Kelley Sullivan, a junior from Seattle, has led the Chico State men’s golf team to the West Regional tournament in Texas. Sullivan was the leader for the Wildcats during their win in the California Collegiate Athletic Association championship. It was Chico State’s first conference title in men’s golf since 2012.
How did you first get involved with golf?
“I got started with golf when I was really young. My dad put a golf club in my hand before I could even grip one and I slept with clubs, it was my life. I used to play in the backyard for hours and hours everyday and then somehow I got good.”
Why did you choose Chico State?
“I came here on a recruiting visit my junior year and I fell in love with everything about Chico. Our golf team here at Chico is really good and so I realized that I would much rather be on a very competitive team in Division 2 than just a regular team in Division 1. I really want to win a National Championship and I knew I had the best opportunity to do that here.”
What is your biggest inspiration?
“My biggest inspiration is my dad. He sits at home and watches live scoring every three holes. I know that when I tell the person (scorekeeper) my scores, that my dad is at home refreshing the page, so, I just really want to please him.”
Do you have any routines or rituals that you do before a golf tournament?
“Yes I do have a lot of routines and rituals. I always have two tees and my ball marker in my right pocket. I always do the same thing before every shot whether it’s putting or hitting a driver or anything. If I don’t, I get out of whack and feel really uncomfortable.”
How does it feel to be the CCAA champions?
“It feels unbelievable. We’ve waited two or three years for it and we’ve somehow lost every year. To finally get it and to be the last one of my guys to walk out on the green and congratulate us as a team, it was unbelievable.”
What can we expect from you and the team at the West Regional?
“You can expect a lot from us at the West Regional in Amarillo (Texas). We are number one in the region, we are coming off a win in conference and our team right now is really playing well. I don’t expect anything different than confidence.”
What are you most looking forward to next year?
“We start off next season in Seattle, which is my hometown. I am going to have all my aunts and uncles and relatives come out and watch, so that will be really fun. But the focus right now is on this year and the postseason. Hopefully we can bring home some more trophies.”
Andrew Baumgartner can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_sports on Twitter.
