Kat Kennedy made her final contribution to the varsity women’s golf team earlier this month at the Canadian University/College Championship, taking home first place and successfully defending her title from the year before.
Despite having another year of school left, the championship winner is putting the clubs away next season, at least in regard to the 'Birds team.
This year’s national competition, held in Barrie, Ontario, was the second tournament in as many weeks for the team. The team had previously been in Florida for the NAIA Championships, a tournament where Kennedy wasn’t satisfied with her performance.
“Coming from Florida, I didn’t have that great of a tournament so I settled myself down and approached [the Canadian University/College Championship] from a relaxed and also aggressive [standpoint] because it was my last tournament,” said Kennedy in an interview with The Ubyssey.
That mindset paid off, and she finished the tournament with the lowest individual score.
Likewise, UBC’s women’s team was able to defend their team title, taking home their second straight Canadian University/College Championship.
Kennedy’s win was one of many she captured throughout her four-year T-Birds career, one that has established her as one of the best female golfers to represent UBC in the team’s history. Last October, she won three straight tournaments, including two cross-border wins — the St. Martin’s Invitational and the Western Washington Invitational — and a first place finish at the Victoria Vikes Shootout in October. She was also honoured with an NAIA Women’s Golf All-America team selection in May of this year.
Despite all her individual success, she cited the camaraderie of the team as a highlight of her playing career with the Thunderbirds.
“As a team we bonded really well. We came together as a team. We were so motivated to do our best, to push each other, and to win. I think that’s the most important and most inspiring thing taken out of my university career,” said Kennedy.
Her humility and grounded nature contradict the fact that she could very well play in the Ladies Professional Golf Association. She certainly has the discipline and drive to get there as she continues to work on her golf game, a testament to the dedication that it takes to play at such an elite level.
Past summer breaks for Kennedy have been spent at a local golf club, where she wakes up early to train, works a full shift, and then practices some more. This summer, she planned to take a brief trip home to Alberta before travelling to play at the BC Women’s Amateur Championship in late June.
Even with her unfaltering dedication to her sport, Kennedy didn’t only come to UBC for its high level of competition on the golf team. Her decision to attend UBC was both based on the women’s golf program being the best in Canada and her eye for the academic side of varsity life.
“I want to graduate with good academics and have different options if I want to do something other than golf,” said Kennedy.
Whatever she chooses to do, it doesn’t look like the clubs are going to get packed away anytime soon.
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