Extending the legacy
- Updated: November 14, 2019
White Plains’ Hanna Dyar follows older sister to JSU for golf, extending a family legacy of Gamecocks that spans four generations
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
There were smiles all through the house Wednesday when White Plains senior Hanna Dyar signed to play golf at Jacksonville State. The only hint of sadness was knowing she wouldn’t be teammates with sister Layne for at least one year and while the family legacy would continue the Dyar Duo would have no revival.
Not to worry. Hanna has a plan for that. If she could pull it off, maybe she could carry something of her older sister’s in her bag for the duration of her JSU career to keep the connection alive.
Layne, a senior on the JSU team this year, has this gamecock head cover Hanna has always had her eye on. If they can find it, the novelty will be adorning Hanna’s clubs as she plays in coach James Hobbs’ program. After some mild protestations, Layne reluctantly said she was good with that.
“I really wish we had a year together because I feel like when were on the same team we were like unstoppable, no matter what tournaments it’s in, like the Dyar Duo kind of thing,” Hanna said. “I feel like we kind of showed that when we played together in high school when we played in the state championship both times. I wish we were on the same team now because we’d be able to do the same thing, the same achievement.”
The sisters were teammates for two state championship years at White Plains – when Layne was a junior and senior and Hanna was a seventh- and eighth-grader and Layne called it “a lot of fun” – but their age difference kept a potential college reunion from happening by a year.
It actually was Layne who encouraged her sister to give golf a try. Hanna admitted it wasn’t her idea to try out for the golf team all those years ago; she was going to be a softball player. On the eve of the tryouts Layne suggested she give it a try, that’d it would be “cool if we were on the same team together.”
They did get to play together for two years at White Plains, with Hanna posting one of the best rounds of her early career in the final round of the state tournament to make sure her senior sister won another state title.
Layne went on to play at JSU, where this fall she’s made all five tournaments. Hanna continued developing her game at White Plains and last year finally won the Calhoun County Championship, giving her the chance to match her sister’s feat as repeat medalist this coming spring. Her success continued in the offseason where she’s been dominating the AJGO series and was named to the AGA Junior all-state third team.
While the sisters won’t be college teammates, Hanna’s signing sets up the Gamecocks for a continuous eight-year run with a Dyar in the lineup. Actually, her signing extends a family legacy at JSU. In addition to Layne, her great grandfather, grandfather, father and mother all graduated from the school.
It seemed natural she would end up there, but she also had appealing offers from North Alabama and a couple junior colleges.
“It’s not that I felt like I had to go there, but it’s something I wanted to do,” Hanna said. “It was more like kind of a legacy type thing. Our whole family’s into JSU and it was like how cool would it be if I went there and I played D-I golf and made a really big positive impact; that would be awesome.”
Layne couldn’t be happier about the choice.
“I think it’s pretty cool,” she said. “It’s not like she followed in my footsteps. We went to the same school, yes, she decided to go to the same school as I did, but she made her decision about it and not just because ‘Layne went there’ or ‘I know all the girls.’ It was strategically a good decision for her and I’m just really proud of her.
“Selfishly, I’m glad she went there. I know the program and I know how good it’s going to be for her and how much it’s going to shape her because I know I came out of it a different person than four years ago and I’m so excited to see where she takes it.”
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