By Tom Rohrer
Success in golf requires repetition.
Drives off the tee, irons off the fairway and putts on the green must be replicated over and over again. Few average players can find the dedication to such a routine.
That’s one of the reasons Tumwater High School’s Kayla Monroe is not your average player.
During the last three seasons, the senior has been a state qualifier for the T-Birds and will again take her shot at a 2A State championship later this month.
Kayla Monroe, a Lewis and Clark State College commit, learned the nuances of the game from her grandfather, then an employee at Three Rivers Golf Club in Kelso.
At a young age, Monroe walked the course with her grandfather, setting the foundation for her successful run as an amateur player.
“I was always around him and just followed him every summer,” said the 2013 2A District IV Champion. “I learned to love the game.”
That love drove Monroe to spend countless hours on the driving range and putting green. Over and over, she would hone her shots through repetition.
“There was a lot of tedious work, just repeating over and over again,” she said.
Monroe immediately became the T-Birds best player upon her arrival as a freshmen. She finished twelfth and tenth as a freshmen and sophomore respectively in the individual 2A state tournament. Going into her junior season, Monroe had hopes of a top five finish and making a run at the top spot.
“I was injured, and I just couldn’t play as well as I think I can in that situation,” she said of her eleventh place finish at the 2A State Tournament last year. “It was very disappointing.”
Completely healthy and extremely motivated, Monroe is hoping to put her extensive experience to good use.
“It’s just realizing that I can be up there and I can be first if I put time and effort into it,” she added. “I’ve played very well before and I know I can continue at that level.”
Monroe added international tournament experience to her resume this past summer by competing in the Optimist International Junior Golf Tournament. The tournament was held on the Fazio Golf Course of the PGA Resort in West Palm Beach, FL. Having an opportunity to go up against some of the world’s best players in her age group was an experience Monroe continues to lean back on.
“It was very cool and fun get to see everyone from around the world loving the game that you do,” she said. “There was lots more competition than I’m used to here and I think that’s helped a bit.”
Though not as vast as the international field, the competition at the 2A State Tournament figures to be just as intense. For Monroe, the goal is the same as always.
“My goal is to be in a top spot. I know some of the people that placed in top eight last year have graduated,” Monroe added. “I should’ve been up there last year, so I’m aiming for the top.”
For the average player, having a strong individual performance is satisfactory enough. Monroe, however, focuses on helping her teammates improve as well.
“I think I’m helping. I have girls ask me if they’re doing something wrong or if I can show them a tip,” she said. “I want to encourage them and keep them focused on improving.”
During the offseason, Monroe works privately with Coach Kathy O’Kelly at the Tumwater Valley Golf Club, the home course for the T-Birds golf team. During the season, Monroe is under the tutelage of Tumwater head coach Brent Bryant.
“He’s helped me learn how to listen more and just focus on being a better teammate. I want to be an (instructor) someday, so he’s really helped me there,” Monroe said of Bryant. “It’s changed my perspective.”
Now entering the home stretch of her Tumwater career, Monroe is pleased with the impact she’s been able to make on the program and within all of THS athletics.
“It’s just weird that all the time has gone by so fast. It doesn’t feel like my senior year, I feel like a sophomore,” said Monroe, who led Tumwater to team titles in the Evergreen League and the District Tournament last year. “I want to make a name for girl’s golf so we’re recognized.”
Mission accomplished.
