Oklahoma State University Athletics
Playing With Perspective
May 22, 2015 | Cowgirl Golf
Putting together a stretch of golf that featured a runner-up showing, match play wins over two of the top 15 players in the country and a victory at the conference championship is a remarkable feat for any golfer. Then you realize what Oklahoma State freshman Kenzie Neisen has endured along the way and the adjectives quickly escape you.
While en route to Hawaii earlier this spring, Neisen received news that her younger brother, Tom, had been hospitalized due to complications from Hunter Syndrome, a rare genetic disease that results in a life expectancy of approximately 15 years. Just days later, she would go on to shoot a closing 69 at the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational to tie for second and earn her best career finish to that point.
"It was tough when everything started to happen and getting phone calls and knowing that it was going to happen fairly soon," Neisen said.
With her brother's condition declining and the inevitable looming, who could blame Neisen if her performance dipped or she opted to step away from the game. To the contrary, she demonstrated great resolve despite her mind swirling to perform at a high level.
"I have had moments on the golf course where emotions just come out of nowhere and you just start crying and you don't really know what to do with yourself," Neisen said. "My coaches have been so supportive and redirect my focus and stay super positive. That has been great and I have been so lucky to have that."
After her runner-up showing, which helped propel the Cowgirls to the team title, Neisen proceeded on to San Diego for the SDSU Farms Invitational. In the midst of the event, the New Prague, Minn., native received word that Tom had taken a turn for the worst.
After capping the tournament with a win over No. 2-ranked Dana Finkelstein of UNLV on March March 25, Neisen returned to Stillwater and quickly rerouted north to say goodbye to her 15-year-old brother. Two days later, Tom passed away.
Unfortunately, the Neisen family was familiar with these unthinkable circumstances, having lost their first son, Sam, at age 16 to the same ailment in 2009.
"I was in seventh grade when that happened. That was really hard because that was the first time we had been through it," Neisen said.
Through it all, Neisen says her hometown, a community of nearly 7,500 residents located southwest of the Twin Cities, helped her move forward.
"I am so lucky to be where I am from and the community I have grown up with and my friends that I have for support have been amazing for both of my brothers. Having that support has helped our family stay positive and know that everything is going to be ok."
Upon her return to Stillwater, Neisen posted a top-20 finish at the SMU/DAC Invitational while helping the Cowgirls to their second victory of the spring.
Two weeks later, the stage was set for her breakthrough performance at the Dominion Country Club in San Antonio. After opening with rounds of 69 and 70, Neisen found herself leading the Big 12 Championship by three shots heading into the final day of competition and was primed for her first collegiate victory.
"I wasn't nervous going into the third round. I was pretty calm and felt pretty confident with where I was at. I just wanted to go out there and have some fun. I was striking the ball really well and my putting was pretty good. I felt like I just kept my momentum going from the first and second days as a I played," Neisen said.
With 54 holes not proving enough to determine a champion, Neisen carried the mindset of a seasoned veteran into her playoff against Baylor's Laura Lonardi.
"I don't know why I was so calm, but I was. I knew if we tied the first hole and pushed it that I had a par 5 to come in on and I was excited because I could use my length to my advantage and try to win it on the par 5," Neisen said.
In the playoff, everything fell into place like she had envisioned with both players carding pars on the first extra hole. Neisen birdied the par-5 ninth to become OSU's eighth Big 12 medalist.
When the final putt dropped and the Cowgirls' newest conference champion was crowned, the rush of emotions returned for Neisen, who emerged victorious nearly a month to the day of losing a brother for the second time.
"It was so cool to have my parents there when I won it. I know I made them so proud and they were so excited, but I knew too that I made myself proud for what I did and that my hard work paid off. Just a fun combination of everybody being so happy and being together to enjoy the moment," Neisen said.
After having time to process her accomplishment, Neisen embraced the opportunity to take her place among the many accomplished players in Cowgirl history.
"It is fun walking into the locker room and seeing everyone's pictures on the wall and thinking my name and face will be on it soon," Neisen said. "It is pretty cool to be up there with the other women who have won it and seeing how successful they have become."
"It is a pretty cool experience and it is fun to say that I am a Big 12 champion."
The layers to Neisen's story do not end there. Her Big 12 title marked the second time she had countered tragedy with triumph on the course. During her junior year of high school, Neisen's high school coach, Matt Shetka, suffered a fatal heart attack while shoveling snow. A few months later, she delivered the first of the two individual state titles captured during an accomplished prep career.
Despite the continued heartache, Neisen has maintained a glass-half-full outlook on life and has been able to keep the frustrations golf can bring in a perspective usually reserved for someone much longer in the tooth.
"I use it more as motivation to go out there and have fun and whatever happens, happens and to not get upset about hitting a bad shot or if I have a bad round. If I try my best and have fun that is all that really matters at the end of the day," Neisen said.
From unthinkable circumstances, Neisen has found the silver linings and counts her parents, Chris and Angie, as underrated heroes in her life.
"I am so lucky to have the family that I have and the parents that I have grown up with and how amazing they are. I don't think they get enough credit for how much they have done. I think our family is so close and so supportive of each other and so positive all the time that we have been able to handle the situation really well and enjoy every moment that we have," Neisen said.
"My parents have always been really good role models for us to stay positive and not complain about the negative things because it is so easy to do that."
Through tragedy, Neisen has had the fortune of having an older sister, Steffi, to lean on as well.
"I think our brothers have made our family very close and just supportive of each other in golf, school or anything in life," Neisen said.
With a close-knit family providing countless memories, the simple joy the game brought to her brother is one that stands at the forefront for Neisen.
"Our family would go out to the New Prague golf course and we would bring him out in the golf cart. He was so excited to ride in the cart. My sister and my dad and I would just go play for fun growing up and he would get so excited to come on the green and take out the flag for us and was so excited to put it back in when we were finished," Neisen recalled.
Ironically, golf was not always viewed so fondly by the Cowgirl standout and, luckily for head coach Courtney Jones and the OSU program, she changed her tune.
"I actually didn't like golf the first time I went out when I was younger. My parents told me when I was little and would go out on the course I was doing sand angels in the bunkers while my sister was hitting the golf ball. I would go out and do that and pick up tees around the golf course," Neisen explained.
Neisen credits her sister, who was a member of the University of Nebraska golf team, with piquing her interest in the game.
"I really started taking an interest in golf when I saw my sister play. I think it was being the third child and wanting to keep up with an older sibling. Then I started playing it and I had so much fun when I went out on the course and started hitting balls," Neisen said.
With Neisen just starting to scratch the surface of her potential, the professional ranks may very well be in her future, but will have to wait as she enjoys her time in Stillwater and has her sights set on adding even more hardware of her own to Karsten Creek's well-stocked trophy hallway.
"At the moment, I am just enjoying college and the experiences I have and when the time comes for that I will start thinking about it. I want to enjoy the time I have here at Oklahoma State first. Hopefully, win national championships with my team or individually or whatever the case is. When the time comes, I will see where my game is. I think it would be fun to try," Neisen said.
And if professional golf does not work out? Neisen's potential career path offers you a glimpse into the type of person she is away from the course.
"I would like to do something in the medical field. I think growing up and being in the hospital with my brothers has inspired me to want to go help other people. We have met so many amazing nurses and doctors since we have been there and it is cool to see how they have impacted us and how they have supported us. I think it would be fun to go do the same for other families," Neisen.
With all she has endured, Neisen has maintained a true appreciation for life and her new-found support system in Stillwater has proven vital to her success even in the most trying of times.
"I am from a small town and I think coming here everybody knows everybody and it is a very supportive community. I love Karsten Creek. It is obviously one of my favorite golf courses and it is humbling to be able to come out here and practice every day. I love my coaches, they are awesome, and the girls on my team have made it so much fun so far and everyone gets along so well," Neisen said.
"It has been a perfect fit."
While en route to Hawaii earlier this spring, Neisen received news that her younger brother, Tom, had been hospitalized due to complications from Hunter Syndrome, a rare genetic disease that results in a life expectancy of approximately 15 years. Just days later, she would go on to shoot a closing 69 at the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational to tie for second and earn her best career finish to that point.
"It was tough when everything started to happen and getting phone calls and knowing that it was going to happen fairly soon," Neisen said.
With her brother's condition declining and the inevitable looming, who could blame Neisen if her performance dipped or she opted to step away from the game. To the contrary, she demonstrated great resolve despite her mind swirling to perform at a high level.
"I have had moments on the golf course where emotions just come out of nowhere and you just start crying and you don't really know what to do with yourself," Neisen said. "My coaches have been so supportive and redirect my focus and stay super positive. That has been great and I have been so lucky to have that."
After her runner-up showing, which helped propel the Cowgirls to the team title, Neisen proceeded on to San Diego for the SDSU Farms Invitational. In the midst of the event, the New Prague, Minn., native received word that Tom had taken a turn for the worst.
After capping the tournament with a win over No. 2-ranked Dana Finkelstein of UNLV on March March 25, Neisen returned to Stillwater and quickly rerouted north to say goodbye to her 15-year-old brother. Two days later, Tom passed away.
Unfortunately, the Neisen family was familiar with these unthinkable circumstances, having lost their first son, Sam, at age 16 to the same ailment in 2009.
"I was in seventh grade when that happened. That was really hard because that was the first time we had been through it," Neisen said.
Through it all, Neisen says her hometown, a community of nearly 7,500 residents located southwest of the Twin Cities, helped her move forward.
"I am so lucky to be where I am from and the community I have grown up with and my friends that I have for support have been amazing for both of my brothers. Having that support has helped our family stay positive and know that everything is going to be ok."
Upon her return to Stillwater, Neisen posted a top-20 finish at the SMU/DAC Invitational while helping the Cowgirls to their second victory of the spring.
Two weeks later, the stage was set for her breakthrough performance at the Dominion Country Club in San Antonio. After opening with rounds of 69 and 70, Neisen found herself leading the Big 12 Championship by three shots heading into the final day of competition and was primed for her first collegiate victory.
"I wasn't nervous going into the third round. I was pretty calm and felt pretty confident with where I was at. I just wanted to go out there and have some fun. I was striking the ball really well and my putting was pretty good. I felt like I just kept my momentum going from the first and second days as a I played," Neisen said.
With 54 holes not proving enough to determine a champion, Neisen carried the mindset of a seasoned veteran into her playoff against Baylor's Laura Lonardi.
"I don't know why I was so calm, but I was. I knew if we tied the first hole and pushed it that I had a par 5 to come in on and I was excited because I could use my length to my advantage and try to win it on the par 5," Neisen said.
In the playoff, everything fell into place like she had envisioned with both players carding pars on the first extra hole. Neisen birdied the par-5 ninth to become OSU's eighth Big 12 medalist.
When the final putt dropped and the Cowgirls' newest conference champion was crowned, the rush of emotions returned for Neisen, who emerged victorious nearly a month to the day of losing a brother for the second time.
"It was so cool to have my parents there when I won it. I know I made them so proud and they were so excited, but I knew too that I made myself proud for what I did and that my hard work paid off. Just a fun combination of everybody being so happy and being together to enjoy the moment," Neisen said.
After having time to process her accomplishment, Neisen embraced the opportunity to take her place among the many accomplished players in Cowgirl history.
"It is fun walking into the locker room and seeing everyone's pictures on the wall and thinking my name and face will be on it soon," Neisen said. "It is pretty cool to be up there with the other women who have won it and seeing how successful they have become."
"It is a pretty cool experience and it is fun to say that I am a Big 12 champion."
The layers to Neisen's story do not end there. Her Big 12 title marked the second time she had countered tragedy with triumph on the course. During her junior year of high school, Neisen's high school coach, Matt Shetka, suffered a fatal heart attack while shoveling snow. A few months later, she delivered the first of the two individual state titles captured during an accomplished prep career.
Despite the continued heartache, Neisen has maintained a glass-half-full outlook on life and has been able to keep the frustrations golf can bring in a perspective usually reserved for someone much longer in the tooth.
"I use it more as motivation to go out there and have fun and whatever happens, happens and to not get upset about hitting a bad shot or if I have a bad round. If I try my best and have fun that is all that really matters at the end of the day," Neisen said.
From unthinkable circumstances, Neisen has found the silver linings and counts her parents, Chris and Angie, as underrated heroes in her life.
"I am so lucky to have the family that I have and the parents that I have grown up with and how amazing they are. I don't think they get enough credit for how much they have done. I think our family is so close and so supportive of each other and so positive all the time that we have been able to handle the situation really well and enjoy every moment that we have," Neisen said.
"My parents have always been really good role models for us to stay positive and not complain about the negative things because it is so easy to do that."
Through tragedy, Neisen has had the fortune of having an older sister, Steffi, to lean on as well.
"I think our brothers have made our family very close and just supportive of each other in golf, school or anything in life," Neisen said.
With a close-knit family providing countless memories, the simple joy the game brought to her brother is one that stands at the forefront for Neisen.
"Our family would go out to the New Prague golf course and we would bring him out in the golf cart. He was so excited to ride in the cart. My sister and my dad and I would just go play for fun growing up and he would get so excited to come on the green and take out the flag for us and was so excited to put it back in when we were finished," Neisen recalled.
Ironically, golf was not always viewed so fondly by the Cowgirl standout and, luckily for head coach Courtney Jones and the OSU program, she changed her tune.
"I actually didn't like golf the first time I went out when I was younger. My parents told me when I was little and would go out on the course I was doing sand angels in the bunkers while my sister was hitting the golf ball. I would go out and do that and pick up tees around the golf course," Neisen explained.
Neisen credits her sister, who was a member of the University of Nebraska golf team, with piquing her interest in the game.
"I really started taking an interest in golf when I saw my sister play. I think it was being the third child and wanting to keep up with an older sibling. Then I started playing it and I had so much fun when I went out on the course and started hitting balls," Neisen said.
With Neisen just starting to scratch the surface of her potential, the professional ranks may very well be in her future, but will have to wait as she enjoys her time in Stillwater and has her sights set on adding even more hardware of her own to Karsten Creek's well-stocked trophy hallway.
"At the moment, I am just enjoying college and the experiences I have and when the time comes for that I will start thinking about it. I want to enjoy the time I have here at Oklahoma State first. Hopefully, win national championships with my team or individually or whatever the case is. When the time comes, I will see where my game is. I think it would be fun to try," Neisen said.
And if professional golf does not work out? Neisen's potential career path offers you a glimpse into the type of person she is away from the course.
"I would like to do something in the medical field. I think growing up and being in the hospital with my brothers has inspired me to want to go help other people. We have met so many amazing nurses and doctors since we have been there and it is cool to see how they have impacted us and how they have supported us. I think it would be fun to go do the same for other families," Neisen.
With all she has endured, Neisen has maintained a true appreciation for life and her new-found support system in Stillwater has proven vital to her success even in the most trying of times.
"I am from a small town and I think coming here everybody knows everybody and it is a very supportive community. I love Karsten Creek. It is obviously one of my favorite golf courses and it is humbling to be able to come out here and practice every day. I love my coaches, they are awesome, and the girls on my team have made it so much fun so far and everyone gets along so well," Neisen said.
"It has been a perfect fit."
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