Peyton “Beans” Factor has been around the game of golf for as long as she can remember. “My name is Peyton Factor, but I go by Beans. I’m 17 years old, and I attend Sequoyah High School in Tahlequah. I first touched a club when I was three but didn’t play competitively until I was six.” That early start has turned into a passion, leading her to become a key leader on Sequoyah’s golf team.
As the first golfer in her family, Factor had to learn the sport from the ground up. “I was the first to play golf on both sides of the family, so neither I nor my parents really knew anything when I first started. But my parents always pushed me to do my best no matter what and find what my talent was. As I got older, my biggest influence became this elder whose name is Dale. He helped me with my swing and had a driving range that I was able to use to practice.”
This season, Sequoyah’s golf team is adjusting to a mix of experience and new faces. “Well, last year we only graduated one senior, Jacey Gideon, who was 2nd bag. This year we gained six new girls, so it’s definitely a new chemistry because they’re all so young. But for the four that competed last year, it’s better than ever. We all want the same thing—to win. We’re all working harder than ever, and we push and root each other on.”
Factor has embraced her role as a leader, using her years of experience to guide the team. “I think my role on the team is captain or co-captain along with the other seniors. We all know how it feels to lose, and we all love the feeling of winning, which is what we push and strive for our team to do. Knowing this game for as long as I have has definitely helped me. The best way to be a leader is to help, support, listen, and push your team as they go.”
Her ultimate goal for her senior year? “Of course, to win back-to-back and make the best out of my senior year with my favorite girls.”
