Out-of-Door Academy girls golf team earns SSAA title as program grows

Out-of-Door Academy Golf Coach Mike McClellan didn’t bother waxing philosophical about the bond between his golfers.

On a picturesque Friday evening at the Lakewood National Golf Club driving range, he simply sat in his club cart, gestured toward his players and made a timely comparison.

“They’re just like the European team in the Ryder Cup," said McClellan, who is in his second season. "They’ve known each other for so long. Look at them — just chipping and putting.”

Out-of-Door Academy girls golf is composed largely of athletes who have played together since sixth grade. The nine-deep varsity squad features four upperclassmen, and all four are juniors.

No senior leadership was needed, though, for the team to check a title off its 2025 bucket list.

The Thunder claimed top honors at the Sunshine State Athletic Association championship, held Sept. 19 at the Cleveland Heights Golf Course in Lakeland. Five players combined for a 330 to secure first place, while Lakewood Ranch Prep — led by seventh-grader Abigail VanAntwerp's 83 — assembled a 385 to take second.

As of Friday, ODA's collective score marked its lowest on an 18-hole course all season.

“It’s definitely a good win," said junior Daisy Quintal. "That was one of our goals for this season — to place in the top two or hopefully win. It was very nice that we were able to accomplish that, and everybody played well that day.”

Quintal shot an 84 on the par-72 course for the Thunder's second-best finish. ODA sophomore Brooklyn Cullen spearheaded the effort, earning medalist honors with a 71. Also contributing to the team score were juniors Julianna Whittemore (86) and Isabella Rizzo (89).

It was another milestone for Cullen.

“It was a big accomplishment for me. I got third last year, so this year, I wanted to improve off last year’s score,” Cullen said. “I played some pretty solid golf, and I’m happy with the way I finished.”

Photo by Jack Nelson

She’s been named an All-American four times while competing on the Junior Tour Powered by Under Armour. Entering her sophomore season with ODA, she had just won the Girls 15-18 division of the Under Armour Summer Nationals in June.

Her trajectory continues to be positively upward. Cullen had previously finished second and third at the Summer Nationals in 2023 and 2024, respectively. She’s also not far removed from a silver medal at Under Armour’s 2025 Winter Nationals.

On the high school circuit, she found immediate success as a freshman, topping the podium at the 2024 FHSAA Class 1A District 11 tournament en route to tying for third at the subsequent 1A Region 3 competition.

Cullen qualified for the state tournament with that latter finish, clinched by way of a one-hole playoff victory.

“She just plays with this grit," McClellan said. "It’s fun to watch her compete and hit shots. She drives the ball really well. She’s got decent length off the tee, and then her short game is fantastic. I’m jealous.”

For the Thunder as a whole, tackling the layout of the SSAA championship wasn’t a novel challenge. The event has become a staple of their yearly calendar, and among the golfers McClellan brought, both Cullen and Quintal had played with Cleveland Heights before.

They were able to anticipate. Pre-existing knowledge paid dividends on the second hole, which gets complicated with a creek right down the middle. Then came the fifth hole, featuring a tricky dogleg to the right, as well as its own creek before approaching the green.

But there was also a special twist that distinguished the 2025 edition from years prior.

“We played nine holes on the A course, and then they had us do another nine holes on the A course,” Quintal said. “In the past, they normally had us do the A and the B course so we won’t play the same holes twice… So that was an interesting take, and I actually enjoyed it.”

Photo by Jack Nelson

Not so long ago, ODA fell well short of an SSAA title. The program didn’t bring enough golfers to submit a team score in 2024 — only three of the five required — and ultimately finished eighth among 11 teams.

McClellan, who also serves as the director of instruction at Lakewood National Golf Club, is still the new guy on the block, now halfway through his second year at the helm. 

Even he knows what it was like back when the Thunder’s four current juniors were getting their respective starts with the school’s golf program in 2020.

“Back in those days, they didn’t win at all,” McClellan said. “Just to see them win a tournament, no matter how big or small it might have been, and to see their games improving, that’s what you’re looking for as a coach.”

The players hope their championship is merely a sneak peek of greater things to come.

A successful season would mean winning the district tournament, then placing in the top two at the regional tournament to qualify for the state tournament, according to Quintal. But she’s also taking everything in stride as someone who’s hit the links with ODA since she was in sixth grade.

“Now that I’m a junior, it’s so cool,” Quintal said. “We still have such a young team and it’s growing.”