Minnesota Golfer - Directory 2015 - 19

(the golfing life
)
There's No
Breaking
Katie
A former high school
phenom's best golf
attribute may be her
attitude.
By Joseph Oberle
K
atie Detlefsen tore up high
school golf in Minnesota, winning
the state championship
a record four times (2004-07). She went
to Central Florida University where, in
2010, the LPGA awarded her the Dinah
Shore Trophy for combined academic
performance,
community service and
scoring average for a Division I golfer.
Since college, she has been teaching at
Raptor Bay Golf Academy in Fort Myers,
Fla., and Somerby Golf Club in Byron,
Minn.-interspersed with pro tour stops
in the Canadian and the Symetra Tours.
She was the second competitor eliminated
from The Golf Channel's " Big
Break Myrtle Beach " last season-but she
said it would make her stronger. Hearing
her talk about the experience, it's not
hard to believe her.
Q How did you get on the show?
A I know a few people who had been on
the show previously, and it's been positive
for their careers. Plus, a lot of my students
said, 'If you want to play, you should be
on the show because so many people are
fans of it.' So I decided to apply, and The
Golf Channel thought I'd be a good fit.
Q What is The Golf Channel looking
for in contestants?
A They want people who can play. They
want whoever earns the tour exemptions
to represent the show well. It seems they
like people with diverse personalities-
different stories to tell, different backKatie
Detlefsen
" There is not a lot of room for feeling bad
about yourself on the golf course. "
grounds,
different journeys-because
that's fun for the viewers.
Q How was competing against men?
A I have an older brother, and we grew up
playing golf together. When I first started
playing tournaments, I was probably six
or seven and some of the events didn't
have a girls division, so I played with
boys. But when you're playing against the
guys, they're strong players, so you need
to bring your best golf.
Q Do you think the exposure will help?
A I hope at the very least it may inspire
some dads to take their daughters out to
the course. I'd also love a sponsor to make
it easier to compete in tournaments and
not have to rely solely on teaching to further
my playing career. If it means more
people taking lessons, that's great, too.
Q What have you taken away from the
experience?
A Overall, it was a great experience-just
to have the opportunity to compete and
learn and grow and improve as a player
and instructor. You always have to take
away the positives and maybe the things
that weren't 100 percent what you wanted.
You just find ways to become better.
Q You were eliminated, but you stayed
positive. How did you do that?
A You have to have the right attitude
with golf, because you get beat way too
many times and it's so easy to get down
about stuff. The best players learn how to
get better and improve. There is not a lot
of room for feeling bad about yourself on
the golf course.
www.mngolf.org
Directory 2015 MINNESOTAGOLFER
17
PHOTO BY MARK ASHMAN/GOLF CHANNEL
http://www.mngolf.org
Minnesota Golfer - Directory 2015

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