Kelly Hurst - Living a Dream
Saturday, January 19, 2008 | Women's Golf
Hurst was within reach of attending the Air Force Academy to become a fighter pilot. She was also close to attending Georgetown University to achieve great things in the field of political science and attend law school. She met Tiger Woods in seventh grade and had her photo taken with him. She also drained a hole-in-one – almost.
A call from Florida head coach Jill Briles-Hinton and the combination of the academic prowess the University of Florida led the Melbourne native to a place she endears to call home.
“Coach Jill (Briles-Hinton) is really great at recruiting people,” Hurst said. “I came here on my recruiting trip and that was probably my first time I seriously considered coming here and wanted to come here. I loved the team and Coach Jill and (Assistant) Coach Robin (Walton) gave me this wonderful opportunity to play college golf.”
Hurst admired her father, Koko, who was a fighter pilot in Vietnam, Air Force graduate and a flight instructor. Growing up, she wanted to follow in her father's footsteps and take to the skies but the Falcons didn't have a women's golf program despite having a squad on the men's side.
She grew up around sports in Melbourne, flanked by the local golf course in Harbor City. Hurst grew up participating in gymnastics, ballet, tae-kwon-do and golf. Golfing was a family affair for the Hursts as they spent every weekend on the links. Like many golfers, she got her feet wet an early age, as she guessed somewhere around three years of age.
“My mom and dad played golf so we always had golf clubs around the house,” Hurst reflected. “I don't remember the first time I played golf. I just remember hitting golf balls on the driving range several times a week. I hit a truck about 150 yards away to earn my first trip to a golf course that my parents promised.”
Playing competitively for Hurst didn't happen until she was 10 years old when she entered her first tournament. She spent her high school career at Cocoa Beach where she led the Minutemen to District 12 and Region 4 titles in her senior year as the team's top player.
Hurst says she's a student before an athlete and genuinely grateful for the chance to receive a valuable education at an institution like UF. She recently changed her major to English and Marketing and was a 2007 SEC All-SEC Freshman team member. She is interested in pursuing a career related to professional golf through a familiar venue.
Hurst's little sister is Vicky Hurst, the 2007 American Junior Golf Association's Player of the Year who recently declared she would turn professional. As an amateur, Vicky is ranked No. 1 in just about every publication's junior rankings. Kelly embraces the sisterly bond they share and considers Vicky her best friend.
“I always look forward to when I can go home and practice with her,” Hurst said. The best times I've ever had in my life are with my sister. We're best friends that do everything together.”
As a result, Kelly and her family have immersed themselves into the industry. She has met a large number of people in the golf industry and smartly started networking in order to prepare her for a potential career. Hurst foresees intriguing opportunities with her younger sister on the LPGA Tour.
“I really like business and sales and really got interested over the winter meeting some wonderful people associated in the industry,” Hurst said. “I think playing on the team and studying marketing and possibly going to business school after I graduate will present itself with some great opportunities there.”
Hurst has built up many memories in just a short amount of time on campus, ranking among her favorites going to Dragonfly in downtown Gainesville for some good ole' sushi with international teammate Ornella Jouven (La Ciotat, France). She said it would probably rank as the team's favorite restaurant.
She understands what it takes to be successful, both on and off the course. She used her redshirt year as a freshman to develop her game and soak in the tutelage that Briles-Hinton and Walton have presented. Hurst also realizes that when it's all said and done, she wants to know that she grew as a person, learned more about and found her professional calling in life.
Hurst's favorite moment on the course occurred at the Patrick Air Force Base near the family residence. She challenged a par-3 and promptly plunked her first shot in the water. On the subsequent shot, Hurst teed it up with a 5-wood and drained it in the hole for a hole-in-one - almost.
“There were people on the green behind us who saw it and were cheering and the first thing my dad said was, 'It's not a hole-in-one, it's a par!', she said. “I still count it as my best shot.”
For the consummate student-athlete at the University of Florida, Kelly Hurst is enjoying every moment of her time with the women's golf team while, at the same time, taking the necessary steps to understanding what it takes to be successful in the future. She is living a dream.
