Meet Carol Haas, Stellar St. Louis Court Reporter and Mother of Rising Golf Star

What do golf and court reporting have in common?  Both rely on intense mental focus to shut out distractions and stay in the moment.

Carol Haas is a proud court reporter for PohlmanUSA, joining the team in 2003.  Beyond her dedication to the St. Louis firm, there is something few know about Haas: she is the proud mother of emerging amateur golf superstar Scott Langley.

Langley, only 21 years old, recently competed alongside PGA Tour veterans Tiger Woods, Davis Love III and Steve Stricker in the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, Calif.   Haas and her family made the journey out West to watch her son play in the prestigious competition in which he tied for 16th place in a field of 156 players. Langley’s finish was the highest for an amateur at the Open since 1975.

“I’ve always believed in Scott’s ability,” says Haas. “It’s mind-boggling!  I was absolutely elated that he made the field this year.”  In 2009, Langley nearly qualified, missing the tournament by two shots.  When asked to select her favorite U.S. Open moment, Haas cited several impressive shots by her son and the thrill of eating meals next to golf legends in the player hospitality pavilion.  And, beyond the golf scene, there was also an eventful 30-mile trek by her family to find a much-acclaimed In-N-Out Burger location.

A golfer herself, Haas has always encouraged her son to participate in sports, including golf, soccer and baseball.  It became apparent very early, though, that golf was his forte.  “He has always had a passion for the game,” Haas explains.  “He always wanted to go to the driving range.”  At the age of two, Haas gave her son a set of plastic clubs, and by five, he was swinging a set of junior clubs.  At twelve, Langley started golfing competitively, first with the Gateway Junior PGA. 

Langley played in the American Junior Golf Association – the highest level of junior competitive golf in the nation – and made the Scholastic Junior All-American Team comprised of 10 students nationwide.  He also played on the Plantations Junior Golf Tour.  Recently, Langley won the Division I Arnold Palmer Award presented by Callaway Clubs for earning medalist honors at the NCAA Championships.

“The schedule required for my previous career did not allow me to support my son’s golfing ambitions,” says Haas.  “After I graduated court reporting school, I was recruited by Vicki Pohlman. She has been immensely supportive and willing to accommodate my travel so that I can be there for my son as he competes,” she continues.  “It’s truly a gift from God that I joined the Pohlman team.  Without them, my trip to the Open would not have been possible.”

What’s next for Langley?  The senior accounting major will graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign next spring and hopes to make the U.S. Walker Cup Team for September 2011.  He then plans to play professionally.  And, he might need to keep an eye out for some competition close-to-home.  That’s because Langley’s younger brother, Nick, is headed to Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo. this fall on a golf scholarship!