A Stroke of Reality: Winning beginnings
No qualifying school in 2020 due to COVID-19 meant Kenzie had to play on mini-tours in 2021. As a couple of 23-year-old kids, we had no idea what to expect. Dipping her toe in the professional golf water, Kenzie made her professional debut at the Texas Womenโs Open.
Just 10 days after moving out of her apartment in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, she teed it up at Firewheel Golf Course in Garland, Texas, 30 minutes east of where she grew up in Frisco. The course was a familiar sight as she had won a match play tournament in 2016 to advance to the Junior PGA Championship.
Kenzie would be the first one to tell you she wasnโt playing her best golf heading into the week. However, a fresh start was on the horizon.
She had just played in the NCAA National Championship just two weeks before, but the air was different in Garland. It was a new chapter in both of our lives and the first chapter we were going to write together. The tournament would also set the tone for the summer as we plodded our way through the deep south on the Womenโs All Pro Tour.ย
The tension was palpable.
As sheโs become known to do, Kenzie handled what could be seen as an intimidating task, with such poise and grace that neither of us realized she signed for a bogey-free 66 (-6) in her first round of golf as a professional. Proving it wasnโt a fluke, Kenzie backed it up with another 66.
12-under through her first 36 holes as a pro and three shots up on the field, Kenzie was in the driver's seat and looking to go wire-to-wire in her debut. Paired in the final group with her best friend, Lindsey McCurdy, Kenzie was just 18 holes away from a dream start to her career.
Throughout the week, I was terrified, but even more so during the final round.ย
Making my caddie debut, I knew enough to stay out of the way and let Kenzie do her thing. But every time she asked me for advice, water, yardage, hell, even just a tee to fix her pitch mark, I was doing everything I could to not mess anything up. It felt like she was Wonder Woman and I was her goofy sidekick making jokes while watching her kick the asses of every single henchman in the way. It was awesome.
After a nerve-induced bogey on No. 17, Kenzie still held a three-shot lead as we made the walk to the par 5 18th tee, the final hole of the championship.ย
That walk is where a good caddie would tell their player that all they need to do is poke their tee shot into the fairway and enjoy the walk. But I wasnโt a good caddie.
I knew where Kenzie was on the leaderboard and the lead she held but I kept thinking of the words she told me the night before: โDonโt tell me where I am.โ
Following her strict and firm instruction, I kept my mouth shut.ย
Making that walk, I thought to myself, โSurely sheโs been in plenty of situations like these to know she could take the win with an easy par and maybe even a bogey, right?โย
After a few nervy shots, Kenzie got on the green in regulation needing to hole out in four putts or less to secure the win. She made par and after tapping in, looked around waiting for the small gallery that gathered to let her know if she should celebrate or not.
A massive smile came across her face and was matched with a just as massive sigh of relief.
She did it!
As the celebration began on the green my secret mustโve gotten out. Kenzie shot me a look of โWhat the hell, dude? I had four putts to win?โ
I gave her a winkโฆ lesson learned.
The win put $17,500 in Kenzieโs brand-new business bank account and wind in our sails. It proved to her that she could make a living playing golf and it proved to me that I had a lot to learn.ย
After celebrating with a few margaritas, we practiced Nick Sabanโs 24-hour rule before getting back to work on our new future.