Parkway South Golfer Signs with Kansas State

On Nov. 10, senior Kyle Weldon sat in the library at with his parents, his golf coaches and a representative from Kansas State University awaiting the moment to sign with the Wildcats on a Division I golf scholarship.

After an extensive search for the right college, which included Missouri State, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State and Southern Illinois at Edwardsville, Weldon determined Kansas State was the best fit.          

"When I went on my visit (to Kansas State), I spent a lot of time at their golf course, which is the eighth-ranked golf course in the country.  I really liked the golf course and the indoor facility," said Weldon. "Coach Norris, the golf coach at the school, has lots of experience coaching and he knows what he is doing, so we will have a pretty good team there."               

Weldon's scholarship attributes 55 percent of his tuition to golf and another 30 percent of tuition to his academics. He says a 3.9 GPA and honors classes helped him on the academic side.                

"Over the past four years, it has taken a lot of hard work, practice and instruction from my coach and my dad," said Weldon. "Also, I have a strong passion for the game."               

Weldon said he is most looking forward to "playing at the next level. I want to get in the lineup early and get into the big tournaments they're in."                

Playing in summer tournaments is what Weldon believes helped him most to prepare at the collegiate level.                

"High school golf is good, but really, the tournaments I play in over the summer are what the colleges really look at, so I always tried to get into the biggest events," said Weldon.                

Weldon has been playing golf since his dad started him at age 5. He learned how to play at the old Players Club (now Crescent Farms) in Eureka. But Weldon didn't discover his passion for the game until he was 10 or 11—and after meeting another talented golfer at Kirkwood High School, Ben Crancer.

"He inspired me to play because he was better than me, so with me being so competitive I didn't like that," Weldon said. "I was motivated to get better."

The transition from high school golf to collegiate golf, according to Weldon, will be significant.                

"High school is laid back with matches only being nine holes and only playing in four or five tournaments," he said. "College will be tougher, because there are 10 extremely talented golfers competing for five spots. There will be qualifying for tournaments each week. I'll have to beat out at least five guys to be in the tournaments, whereas South I will always be in the starting lineup no matter what level I am playing."               

In the future, Weldon is eager to get as much collegiate experience as possible.

"I want to start playing right away and getting more experience,  and help the team make it to the NCAA championship," said Weldon. "After my progression in my game in college, I definitely want to look forward to making it onto the professional tour."