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Alex Elias  Wake Forest Women’s Golf A senior at Wake Forest University (Winston Salem, NC), Rachel Kuehn has firmly established herself as one of the top collegiate golfers in the nation. Ranked No. 4 in the Women's World Amateur Golf Rankings, Kuehn was named the 2022 ACC Player of the Year and earned a spot on the 2022 WGCA First Team All-American list. Recently, she notched her sixth career victory, further solidifying her reputation as a rising star in the golf world. Given Kuehn’s unprecedented success, her amateur ranking, and her recent inclusion on the ANNIKA Award Watch List (honors the player of the year in women’s college golf), she has set an incredibly high standard for herself. However, Kuehn humbly admitted that despite these accolades, she doesn’t feel the weight of pressure. "I think that I have come to realize that all I can control is what I do. I can control the work I put in, the attitude I have, and the effort I give on the course. Sometimes you have your A game and sometimes you don’t. If I go out and give myself the best chance to succeed, then there’s no pressure because I know I have done everything I can," said Kuehn.  Chris Keane/USGA In addition to her success as a Demon Deacon, Kuehn has made her mark on several prestigious events, including a seventh-place finish at the Augusta National Women's Amateur, reaching the Round of 16 at the 2022 U.S. Women's Amateur, and securing the winning point for the U.S. Curtis Cup team twice (2021 & 2022). "Every event is an opportunity to improve. Tournaments like the Curtis Cup and the U.S. Am, in particular, allow me to focus on refining my match play skills and mindset. Whether the results are good or bad, each experience provides valuable lessons for growth," said Kuehn.  Wake Forest Women’s Golf As Kuehn approaches graduation, she reflected on her time at Wake Forest, saying, "I have loved every minute here. I’ve developed a second family, and choosing Wake was the best decision I could have ever made. It’s given me the opportunity to grow both as a person and a player. I’m grateful to my coaches for giving me the chance to play here."
When asked where she believes she’s made the most improvement during her time in Winston-Salem, Kuehn shared, "I think my putting has improved the most since I arrived. It’s been a long process of finding a routine that works for me when I practice. I always make sure to focus on my start line and speed, and I’ve incorporated performance drills into my routine as well." As Kuehn and #1 Wake Forest turn their attention to defending their ACC Title (April 13-16) and aiming for the NCAA Women's Golf Championship (May 19-24), Kuehn said, "Our goal is obviously to win a National Championship in May, but we know that all the hard work we've put in this year will give us the best chance at achieving that."
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Alex Elias  Following a round of two-under in Round 3 at the Valspar Championship (Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Palm Harbor, FL), Kevin Streelman immediately spent an extended period of time on the range. Although it could be surmised that Streelman was reassuring a swing thought following a positive round, Streelman candidly admitted, "I'm definitely working through a few things." "In this crazy game, our feels change daily. A good swing thought can work really well one day and feel completely foreign the next," said Streelman. "I’m constantly trying to tighten my game up with past experiences," said Streelman. "I have hundreds of notes in my phone of this was a great feel this day, this was a bad feel this day. I can go back to majors that I played well in, Tampa when I won here, Hartford when I won there." Speaking on the current state of his swing, Streelman said, "I tend to get a little bit steep with the shaft, and then I have to really lay it off in transition. That gets me stuck with fast legs. That’s just my DNA." As for the correction, Streelman said, "I’m always thinking of trying to open the face earlier and steepen it at the top, feeling support like a triangle, more like Ernie Els. Then, I have space to compress it."
Alex Elias  Sam Greenwood Having led the University of Texas at Austin to a National Championship and recording his first professional win (Live and Work in Maine Open - 6.26.22) in only his third start on the Korn Ferry Tour, Pierceson Coody is no stranger to victory. This season, following an off-season wrist surgery, Coody immediately returned to the winners circle on the Korn Ferry Tour.
"Getting a win early is nice for the confidence and reassures me that my game is still good enough after surgery. Following the win it gives me a very narrow focus going into each week about how I need improve to accomplish the year long goal of getting my PGA Tour card," said Coody. With a clear motivation to secure his Tour card, Coody said, "It’s easy to move past the sun because golf is a game where people are focused on what you are doing next. It’s nice to have got my second win but all my focus is on accomplishing the goal of securing a Tour card. The celebration didn’t last long and redirected my focus." Making his PGA Tour debut (played as an amateur at the 2021 U.S. Open and 2021 AT&T Byron Neslon) at last week's Honda Classic via a sponsor exemption, Coody finished T63. Firing a Bogey-free 4-under 66 in Round 1, which put him a shot behind the early leaders, Coody said, "Honda was a great experience and learning to be a better professional. My game is good enough, but if I continue to improve my ability to score, I’ll be really happy with where my game is at." Reflecting on the week and what he can implement in his own game, Coody said, "The guys who have a great week obviously hit it great but save so many shots on and around the greens, so just raising my standards with scoring clubs." |
