Latest news with #WAPT
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
On a crammed U.S. Women's Open leaderboard at Erin Hills, a Cinderella lurks
ERIN, Wisconsin – Hailee Cooper was trying to get in somewhere at Erin Hills earlier this week, but had left her credential in her golf bag. She pulled out her player clip, but that didn't work. A caddie passed by and convinced security that she was a player. Advertisement 'He goes, 'Just become a big name this week,'' said Cooper with a laugh. 'And I was like, 'OK, let's do it.' ' Hailey Cooper off to a great start at U.S. Women's Open Cooper, 25, got off to a flying start on Thursday at Erin Hills in her second U.S. Women's Open start and first as a professional. She had it to 3 under until two late bogeys dropped her to 1 under, three shots back of a logjam of six players leading at 4 under. Cooper wasn't really sure if she even wanted to turn pro last year until after she did it. When she played in an Annika Women's All Pro Tour event and won, she decided that she wanted more. The smiley Texan ended up playing her way onto the Epson Tour through the WAPT and has put together a solid season so far with back-to-back top-5 finishes in recent weeks. In seven starts in 2025, Cooper hasn't finished outside the top 25 on the developmental tour. She's made just shy of $50,000 so far this season, relying on the support of one sponsor, Reliance Matrix, to ease the financial strain. Advertisement 'Huge blessing,' said Cooper, 'because you can't do it. We don't make a lot of money out here.' U.S. Women's Open offers life-changing purse The U.S. Women's Open purse of $12 million offers a life-changing opportunity for so many in the field. Those who miss the cut won't be out any money for expenses either, as every player receives $10,000. Cooper got into the field by advancing through a sectional qualifier – all 38 holes. Outside of her now two U.S. Women's Open appearances, Cooper, who won the 2016 U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball title at Streamsong with partner Kaitlyn Papp, has never played in an LPGA event. She has decided to give herself two years to get on the LPGA, and she if she doesn't make it, she'll likely move on to something else. Advertisement 'I'm not gonna be 28 or 29 on the Epson Tour,' she said. It's a familiar refrain, though Cooper, who played collegiate golf at both Texas and Texas A&M, got a later start than most. Cooper's dad wanted Hailee to try pro golf Ronnie Cooper wanted his daughter to give pro golf a chance after she rediscovered her love of the game at A&M. 'It's a game, but, you know, you live and die and starve and eat because of the money you make as a pro,' he said. 'But the good thing is, just give it a shot. I mean, worst-case scenario, you turn back amateur, we get ready for the mid-ams, we go play in stuff like that. Golf will always be a part of your life.' Advertisement The last time Cooper played in a Women's Open, she had her dad on the bag. This time, she reached out to A&M coach Gerrod Chadwell to see if he could help connect her with a professional caddie. He came back with Travis Wilson, longtime caddie of Chadwell's wife, Stacy Lewis. It wouldn't be a U.S. Women's Open without a few Cinderella stories sprinkled in the mix. Dad said Hailee will be out signing autographs til midnight if she makes it big. Cooper finds herself in the top 20 early, and the affable, level-leaded pro is making the most of whatever happens next. 'I might not get to play this again,' she said after a formal meeting with the press, 'so just enjoy it.' This article originally appeared on Golfweek: On a crammed U.S. Women's Open leaderboard, a Cinderella lurks
USA Today
30-05-2025
- Business
- USA Today
On a crammed U.S. Women's Open leaderboard at Erin Hills, a Cinderella lurks
On a crammed U.S. Women's Open leaderboard at Erin Hills, a Cinderella lurks ERIN, Wisconsin – Hailee Cooper was trying to get in somewhere at Erin Hills earlier this week, but had left her credential in her golf bag. She pulled out her player clip, but that didn't work. A caddie passed by and convinced security that she was a player. 'He goes, 'Just become a big name this week,'' said Cooper with a laugh. 'And I was like, 'OK, let's do it.' ' Hailey Cooper off to a great start at U.S. Women's Open Cooper, 25, got off to a flying start on Thursday at Erin Hills in her second U.S. Women's Open start and first as a professional. She had it to 3 under until two late bogeys dropped her to 1 under, three shots back of a logjam of six players leading at 4 under. Cooper wasn't really sure if she even wanted to turn pro last year until after she did it. When she played in an Annika Women's All Pro Tour event and won, she decided that she wanted more. The smiley Texan ended up playing her way onto the Epson Tour through the WAPT and has put together a solid season so far with back-to-back top-5 finishes in recent weeks. In seven starts in 2025, Cooper hasn't finished outside the top 25 on the developmental tour. She's made just shy of $50,000 so far this season, relying on the support of one sponsor, Reliance Matrix, to ease the financial strain. 'Huge blessing,' said Cooper, 'because you can't do it. We don't make a lot of money out here.' U.S. Women's Open offers life-changing purse The U.S. Women's Open purse of $12 million offers a life-changing opportunity for so many in the field. Those who miss the cut won't be out any money for expenses either, as every player receives $10,000. Cooper got into the field by advancing through a sectional qualifier – all 38 holes. Outside of her now two U.S. Women's Open appearances, Cooper, who won the 2016 U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball title at Streamsong with partner Kaitlyn Papp, has never played in an LPGA event. She has decided to give herself two years to get on the LPGA, and she if she doesn't make it, she'll likely move on to something else. 'I'm not gonna be 28 or 29 on the Epson Tour,' she said. It's a familiar refrain, though Cooper, who played collegiate golf at both Texas and Texas A&M, got a later start than most. Cooper's dad wanted Hailee to try pro golf Ronnie Cooper wanted his daughter to give pro golf a chance after she rediscovered her love of the game at A&M. 'It's a game, but, you know, you live and die and starve and eat because of the money you make as a pro,' he said. 'But the good thing is, just give it a shot. I mean, worst-case scenario, you turn back amateur, we get ready for the mid-ams, we go play in stuff like that. Golf will always be a part of your life.' The last time Cooper played in a Women's Open, she had her dad on the bag. This time, she reached out to A&M coach Gerrod Chadwell to see if he could help connect her with a professional caddie. He came back with Travis Wilson, longtime caddie of Chadwell's wife, Stacy Lewis. It wouldn't be a U.S. Women's Open without a few Cinderella stories sprinkled in the mix. Dad said Hailee will be out signing autographs til midnight if she makes it big. Cooper finds herself in the top 20 early, and the affable, level-leaded pro is making the most of whatever happens next. 'I might not get to play this again,' she said after a formal meeting with the press, 'so just enjoy it.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
College Student Was Driving Home When Tornado Struck. Before She Got Thrown from Car, She Told Mom, 'It's Taking Me'
Mya Grimes, a college student at Jackson State University, had a "near-death" experience when a tornado hit as she was driving last week The 20-year-old student said that her car was caught in the storm and spun in circles before being ejected from the vehicle "I really thought that was my last moment," she said about the terrifying experienceA college student is grateful to be alive after getting caught up in a tornado while she was driving last week. Mya Grimes, a rising senior at Jackson State University in Mississippi, was on her way to St. Louis, her hometown, when a tornado tore through the city and threw her out of her car on Friday, May 16. The 20-year-old college student had nearly reached her home when the storm caught up to her, according to ABC-affiliate WAPT. "I really thought that was my last moment," she told the outlet. Grimes said that the tornado broke the windows of her car and opened the driver's side door. Even though she said she was wearing a seat belt, she was ejected from the vehicle and "slid down the street 40 yards." Before the storm reached her, the student talked to her dad — who cautioned her to be careful, but get home if she could — according to local station KMOV. She also called her mom, Tina Grimes, but then her phone disconnected. 'When I answered the phone, I just wasn't prepared for what I heard on the other end," Tina told the outlet. After asking her daughter what was going on, to her terror, her daughter replied, "'It's taking me.' " "My car started spinning in circles and spinning in circles, and I was just literally terrified and holding on to my steering wheel for dear life," Mya told NBC affiliate KSDK. "The door opened and I flew out of my car." The student said that she was able to cling to a light pole as the gusts continued. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. In an Instagram post detailing her "near-death experience," Mya said that the paramedic she was able to flag down afterwards told her she was 'lucky to be alive.' 'I have gashes from the glass and sliding down the street," Mya wrote alongside images of the damage to her car. Fortunately, despite some minor injuries, she was otherwise unharmed. She went on to share that the incident has given her a new perspective that 'any moment could be our last." According to the National Weather Service, an EF3 tornado touched down in Clayton, Mo., and moved through the northern parts of St. Louis on May 16. It had winds up to 152 miles per hour. Read the original article on People
Miami Herald
27-03-2025
- Miami Herald
Ex-mortician arrested after human remains found in storage unit, Mississippi cops say
A call about a casket led to a grim discovery inside a storage unit in Mississippi, deputies told news outlets. The remains of three people were found Tuesday, March 25, at the facility in Greenville, WJTV reported, citing the Washington County Sheriff's Office. Authorities arrested Albert Creath and charged him with improper desecration of corpses, Chief Deputy Sheriff Billy Barber told WAPT. Authorities said Creath, former funeral director and owner of Creath Memorial Services, had been providing his services out of the storage unit after losing his business and business license, WLBT reported. He was still charging clients, Barber told the news station. It's not clear if the remains have been identified. McClatchy News reached out to the Washington County Sheriff's Department on March 27 and was awaiting a response. Greenville Mayor Errick D. Simmons addressed the 'deeply disturbing' situation and said multiple law enforcement agencies were investigating the matter. 'The discovery of human remains in a storage unit in our city ... raises serious concerns that demand a thorough investigation,' Simmons said in a statement posted on the city's Facebook page. 'My thoughts and prayers are with the families who may be affected by this tragic situation.' Greenville is about a 120-mile drive northwest from downtown Jackson.
