Freshman O’ Brien sees golf as lifetime sport

Kaitlin Cordes, Features Writer

 

Freshman golfer McKenzie O’Brien constantly has golf on the brain. The sport has been in O’Brien’s life since high school, but it was not always her main focus. 

O’Brien said when she was growing up, she played a few rounds of golf with her dad during the summer, but it took an injury her freshman year of high school to really turn her onto golf.

“I tore my ACL that year in a basketball game, so I missed almost all of that golf season, and it made me realize that I could go somewhere with this sport,” O’Brien said. 

That is when O’Brien realized that golf is something she could take with her over her lifetime. She said she loves that the game is mentally and physically challenging while being more laid back than other sports.

While casual summertime golf games with her father spawned a passion for the sport, O’Brien said neither her mom nor dad are avid golfers, adding that the two play for leisure and recreation. O’Brien said her favorite aspect of being a golfer is that the game can be played casually, like her parents play, or competitively.

The Davenport, Iowa native’s love for golf was able to flourish with a little help from geography. O’Brien said the John Deere Classic golf tournament is played 30 minutes from her hometown every year, so she attends every year.

It is at the John Deere Classic that O’Brien discovered professional golfer Jordan Spieth. She describes Spieth as her golfing idol, and O’Brien even met her favorite golfer one year at the tournament.

Finding success in golf was not hard for O’Brien. In high school, she qualified for the qualifier twice for the Iowa State Golf Tournament, where she placed 17th each year. O’Brien placed third in her conference senior year, earning first team all-conference honors and second team all-state honors.

O’Brien said her first season at Eastern has been dotted with some struggles because of a new schedule and new courses.

“When I first got to Eastern, I struggled in the fall season. I wasn’t used to playing so much golf, and the distances where longer than I was used to,” O’Brien said. “With the help of coach (Mike Moncel), I am starting to get my swing back to how it should be, and I hope to see some success in these last two tournaments.”

O’Brien’s ultimate goal for her rookie season is to keep improving on all aspects of her game. She said the team has not practiced a lot this spring because of the weather, but that has not kept her from working on her own.

O’Brien said she easily meshed with the team, and she shares a close bond with her fellow Eastern golfers. In the off-season, O’Brien said she and some of her teammates play on intramural soccer and volleyball teams, and they gather for games of UNO at the upperclassmen’s homes.

With the end of the season approaching, O’Brien said she will most likely spend her time off playing basketball and pickle ball along with working on her golf game. She said she will also spend time with her teammates and her close friend and fellow freshman golfer Sara Guetersloh.

To add to her already impressive résumé, O’Brien said she plans to attend Palmer College of Chiropractic in Iowa to become a chiropractor. She said her ultimate goal is to work as a chiropractor for a professional sports team.

Kaitlin Cordes can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]