Jenni Roller finds her golf muse as coach, named Everett Dobson Award recipient for 2026
By Ken MacLeod
From a young age, Jenni Roller was always pretty darn good at golf. Until recently, that didn’t matter to her.
There was the time she shot a course and state record 62 at Lake Murray State Park Golf Course to win the Class 3A state championship as a senior at Regent Prep.
The time in 2022 she shot a 7-under 66 to win the Oklahoma Junior Masters at Southern Hills Country Club.
Problem was, those resounding individual achievements left a hollow feeling as she was largely playing the game not for a great love of the sport but because she felt it was expected of her. And that was reflected in inconsistent play that clearly wasn’t up to her potential.
That can happen when a family eats and breathes golf like the Roller family. Mom Maggie was a key performer on a national championship team at the University of Tulsa and is one of the top instructors in the state. Father Bill was a legendary coach of both boys and girls golf and had led teams to 15 state titles. Older brother James was a star and state junior champion who had signed to play collegiate golf at national power Texas Tech.
“I don’t think I ever wanted to play,” Jenni said. “It was just expected that I would try it. I would avoid hitting as much as I could. Sometimes I would go hit a few, then go put on makeup or play with some random kids.
“Over time when I started practicing, I got pretty good, so I played more and more but never really enjoyed it. Didn’t love to practice or anything, it was just something I could do.”
It wasn’t until she reached college at the University of Tulsa and began practicing and playing daily with players of a similar skill level that she found a deeper connection to the game. First, it was playing with and for her teammates. Then the joy of using all of her own golf knowledge, through accumulated wisdom of having been taught by great instructors over the years, to help her teammates.
Roller, now in her first year as assistant women’s golf coach at Abilene Christian, summed up her story well in a moving essay in her application for the Everett Dobson Award, an annual $5,000 award given out by the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame to help a recent graduate of an Oklahoma university begin their careers, in this case in coaching the game she now says she loves. She was named the winner of the award for 2026 this week by the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame Board of Directors.
“The committee had a very difficult decision, but what stood out was Jenni’s desire, growth and love of golf. It came as she started investing in others,” said scholarship committee member Lew Erickson. “It wasn’t handed to her, she worked for it and works to help others in everything she does.
“We want to thank everyone who applied this year, the applications were all outstanding and we wish them all the best in their respective careers.”
“Jenni is a great choice for the Everett Dobson award,” said board chairman Tom Jones. “We had several deserving applicants, but Jenni’s story and resume stood out.”
“When I got to college, there was a shift in my attitude,” Roller said. “I wasn’t the best and started getting beat by everyone, which ticked off my competitive side. So, I started to love to practice and compete with my teammates. Through that, I started behind able to also help them achieve their goals. It was a totally different perspective.
“That’s when I started playing my best golf. The focus wasn’t on how I am playing but on what I can achieve for the team and to help them get better.”
That attitude has carried over into her nascent coaching career and she couldn’t be happier helping the Abilene Christian team and coach Rob Bennett with all aspects, including recruiting, practice planning and playing. She has become a stats geek in regards to showing the team how the short game is the key factor in consistent scoring and the mental game of playing the percentages contributes greatly as well.
“I love coaching,” she said. “The girls are super fun and so willing to learn.”
And now that they are in a similar field, one coaching and one teaching, she has a greater appreciation for her mother’s knowledge of the game.
“I don’t think I ever appreciated the wealth of knowledge my mom had. She knows so much about the game and as I’ve matured, I’ve taken more of her advice. Now it’s a two-way street where we can call and pick each other’s brains on certain things.”
Notes: Maggie Roller is the chair of the scholarship committee but excused herself from the debate and vote. The Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame annually awards two $5,000 scholarships and the Everett Dobson Award. The 2027 class of the Hall of Fame will be announced in the spring and inducted in November at Southern Hills Country Club. For more information on all current inductees, to make a nomination or get involved with the Hall of Fame, please visit www.oklahomagolfhof.org.