A former gymnastics star, Butler golfer Rylee Gage now producing on the links
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Butler High School senior Rylee Gage changes clubs during the home game against Mars High School at the Hiland Golf Course on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School senior Rylee Gage tees off the third hole during the home match against Mars High School at Hiland Golf Course on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School senior Rylee Gage tees off the first hole of the home match against Mars High School at Hiland Golf Course on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Butler High School senior Rylee Gage drives the ball at the start of the second hole during the home match against Mars High School at Hiland Golf Course on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Injuries led to the end of Rylee Gage’s gymnastics career, but athletic ability led her to gaining a passion for another sport.
The Butler senior is in her third season competing for the girls golf team. Her nine-hole average has improved from the mid-50s as a sophomore to the low-40s this year, with a low of 39 recently at Hiland Golf Course. She is Butler’s best golfer and will represent the Golden Tornado at the WPIAL Section 1-3A tournament Tuesday at Fox Run Golf Course in Beaver County.
Training at Butler Gymnastics Club, Gage, whose best event was the balance beam, reached Level 8 and qualified for the state championship meet in 2022.
In 2023, she had surgery on her left hand to repair a torn tendon. She missed the start of gymnastics that year, but returned to reach states. Then an ankle injury suffered in practice required another surgery, though she put it off so she could golf for the Tornado in 2024.
She decided to step away from gymnastics and focus solely on improving on the links.
“I got involved in gymnastics when I was 3,” Gage said. “I was a crazy child, always running around and my mom thought that would be something good for me to try. I had put so much effort, mentally and physically, into it over the years and it was really hard to give up a sport I loved so much.
“But golf is competitive and it helps to fill the void. There’s an individual and team aspect to it, just like gymnastics, and I enjoy that part of it.”
Gage’s view of golf has transformed in recent years.
“I used to go out with my dad and play, and we’d golf on our vacations each year to Michigan, but I didn’t take it seriously,” she said. “But I’m now a member at Butler Country Club and live in Meridian, so it’s a short drive. I get a lot of practice in there. Rain or shine, if the course is open, I try to play every day.
“The short game, where I can use my wedges around the green, I love hitting those shots, but I’m also getting more distance on my drives.”
She competed in six Isaly's Junior Tour events this summer, finishing in the top 10 four times and placing third once. She is hoping that experience helps her make a lengthy run in the high school individual rounds, which begin Tuesday.
“I played at Fox Run last week. It’s a tough course, a lot of trees and hazards around the greens,” said Gage, who has attracted attention from several college programs — Saint Vincent, Geneva, Clarion and Fairmont State.
“I hope to study nursing, but wherever I go, I want to golf,” she said. “It’s something I want to carry with me for the rest of my life.”
