Rachel Kuehn Reflects On Her Time At Wake Forest

Alex Elias

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Wake Forest Women’s Golf

A Senior at Wake Forest University, Rachel Kuehn has cemented herself among the top collegiate players in the nation. Currently ranked No. 4 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings, Kuehn was the 2022 ACC Player of the Year and was named 2022 WGCA First Team All-American. Last week, Kuehn recorded her sixth career victory.

​Given Kuehn’s unprecedented success, her amateur ranking, and most recently being named to the ANNIKA Award (honors the player of the year in women's college golf) Watch List, Kuehn has set an extremely high bar for herself. Even so, Kuehn admitted that she doesn't feel the 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 recorded a seventh-place finish at the Augusta National Women's Amateur, reached the Round of 16 in the U.S. Women's Amateur (Chambers Bay Golf Course), and has earned the winning point for the U.S. Curtis Cup team twice (2022: Merion, 2021: Conwy). Reflecting on numerous different events, Kuehn said, "Every event, in my opinion, is an opportunity to improve. Specifically, tournaments like the Curtis Cup and the US Am give me an opportunity to work on my match play skills and mindset. Every good or bad result is experience under your belt that you can learn from."

Wake Forest Women’s Golf

As Kuehn is inching closer to graduation, Kuehn said, "I have loved every minute at Wake. I have developed a second family here and choosing Wake was the best decision I could have ever made. I feel like it’s given me the opportunity to develop as a person and as a player. I’m thankful that my coaches have given me the chance to play here."

​Subsequently, in regard to where she believes she has improved the most during her time in Winston Salem, Kuehn said, "I think my putting has improved most since I got to Wake. It’s been a long process of finding a routine that works for me when I go practice. I always make time to work on my start line and my speed, and I have worked in performance drills as well."

As Kuehn and #1 Wake Forest turn their attention to defending their ACC Title (April 13-16) and winning the NCAA Women's Golf Championship (May 19th-24th), Kuehn said, "I think, obviously, our goal is to win a national championship in May, but we know that all the work we have put in over the year will help give us the best chance at that."

As for her individual goals, Kuehn said, "My goals are to continue to develop as a player for when the time comes to peruse professional golf."