The afternoon sun used to stretch across the golf course as six-year-old Jayna Vock stood beside her grandpa, gripping a child-size club almost as tall as she was. What began as a few summer lessons in patience soon grew into a life-changing passion — one that would shape her years at West Chicago Community High School.

“Very early on, Jayna took to the game quickly and had an athletic swing. All I did was encourage her. In the early days, I helped her diagnose any swing faults,” Vock’s grandpa, Domenic Pettiti, said.

Now, Vock is an experienced golfer, team captain, and an all-conference athlete at WEGO.

Although Vock’s skills on the course have been nothing short of extraordinary, it was not always this way: golf had started as a way to spend time with her grandpa and a hobby.

“It was basically our granddaughter and grandpa bonding time. So I would go, like, twice a summer when I was like six,” Vock said.

Pettiti took Vock to the putting green first, then the driving range.

“We had fun, and after, we would go to get ice cream and talk. The ice cream time was just as important as the practice,” Pettiti said.

As the years passed, those outings became more than just summer memories — they laid the foundation for Vock’s love of the game. After developing a passion for the sport, Vock decided to take it more seriously and worked hard to improve before the high school season.

“The summer before freshman year, I was like, I want to do golf. So then during that summer, my grandpa took me at least once a week and he taught me how to play golf correctly,” Vock said. “He spent a lot of time helping me at least know some of the game. But my first time ever actually competing was at the high school.”

Pettiti continues to show his unwavering support throughout the years and has consistently shown up to her matches.

“No matter how far it is, he always comes, which is amazing because I always need that, especially with golf since it’s a long game,” Vock said.

That consistency has given Vock a model for how to handle challenges on and off the course.

“Bad luck can happen on the course — a bad bounce or a gust of wind can make the ball unplayable,” Pettiti said. “Jayna has shown her resilience to come back and still play well. The scorecard doesn’t show your bad luck, only the final score.”

Vock’s improvement has not gone unnoticed, as her high school coach also recognizes her hard work and talent.

“She’s shown her dedication to wanting to get better, and that’s from all of her hard work outside of the season. She worked really hard outside of the season to get better, and that is, truthfully, how she got so good,” Varsity girls’ golf coach Brittany Abdishi said.

Aside from just hard work, Vock has also proved to be an encouraging leader and mentor for her teammates, giving them advice and helping them out in any way possible.

“What else makes her a standout athlete would be her ability to mentor and help coach the younger girls,” Abdishi said. “She was my captain her senior year, so she really, she took it upon herself to make sure that the younger girls knew what was going on.”

Junior Gianna Jany praised Vock for her kindness and encouragement throughout the season.

“I think Jayna’s leadership is very impressive and she does a good job of taking underclassmen under her wing and helping them improve,” Jany said.

A former teammate, Sydney Bennema, recalled the several ways Vock was a supportive and kind friend out on the course.

“As a teammate, she was incredibly supportive – always checking in on others, listening to coaches, accepting feedback, and staying after practice to improve,” Bennema said. “Her dedication was evident in both golf and basketball.”

Looking back, Bennema said one particular tournament summed up Vock’s determination and team spirit.

“One of my favorite memories was from regionals,” Bennema said. “Even though we didn’t play together that day, we both finished strong and were thrilled with our results. Ending on such a high note was rewarding, and I was genuinely proud of Jayna.”

Her dedication and work ethic showcase passion and love for the sport, where important lessons are learned outside of it.

“Jayna realizes golf is a game, but it’s a lot like life. The course doesn’t change, you play against yourself to improve, manage your mistakes, and have to have discipline,” Pettiti said.

As she looks ahead, Vock said golf will always remind her of where she started — on the course beside her grandpa, chasing one perfect swing at a time.