Kyle Kelly: Standout Performer
October 12, 2004 | Men's Golf
Oct. 12, 2004
Living adjacent to a golf course in Albany, N.Y., junior Kyle Kelly has experienced golfing in the elements. But the Eagles' standout golfer said the team's most recent invitational in New Kent, Va., was as difficult a course as he has seen.
"It's one of the hardest courses I've ever played, personally," said Kelly, who finished a team-best fourth place by shooting even par. "When the wind blew the second day, it was almost impossible to keep it on the green. Some of the greens were enormous, the slopes were huge, and it was just a long course."
Kelly's three rounds of 70, 73, 73 were bested by three golfers in the Joe Agee Invitational, and his first-round 70 was the third-best round of the tournament.
His recent strong performance in Virginia is nothing new. Kelly led the Eagles to a third-place finish while finishing a team-best eighth place at Bethpage in Farmingdale, New N.Y., on September 24 and 25.
Boston College played the Bethpage Red Course, not the Black Course that hosted the 2003 U.S. Open. However, Kelly is no stranger to the Black Course, as he played there last summer in what he called "a real test."
"That was real tough," Kelly said. "The red course wasn't that bad, but the black course is unbelieveable. Playing with a bunch of pros that time and watching them struggle, too, I was like, `I'm not doing that bad.' When we come back and play in Cape Cod next week, it will seem less intense."
Being able to challenge himself at such courses only helps sharpen Kelly's game. Also, battling adverse winds and low temperatures can give Kelly and his teammates the upper hand.
"We can get an advantage in the Northeast, because you get to play in a lot of the weather conditions," Kelly said. "If southern schools come up north and play in rain or weather below 50 degrees, you get a huge advantage. They're just not used to it."
With favorable summer temperatures at his summer home in Albany, Kelly said he takes advantage of every day.
"Summer is the time to play golf around here," Kelly said. "It's the one thing we've got around here. All the southern schools are playing year round, but with the weather up here you've got to take advantage of it. You've got to keep up."
During the summer, Kelly said he plays in eight to 10 larger local tournaments and a few smaller local tournaments. Likewise, members of the golf team keep in touch and usually play in several tournaments together to keep competitive.
"Living right on the course in Albany is just so convenient," Kelly said. "I work in the mornings, and in the afternoons I just get out and practice and play. Usually I play one round, and occasionally I play two."
As for the future, Kelly, a communication major in the College of Arts and Sciences, is interested in keeping his golf game sharp and pursuing a possible career in broadcast journalism.
"I've taken a few broadcast journalism courses, but I'm not really sure [what I want to do] yet," Kelly said. "I wouldn't mind seeing how good I get at golf and then maybe fool around on a couple of mini-tours and see where I end up."
