World Golf Tour has Bentley Thinking Big in 2024

By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports

(September 21, 2024 8:00 AM ET) Columbia Central High School golfer Logan Bentley snickered when her golf coach gave her an invitation to play golf in Scotland as part of a high school contingent.

She thought it was too expensive.

But after a friend volunteered to pay for half of the trip – and others chipped in – the “trip of a lifetime” became plausible.

“I am grateful to everyone who donated money for the trip,” Bentley said. “I would love to go back and play in Scotland again.”

She felt the brunt of Scottish summers where good days are 60 degrees and no wind.

“It is at least a two club wind in Scotland,” Bentley said.

She won the girls’ division in Scotland and made numerous new friends from the tournament.

Money left over from the Scottish trip was used to play a national tournament in Texas. There she experienced temperatures over 100 with dry conditions.

Bentley played in a number of tournaments in Michigan winning the Callaway/Meijer Junior Tour’s Tournament of Champions and placing in a number of events.

But it was an invitational in her high school season in mid-August that may have been her biggest tournament. Bentley finished second with a 74 at the Oakland University course during the Westborn Market Invitational. That caught the eye of the Oakland University golf coach.

Bentley, admittedly, said she should have been sending out recruitment letters earlier.

The OU coach talked to the CCHS golfer and invited her up for an official visit later this month.

“I loved the course because it has a lot of blind spots and you have to keep the golf ball below the hole,” Bentley said.

She expects to get a tour around the Division 1 campus and would like to study business.

Bentley has some business left in high school. She is a three-time medalist in Division 4 having finished second twice at the state meet.

“My expectations are probably higher than they should be,” Bentley said of her approach this season. “I should not shoot over par in any rounds.”

Bentley has a Cascades Conference average of 37.75  for nine holes with a round of 34 – 2 under par – to start the season.

She works with a swing coach in Chicago and has on-site lessons once or twice a year. Bentley said he is changing from a draw to a cut shot at the recommendation of her swing coach.

“I have grown up around golf and have learned the ins and outs of my swing,” she said. “I  think I learn more about golf every day.”