Local 12-year-old soaring to great heights
By Ryne Turke
A Jacksonville golfer has taken the sport by storm, capping off a sensational summer full of trophies and career best performances on courses across the nation.
Kendyl Mudd, age 12, picked up golf in 2022, and in the short time since she started, she has become one of the top junior high players in the state.
Mudd’s wild summer kicked off with a first place finish at the Greenfield JR High Tournament. That was quickly followed with a victory at the Frank Coffey Youth Tournament in Springfield and a second place finish at the Robbie McEvers Tournament in Jacksonville.
Mudd went on to take top honors in the U.S. Kids Summer Golf Tour Championship at Godfrey Country Club, shooting an impressive 76. She picked up another title at the Drysdale Youth Tournament in Springfield, then came back to Jacksonville to win the JMS Invitational at K’s Creek Golf Club.
Mudd says her play improved by leaps and bounds as the season moved along.
“I started playing my best golf at the end of the summer. My driving off the tee and chipping set me apart from my competition and helped push me to the top of my game.”
September was another elite month of golf for Mudd, winning medalist honors at the IESA Golf Tournament at Lincoln Greens, qualifying her for the IESA State Championship in Metamora.
Mudd, who says the sectional title was the highlight of her season, would go on to place ninth in the seventh grade state championship tournament.
“I got into a couple of really big sand bunkers and had a rough three holes, but still managed to secure a top 10 finish which I’m really proud of.”
Mudd’s golf game stayed sharp later in the month as she picked up a win at the U.S. Kids Fall Tournament Tour in Okawville, firing a 73.
Winning two tour championships qualified Mudd for the US Kids Girls Invitational Tournament in North Carolina, where she secured another ninth place finish.
Mudd says she welcomed the challenge of taking on the best of the best.
“I played against the #5 and #12 amateurs in the United States, plus the girls in every big tournament are extremely talented. In North Carolina I played against so many girls across the country and it was great to see how good everyone could play.”
Mudd says she wouldn’t be where she is today without the help of her coaches Jason Bryant and Derek James. She adds that her love of golf comes with hard work and dedication to the game.
“You have to play every day and work on your game to get better. Golf is a frustrating game since you’ll have good shots and bad shots. The goal is to think about the next good shot.”
Mudd’s future plans include playing college golf and competing on the LPGA circuit. At this pace, it seems that she is well on her way to achieving those goals.
