught me that I’ve got the game, but I needed to get mentally sharper. I think I put too much pressure on myself last year coming off the quarterfinals and fell short, so this year was sort of a redemption.”

It was another lesson learned for Setas, a chance to continue to build the mettle of her character which she gladly shares with others. In addition to her primary vocation as a performance media senior consultant with Allstate, Setas also serves as the varsity golf coach at Harpeth Hall School in Nashville.

“I absolutely love coaching these girls,” Setas said. “It’s incredibly rewarding seeing them achieve their goals. One of our girls recently shot in the 70s for the first time, and it made me think back of when I did the same thing. Watching their success and the hard work they have put in motivated me to succeed this week.”

Kylene Lee, who vacated her coaching position in conjunction with accepting the role as the athletic director at the all-female school, said Setas was a natural choice as her successor.

“Jacqueline has been an extraordinary addition to the coaching staff at Harpeth Hall,” Lee said. “When I transitioned to the role of athletic director, I needed someone exceptional to step into my shoes as head coach—someone who would care for the girls and the program I had dedicated the last eight years to building.

“The moment I met Jacqueline, I saw in her the same passion for the sport that I felt, and I knew immediately that our team would be in the best possible hands. She is a natural encourager who genuinely wants the best for everyone, and she constantly inspires me, even nudging me back toward tournament golf.”

Setas is part of what Lee considers “the best coaching staff in the country for high school golf.” Serving as volunteer assistants are former Mississippi State golfer Valieria Mendizabal, who advanced to the Round of 16 this week at Brae Burn, along with Sarah Ingram, a Hall of Fame legend in Tennessee women’s golf as a three-time time champion of the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur among her countless other awards and Mendizabal’s caddie this week.

The role that Setas plays at Harpeth Hall goes far beyond her golfing acumen. She can instill life lessons that few her age can offer.

“Before I got sick, golf was everything and I would live and die by my score,” Setas said. “I want them to know that golf doesn’t always need to be so serious, but hard work can help them accomplish many things in life, both on and off the golf course.”

Lee recognizes the impact being made by Setas and her life story is changing lives.

“More than just a knowledgeable coach, Jacqueline is a remarkable role model,” Lee said. “She shows our girls that golf is a lifelong sport and that she truly understands the nerves and pressure of competition. I am incredibly proud of her for always pushing herself, and I am deeply grateful that she continues to be such a positive force for our team.”

Regardless of the ultimate outcome of her time at Brae Burn, Setas continues to press onward. Even without winning a trophy, she embodies the definition of a champion.

“My faith is a big part of my life,” Setas said. “When your health is in question or there are some disappointments in life, I feel your faith can pull you through. I’m a firm believer of “everything happens for a reason” and accepted that my cancer journey was going to be part of my story. I feel like I was given another chance at life and want to make sure I do everything in my power to pay it forward.”

Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com