Finding life’s destinations sometimes plays like a golf course.
The tee shot hooks into a tree laden area. The next shot lands in the water. Another finds a sand trap. But then comes paydirt — the green — and finally the hole.
The same holds true for LSU freshman golfer Rebecca Kuhn. The Miami native planned to play collegiate golf, but not in Baton Rouge.
Kuhn and fellow LSU golfer Kim Meck verbally committed to the University of Texas last year. Meck lived in Austin, Texas, and wanted Kuhn to join her there.
The two met while playing in national amateur tournaments in high school. They were paired together often, almost by destiny.
Texas backed out on its scholarship offer to both players, and the duo looked at other options separately. But the pair reunited unknowingly and signed with LSU.
“I called Rebecca and found out that ironically we had both ended up at LSU,” Meck said.
Kuhn and Meck feed off each other in competition. The chemistry began when they met in high school.
“She was very competitive on the golf course and very talkative outside of it,” Meck said. “She was very focused on what she was doing. She was just one of those players who never gave up and had a lot of perseverance.”
But the intensity came only after much prodding. Kuhn possessed a great amount of talent but despised practice.
She played golf casually since age 4 and enjoyed local tournaments. But she still refused to practice. In turn, her father refused to foot the bill for an unpolished player to compete nationally.
“I don’t want to show off a pig,” James said to his daughter.
Before her sophomore year of high school, Kuhn cut a deal with her father. The father-daughter pair wanted her to be ranked among the top high school female golfers. A golfer had to enter six national tournaments to be considered.
Kuhn agreed to practice every day, 10 days prior to each national tournament. Her father kept the bargain by carting her to all six tournaments.
The first hole of Kuhn’s first tournament in South Carolina proved a true learning experience. James caddied for his daughter and handed her a 3-iron on the first hole — a 185-yard Par 3.
“She said ‘Give me the big dog,’” James said.
Taking the driver, Kuhn gave her father a dirty look. Her tee shot hooked left into the woods. She quieted her father before a word left his mouth.
“Rebecca is head strong,” James said. “She has her own opinions on things and she knows what she wants to do.”
Kuhn redeemed herself on the last hole of that same tournament. She asked her father which club to hit from the fairway. He gave her a 6-iron. The shot barely cleared a water hazard and landed on the green 10 feet from the hole. She two-putted for par and won the tournament.
That moment was a turning point, but James knew his daughter always had the talent.
“Success on the high school level doesn’t always translate to success on the national level,” James said. “I thought all along she had played decent golf. But I thought if she worked on it a little bit she could reach the next level.”
Kuhn’s father expected the improvement his daughter has made over the course of the season. She qualified for every tournament the Lady Tigers played this year.
“I’m not surprised she’s played well this year. I knew she would start to improve once she started playing every day,” James said. “I’m sure LSU people are viewing it as phenomenal.”
With two top 10 finishes under her belt, Kuhn focuses her attention toward the NCAA Central Regional in Lubbock, Texas, where the Lady Tigers begin their quest for a national championship next week. She just wants to keep her game on par.
“I’m trying to get comfortable being up at the top,” Kuhn said. “My goals as a collegiate player have risen. Now I have clear goals with what I want to do here.”