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Kelli Kuehne, Golf
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Posted: Friday June 18, 1999 12:22 PM
Kuehne is getting back in the swing of things. |
Born: May 11, 1977, Dallas
Residence: Dallas
Upcoming Event: LPGA Championship, The DuPont Country Club, Wilmington, Del., June 24-27, 1999
Worth Watching Because: After a disastrous rookie season last year, Kuehne is starting to come into her own. In May, the 22-year-old former University of Texas star chalked up her first LPGA victory, winning the Corning Classic. Four days later Kuehne tied the U.S. Women's Open record with an 8-under-par 64 in the first round and went on to finish third in the tournament.
After winning back-to-back U.S. Women's Amateur titles in 1995 and 1996 and signing an endorsement deal with Nike before turning pro, Kuehne was dubbed the female Tiger Woods. But unlike Woods, Kuehne struggled early on in the professional ranks. Last year she played in seven tournaments before making a cut, won just $39,831 in 24 events and lost her exempt status on Tour. Kuehne began to realize that the pressure she was putting on herself was taking all the fun out of golf. She decided to cut down on practice time and focus on other things, such as her fiancé, Jay Humphrey, an offensive lineman at Texas who was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round of this April's NFL draft.
Kuehne's new attitude is starting to pay off. On May 18, she shot a 68 in a qualifying tournament to secure a spot in her first U.S. Women's Open. Just five days later, Kuehne finished seventh at the Phillips Invitational and got a $22,342 check, then the largest in her career. She topped that with the victory at Corning and $112,500, assuring an LPGA exemption for at least three years.
With $1.4 million up for grabs in Wilmington, there will be many eyes on the prize. With her confidence at an all-time high, among all the gazers Kuehne may have the winning look.
Greatest Success: Getting her first LPGA victory at the Corning Classic and becoming the youngest winner in the 21-year history of the tournament.
Quote/Unquote: "In golf, it seems like the harder you try the worse it gets. That's one of the most frustrating things about the game. This year, I made a big issue of coming out and trying to have some fun."
Cool Fact: Last year Kelli's older brother, Hank won the U.S. Men's Amateur. The eldest of the Kuehne kids, Trip, reached the final of the 1994 U.S. Men's Amateur.
Come back soon for a new women's sports Spotlight.
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