On Nov. 5, 2016, 16-year-old Hannah Screen was competing in the biggest competition of her career.
In the Telegraph BMW Junior Golf Championships held at the Quinta do Lago in Portugal, Screen was in a close battle with fellow British golfer Lily May Humphreys for the event title. At the seventh hole, Screen sealed her victory by a slim lead of two strokes and was crowned the Scottish Girls U-16 champion.
Not only was the victory a comeback from an early deficit, but also capped her long road to recovery. Screen had suffered a torn ligament during a soccer game the May before. She took a break from playing golf in January prior to focus more on school work and exams, but with the injury in May, she ended up not picking up a club for six months.
Although time off could have affected her ability to stay competitive, it also gave Screen a chance to renew her focus. After her physical recovery, she started training once again and after four weeks of training, she won the Scottish Open U-16 Championship seemingly unfazed by the events prior to her victory.
“Those two victories are definitely the ones I am most proud of,” Screen said. “I definitely grew and thought about what I wanted to do with golf during the injury period, but coming back from that and winning those two was just a lot to deal with.”
Now 20 years old, Screen backs up her skills with a decorated amateur background. Her experiences with the England National Team and playing across Europe provided her with veteran-like insight to match her talent. During her junior season, she's entered into the top-100 of the World Amateur Golf Reference Women’s list at No. 93 while competing for Oklahoma. She’s looking to add to her resume when the Sooners compete in the Big 12 Championship from April 18-20 at Carlton Woods in Houston.
Screen grew up in Berkhamsted, England, just north of London. She started training at age 12 under PGA coach Lee Jordan, who runs a school out of Little Hay Golf Complex located just outside of town. Screen’s father, Nik, brought her to Jordan, and the two have fostered and shared a mutual respect for the game while developing her skills over the last 10 years.
“From a young age we worked on her technique, as opposed to hitting the ball a long way, and allowed her body to grow into her swing,” Jordan said. “Hannah still is the lovely girl she was when I first met her.”
From there, Screen not only continued to develop her skills, but also learned to develop maturity and a level-headed composure vital to becoming an elite player. She became the English Junior Schools champion, and the county champion during her secondary school years. She has won tournaments with the Berkhamsted Golf Club and the Hertfordshire County team, and has traveled to play internationally in Spain, Italy and Sweden, garnering more experience along the way.
During her high school career, Screen was heavily recruited by schools in the United States. After making several trips to America, she accepted a full scholarship at Houston. Her freshman season in 2018-19 saw her lead the Wildcats to an AAC championship while being named to the All-AAC Team.
After the 2018-19 season, Screen transferred to Oklahoma and decided to forego the rest of her sophomore season in 2019-20. Screen had met assistant coach Ryan Sirman beforehand while visiting Norman and felt comfortable with the move.
“When I was traveling around the states visiting colleges for golf I was attracted to Oklahoma for the culture and the inclusion here,” Screen said. “The city of Norman I was attracted to, and I knew in the bottom of my heart after visiting here that I belonged here. This program has the things that I need to become a better player on the field and a person off the field.”
When COVID-19 canceled almost all athletic activities, Screen went back home to Berkhamsted. There, Screen found employment with the National Health Service as a track and trace worker, calling people who contacted or contracted COVID-19.
“The job — as well as the training on safeguarding and confidentiality — has helped teach me a lot,” Screen said in an interview with Golf South about her work experience. “It’s been really rewarding, I feel as if in some small way I’m doing my bit to help the country’s fight.”
During the early parts of the pandemic, Screen set up a net in her garden to keep her golf skills sharp. In the fall 2020 season, she made her debut with the Sooners in the Schooner Classic, which saw her lead the team to a second place finish. Screen again led the Sooners in competition in the Betsy Rawlins Invitational and the Cowgirl Invitational, and placed in the top-10 individually.
Screen said she’s had a good time meshing with the rest of her teammates, learning with her peers and helping them with their techniques. After helping OU knock off No. 7 Oklahoma State in Big 12 Match Play, she’s got a chance to help the Sooners pull more upsets in the postseason.
“My journey has been amazing so far,” Screen said. “There have been ups and downs but I think that everything that I've experienced has helped me get to this exact point where I am now. … We have a chance at winning a national title, our team is really good, and I am honestly really excited to keep going and see what happens.”
