Ball State University Athletics
BSU Golf Great Brittany Kelly Eyeing Major Championship Appearance
June 07, 2019 | Women's Golf
Kelly will compete in this month’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Hazeltine
Brittany Kelly was no stranger to setting the bar for the Ball State women's golf program during her distinguished career in Muncie from 2007-11.
The first BSU woman to play in an NCAA Regional. The first to earn All-MAC honors three times. The first to achieve status on a professional tour. And so on.
Later this month, Kelly will add another item to the list when she becomes the first former Cardinal to compete in an LPGA Tour event. And a major championship, no less.
Kelly will tee it up in the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, which begins June 20 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. She qualified through the PGA Women's Stroke Play Championship in February.
A former Symetra Tour player and accomplished assistant golf professional, now at Carmel's Woodland Country Club, Kelly has long played the game at a high level. We're talking about a woman who finished runner-up in an otherwise all-male field at the Indiana PGA Professional Championship two years ago at the Country Club of Indianapolis.
But she knows her trip to Hazeltine to compete with the best in the world will present an opportunity and a challenge that is new.
"I just want to enjoy the experience and make sure I represent myself, the PGA of America and Woodland the best I can," Kelly said. "I want to be able to soak it all in, walk and smell the roses. I'm not taking anything for granted, and I'm not going to try to do anything special or different. I just want to compete like I would in any other tournament."
The chance to play in the event was not even on Kelly's radar earlier this year. She traveled to Port St. Lucie, Florida, for the Women's Stroke Play Championship hoping to earn points toward a spot on the U.S. team for the inaugural Women's PGA Cup. The top five point scorers through August will represent the PGA of America against other countries this October in Austin, Texas (Kelly is currently tied for fifth).
Kelly was unaware a berth in the KPMG Women's PGA Championship was even on the line for the top finisher in Port St. Lucie who was not already qualified. She played well, finished second and headed home happy to have collected her PGA Cup points.
It wasn't until the next day when trading emails with one of her fellow National PGA Tournament committee members that she learned she had qualified for the major championship. The winner of the event, Joanna Coe, was already qualified, so the spot went to Kelly.
"I was in complete shock but totally excited," Kelly said. "It was an amazing feeling. I called my family right away to give them the good news and was almost in tears. I finally realized my dream was about to come true."
It was a dream that began as a youngster on the Hamilton County Junior Golf circuit and continued through her days at Hamilton Southeastern High School and Ball State.
The 2011 BSU grad still looks back fondly on her collegiate career, as much for the friendships and experiences as for the eight team victories and two individual wins during her four years. Kelly still holds the program's career scoring average record by nearly a full stroke (76.43) and owns two of the top three single-season marks.
"BK found herself in contention and breaking school records consistently throughout her four years at BSU," Ball State head coach Katherine Mowat said. "She trusts her athleticism and her natural ability and never gets too technical. As a teaching professional, she understands the game better and takes advantage of every opportunity to compete, even when against the professional men from the same tees."
Kelly continued to chase the dream for two years on the Symetra Tour, one step away from the LPGA, before settling in as an assistant golf professional, first at the Hawthorns Golf and Country Club in her hometown of Fishers and then at Woodland.
But she still has the desire to compete and gets to do so from time to time despite her demanding schedule of giving lessons, teaching clinics, scheduling staff and merchandising.
Her performance in 2017 at the Country Club of Indianapolis earned her a spot in the 2018 PGA Professional Championship, the signature national event for the highest caliber players among the teachings ranks. There, she was one of just two women in a field of more than 300.
That experience, Kelly says, is the highlight of her playing career so far. Or at least it will be until she sets foot on Hazeltine.
The first BSU woman to play in an NCAA Regional. The first to earn All-MAC honors three times. The first to achieve status on a professional tour. And so on.
Later this month, Kelly will add another item to the list when she becomes the first former Cardinal to compete in an LPGA Tour event. And a major championship, no less.
Kelly will tee it up in the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, which begins June 20 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. She qualified through the PGA Women's Stroke Play Championship in February.
A former Symetra Tour player and accomplished assistant golf professional, now at Carmel's Woodland Country Club, Kelly has long played the game at a high level. We're talking about a woman who finished runner-up in an otherwise all-male field at the Indiana PGA Professional Championship two years ago at the Country Club of Indianapolis.
But she knows her trip to Hazeltine to compete with the best in the world will present an opportunity and a challenge that is new.
"I just want to enjoy the experience and make sure I represent myself, the PGA of America and Woodland the best I can," Kelly said. "I want to be able to soak it all in, walk and smell the roses. I'm not taking anything for granted, and I'm not going to try to do anything special or different. I just want to compete like I would in any other tournament."
The chance to play in the event was not even on Kelly's radar earlier this year. She traveled to Port St. Lucie, Florida, for the Women's Stroke Play Championship hoping to earn points toward a spot on the U.S. team for the inaugural Women's PGA Cup. The top five point scorers through August will represent the PGA of America against other countries this October in Austin, Texas (Kelly is currently tied for fifth).
Kelly was unaware a berth in the KPMG Women's PGA Championship was even on the line for the top finisher in Port St. Lucie who was not already qualified. She played well, finished second and headed home happy to have collected her PGA Cup points.
It wasn't until the next day when trading emails with one of her fellow National PGA Tournament committee members that she learned she had qualified for the major championship. The winner of the event, Joanna Coe, was already qualified, so the spot went to Kelly.
"I was in complete shock but totally excited," Kelly said. "It was an amazing feeling. I called my family right away to give them the good news and was almost in tears. I finally realized my dream was about to come true."
It was a dream that began as a youngster on the Hamilton County Junior Golf circuit and continued through her days at Hamilton Southeastern High School and Ball State.
The 2011 BSU grad still looks back fondly on her collegiate career, as much for the friendships and experiences as for the eight team victories and two individual wins during her four years. Kelly still holds the program's career scoring average record by nearly a full stroke (76.43) and owns two of the top three single-season marks.
"BK found herself in contention and breaking school records consistently throughout her four years at BSU," Ball State head coach Katherine Mowat said. "She trusts her athleticism and her natural ability and never gets too technical. As a teaching professional, she understands the game better and takes advantage of every opportunity to compete, even when against the professional men from the same tees."
Kelly continued to chase the dream for two years on the Symetra Tour, one step away from the LPGA, before settling in as an assistant golf professional, first at the Hawthorns Golf and Country Club in her hometown of Fishers and then at Woodland.
But she still has the desire to compete and gets to do so from time to time despite her demanding schedule of giving lessons, teaching clinics, scheduling staff and merchandising.
Her performance in 2017 at the Country Club of Indianapolis earned her a spot in the 2018 PGA Professional Championship, the signature national event for the highest caliber players among the teachings ranks. There, she was one of just two women in a field of more than 300.
That experience, Kelly says, is the highlight of her playing career so far. Or at least it will be until she sets foot on Hazeltine.
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