Trip Kuehne

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Ernest W. "Trip" Kuehne III (born June 20, 1972) is an American amateur golfer. He is most remembered for his life-changing defeat at the hands of Tiger Woods in the 1994 U.S. Amateur Championship,[1][2] and his subsequent steadfast refusal to turn professional in favor of a successful amateur career.[3]

Contents

[edit] Early achievements

Kuehne was born in Dallas, Texas. As a pupil at Highland Park High School in Dallas, he was coached by Hank Haney,[4] who later gained renown as Tiger Woods' swing coach after Woods and Butch Harmon split in 2002.[5] Under Haney's tutelage he won back-to-back Texas high school golf championships, an achievement shared with Justin Leonard, Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite.[6] At college, he enrolled at Arizona State University, where he was the roommate of Phil Mickelson.[3] He then transferred to Oklahoma State University, where he was All-American from 1994 to 1996.[7] But following his defeat at the 1994 U.S. Amateur Championship, Kuehne found he was unwilling to make the sacrifices demanded in a professional golfer's life, and concentrated instead on a career in finance after graduating with an MBA in 1997.[2][4][8]

[edit] 1994 U.S. Amateur and subsequent career

“ I want people to realize that you don't have to turn professional if you're an All-American. There are other things out there. You can get a good-paying job, you can enjoy the game of golf and play because you love the game of golf. ”

—Trip Kuehne, after winning the U.S. Mid-Amateur in October 2007.[9]

In 1994, Kuehne reached the final of the U.S. Amateur Championship at the TPC at Sawgrass, where his opponent was a heavily hyped eighteen-year-old Tiger Woods. After shooting 66 in the morning round, Kuehne had a six-hole advantage, and was still five up with only twelve holes remaining.[10] However, Woods then staged the greatest turnaround in the tournament's 94-year history,[11] winning five of the next ten holes before sinking a fifteen-foot putt on the seventeenth to win the event in what was described as "one of golf's great performances".[12] The defeat had a cataclysmic effect on Kuehne, who found himself questioning his own commitment to the sport and whether he really was good enough to compete.[4] He has since come to view the result as a blessing in disguise,[9][10] although he confesses that he still will not watch footage of the match.[13]

Kuehne played in three Walker Cup teams for the United States, in 1995, 2003[14] and 2007.[15] He also played in four U.S. Opens, where he was the lowest scoring amateur in 2003 at Olympia Fields Country Club.[6][16] Thirteen years after his Masters Tournament debut as runner-up to Woods, he returned to the Augusta National Golf Club in 2008,[17] this time by beating Dan Whitaker 9&7 at the 2007 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon to qualify.[18] The fulfillment of his ambition to "take my boy to the Masters",[9] along with his other 2007 successes—he was on the winning Walker Cup team for the first time, and helped Texas retain the USGA state team title[8]—led him to make Augusta the scene of his final competitive tournament before retirement.[19]

[edit] Personal life

Kuehne was the eldest child of Ernie Kuehne (in full Ernest W. Kuehne, Jr.),[20] a successful lawyer and businessman who admits to being a hard-driving parent, saying "I don't think my kids are competitive by accident."[4] All three children have won US Golf Association championships, a unique feat in the organization's history.[6][21] His sister Kelli scored back-to-back victories at the U.S. Women's Amateur in 1995 and 1996 before turning pro in 1998,[22] while brother Hank, before joining the PGA Tour in 1999,[23] won the 1998 U.S. Amateur Championship with Trip as his caddy.[1]

He lives with wife Dusti and son Will in Irving, Texas,[24] and owns his own Dallas-based investment management company, Double Eagle Capital,[25] which he started in 2005 after working as a hedge fund manager for Legg Mason.[6] His home club is the Sports Club at Las Colinas, Texas.[7]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "Woods' birdie vs. Trip Kuehne in '94 changed fate for both", Bill Nichols, Dallas Morning News, March 24, 2004
  2. ^ a b "Beaten by Tiger, Kuehne took a different path", Shaun Powell, Newsday.com, April 11, 2008
  3. ^ a b "Amateur Kuehne a throwback in need of a break", Gene Wojciechowski, ESPN, April 11, 2008
  4. ^ a b c d "Kuehne prepares for final Masters", Alan Shipnuck, Sports Illustrated, April 1, 2008
  5. ^ "Woods-Haney Remains Solid", John Hawkins, GolfWorld, October 26, 2007
  6. ^ a b c d "A Trip of a Lifetime", Merrell Noden, Links Magazine
  7. ^ a b "Chasing the Dream", Jeff Williams, Cigar Aficionado, May/June 2001
  8. ^ a b "Trip Kuehne following his own course", Bill Nichols, Dallas Morning News, April 9, 2008
  9. ^ a b c Transcript of post-victory interview with Trip Kuehne, U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, October 4, 2007
  10. ^ a b "Kuehne's loss a blessing in disguise", Paul Newberry, GolfWeek, April 9, 2008
  11. ^ "Tiger Woods becomes youngest winner of U.S. Amateur Golf Championship", John Strege, The Orange County Register, August 29, 1994
  12. ^ "Woods Sitting Pretty After U.S. Amateur Golf Triumph", Barry Cooper, New Pittsburgh Courier, September 3, 1994
  13. ^ "An Interview With: Trip Kuehne", Craig Smith, U.S. Amateur Championship, Oakmont, 2003
  14. ^ Player Bios, 2003 Walker Cup Match
  15. ^ 2007 USA Walker Cup Team Profiles
  16. ^ 103rd U.S. Open Championship - Round 4 Amateur Players
  17. ^ "The run ends at the Masters", Mark Whicker, The Orange County Register, April 9, 2008
  18. ^ "Kuehne routs Whitaker to win U.S. Mid-Amateur title", Associated Press/ESPN, October 5, 2007
  19. ^ "With plenty of support, Trip Kuehne ends a brilliant career", Alan Shipnuck, Golf.com, April 11, 2008
  20. ^ From the record for the elder Kuehne in the member directory of the State Bar of Texas.
  21. ^ "The Kuehne Triple Crown", David Shefter, USGA, April 3, 2008
  22. ^ LPGA Tour biography for Kelli Kuehne
  23. ^ "Hank Kuehne figures short week will go long way", Brad Townsend, Dallas Morning News, September 30, 1998
  24. ^ "Kuehne falls short in bid to make weekend", Bill Nichols, Dallas Morning News, April 11, 2008
  25. ^ Homepage, Double Eagle Capital

[edit] External links