Photo by: Kelly Gorham
Montana State Golf’s Hooper Looks to Build Off Sophomore Season Success
9/7/2018 11:03:00 AM | Women's Golf
After a strong sophomore season, Kelly Hooper enters her junior year excited to get back on the golf course for the Bobcats
Kelly Hooper set the program record with a 75.37 scoring average her sophomore season. That scoring average led her to winning the Grand Canyon Invitational while also receiving third team all Big-Sky honors at the conclusion of the season.
After such a successful sophomore campaign the Spokane, Wash., native enters her junior season full of excitement. Hooper begins her third year at MSU at a familiar course. The Montana State golf team opens the year hosting the Battle at Old Works on Monday, Sept 10 , in Anaconda, Mont.
"I'm very excited, I'm really excited it's in Montana," said Hooper. "I really like the course. I placed third there last year so I'm excited to go and see how well I can do and try to win it."
Starting the season with a familiar course will hopefully provide the momentum needed for a successful season.
To put herself in a position to win the tournament, Hooper knows she is going to have to manage her mistakes. Consistency is a key factor for success on a golf course. Hooper used her offseason to build off a successful sophomore year with the hopes of a few more wins, starting next week.
"I was much more consistent last year than I was my freshman year," said Hooper. "I'd like to be more consistent with my ball-striking. Not making the big mistakes, putting myself in bad spots, so I've been working on that a lot this summer."
A summer of practice and hard work is ready to pay off.
Kelly is not the only athlete in the Hooper family. Her dad, Jeff, played baseball at Washington State University then professionally in the Seattle Mariners organization. Kelly credits her work ethic to her dad.
"He's coached me in most of my sports," said Hooper. "When I was ,younger he was always the assistant coach or head coach on my teams. He has a really good work ethic from all the sports that he's played, and he instilled that in me. I definitely don't think I'd be as committed if it wasn't for him pushing me."
It is easy to see where Hooper gets her work ethic and poise from. Hard work is something that has been in the Hooper family for generations. Hooper's grandfather was a civil engineer for the United States military. Her father is part of a construction company in Spokane.
"[Construction] is just something that's interested me," said Hooper. "My grandpa was a civil engineer with the military. He did a lot of stuff with construction of roads and stuff like that. That's always been something that's been in my family and kind of interesting to me."
Kelly was not entirely sure what she wanted to study in school. She was always drawn to construction and math and wanted to use her education to further those interests. She eventually decided to take after her family and pursue civil engineering.
"It was actually quite a process to get to civil engineering," said Hooper. "I started in financial engineering, didn't love it. Then I went into business finance and I was just kind of bored by the business classes. One of my friends told me, 'You have such a good math brain, you should definitely do civil engineering.' He helped me figure that out."
With the groundwork set on the academic side and on the course, Hooper is ready to construct another historic season starting on Monday.
After such a successful sophomore campaign the Spokane, Wash., native enters her junior season full of excitement. Hooper begins her third year at MSU at a familiar course. The Montana State golf team opens the year hosting the Battle at Old Works on Monday, Sept 10 , in Anaconda, Mont.
"I'm very excited, I'm really excited it's in Montana," said Hooper. "I really like the course. I placed third there last year so I'm excited to go and see how well I can do and try to win it."
Starting the season with a familiar course will hopefully provide the momentum needed for a successful season.
To put herself in a position to win the tournament, Hooper knows she is going to have to manage her mistakes. Consistency is a key factor for success on a golf course. Hooper used her offseason to build off a successful sophomore year with the hopes of a few more wins, starting next week.
"I was much more consistent last year than I was my freshman year," said Hooper. "I'd like to be more consistent with my ball-striking. Not making the big mistakes, putting myself in bad spots, so I've been working on that a lot this summer."
A summer of practice and hard work is ready to pay off.
Kelly is not the only athlete in the Hooper family. Her dad, Jeff, played baseball at Washington State University then professionally in the Seattle Mariners organization. Kelly credits her work ethic to her dad.
"He's coached me in most of my sports," said Hooper. "When I was ,younger he was always the assistant coach or head coach on my teams. He has a really good work ethic from all the sports that he's played, and he instilled that in me. I definitely don't think I'd be as committed if it wasn't for him pushing me."
It is easy to see where Hooper gets her work ethic and poise from. Hard work is something that has been in the Hooper family for generations. Hooper's grandfather was a civil engineer for the United States military. Her father is part of a construction company in Spokane.
"[Construction] is just something that's interested me," said Hooper. "My grandpa was a civil engineer with the military. He did a lot of stuff with construction of roads and stuff like that. That's always been something that's been in my family and kind of interesting to me."
Kelly was not entirely sure what she wanted to study in school. She was always drawn to construction and math and wanted to use her education to further those interests. She eventually decided to take after her family and pursue civil engineering.
"It was actually quite a process to get to civil engineering," said Hooper. "I started in financial engineering, didn't love it. Then I went into business finance and I was just kind of bored by the business classes. One of my friends told me, 'You have such a good math brain, you should definitely do civil engineering.' He helped me figure that out."
With the groundwork set on the academic side and on the course, Hooper is ready to construct another historic season starting on Monday.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
Thursday, September 27
Tuesday, September 25
Tuesday, September 25
Tuesday, September 25
