CCU staffers' daughter excels at game she loves
Ed and Kathy Parsons have a talented young daughter. Kayla Parsons, 9, has won numerous golf tournaments recently.“At age 2, she fell in love with golf – miniature golf, that is,” says Kathy, mail clerk in the University's Postal Services. “She was five years old when she first told us she wanted to really learn to play golf, and she has been obsessed ever since,” says Ed, support technician for Information Technology Services (ITS).
Ed and Kathy enrolled Kayla in classes at the First Tee Organization of Myrtle Beach when she was 5. The First Tee Organization, which is an initiative of the World Golf Foundation to provide facilities to promote development and enhancement through the game of golf, is known for its national school programs in which more than 1.6 million students are enrolled in more than 3,500 schools.
Kayla won the US Kids Golf Summer Tour 2009, the First Tee of Myrtle Beach Summer Tour 2009 and the First Tee of Myrtle Beach Fall Tour 2009. She was also the recipient of the First Tee of Myrtle Beach 2009 Player of the Year award. In her most recent tournament at Pinehurst, the US Kids Summer Tour 2010, she came in close at second, only one shot from the lead.
Ed has been working in ITS for three years, and Kathy was just recently hired in Postal Services a few weeks ago. Kayla has an older brother, Chris, who is 20. When Kayla is not busy with golf, she also enjoys karate, bowling, swimming, going to the beach, and arts and crafts. Her favorite professional golfers are Paula Creamer, Ricky Fowler and Dustin Johnson. Kayla’s lowest scores are 41 on 9 holes and 87 on 18 holes, and her favorite course in Myrtle Beach is the Dunes Club.
Oh, and dad Ed plays "at golf," but claims he isn't very good. Kathy, he says, is a much better golfer. But both agree that Kayla is the best golfer in the family.
