Alumni corner: Fairview's Kelsey Webster wraps up college career at OSU
Aug. 8—When Kelsey Webster first began her career at Fairview High School, golf was more of an afterthought to basketball.
Nearly a decade later, it has culminated in not only a strong high school showing, but a successful college career as well. Webster reached her acme in the sport in 2022, when she tied for fifth place in the Pac-12 Championships — shooting 2-over par — as a member of Oregon State's team, then added to her resume outside of the collegiate sphere.
Last summer, Webster won the Low Amateur division in the Colorado Women's Open, the CGA Women's Stroke Play Championship and the Denver City Women's Championship.
"My first year at OSU was by far the best year of my golf career that I had," Webster said. "I think looking back on it, I wish that I had celebrated myself more and given myself some more credit. Golf is so hard. I think when you win tournaments or do well, I just expected it out of myself and I didn't take enough time to just pause and kind of pat myself on the back."
Her golf path, however, was far from traditional.
Growing up on the first hole of the Boulder Country Club, Webster always had golf in the back of her mind. Her father Bob, who served as the national director and Colorado chairman of the Western Golf Association, tried instilling the love of the game in her when she was young.
Kelsey would have none of it, instead focusing on other athletics.
It wasn't until her freshman year at Fairview that she decided to give the game a try, but she didn't quite catch the fever until the fall of her sophomore year, when Bob took her to a college golf camp in Phoenix. There, the coaches told her that while she lacked the necessary mechanics, they saw raw athleticism and potential that could take her far.
She wasted no time seeking out a swing coach, Dan Sniffin of the Omni Interlocken, to improve her game. Her handicap dropped from a 14 to a 1 in just a year under his tutelage.
"I just really caught the golf bug and I just got addicted, basically, to wanting a D-I golf scholarship," Kelsey said. "I think it was cool for me to see how hard work pays off. Looking back at my journey of where I started and then how I ended my senior year, even in just high school, I did accomplish that goal."
While wearing the Knights crimson, Kelsey won the Front Range League championship twice and, at the time, held the lowest stroke average in Fairview girls golf history before graduating in 2018. She carried that success into a three-year career at CU, then transferred to Oregon State for her final two years of eligibility, the extra year of which was granted through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her father was there to witness it all.
"As a parent, it's incredible to see the success that your kids have in any way," Bob said. "For me — having such a passion for the game of golf and me being involved in so many organizations at a local and national level — having her take those steps to succeed and ultimately, really becoming top 200 in the world, gave me a personal thrill because of my passion. So, selfishly, it's been tremendously fulfilling for me to watch her success and to watch it pay off."
With her college career in the rearview mirror by just a few months, Kelsey is currently enjoying her seasonal position as the tournament director of Southwest Section of the PGA, located in Scottsdale, Ariz. She hopes to one day utilize her knowledge and experience as a college coach.
