Wesleyan golfers help LPGA legend at golf clinic

The men’s and women’s golf teams helped LPGA winner Kathy Whitworth host a clinic for the Boys and Girls Club Thursday evening at the Mira Vista Country Club in Fort Worth.

Men’s golf head coach Shaun Hensley said Whitworth is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, has won 88 LPGA Tournaments and puts on a clinic every year.

“She has a big tournament the weekend before spring break, which is coming up, and the Thursday before that tournament she hosts this clinic and so we just help out with it,” he said.

Photo by Lexi Barlow

The clinic lasted roughly two hours and ended with a pizza party for the children. Around 20 kids attended.

Hensley graduated from Texas Wesleyan and also played on the golf team starting in fall 2012. He said the men’s team has been helping with the clinic for roughly eight or nine years.

This was the first year for the women’s team to assist with the clinic after The First Tee Program started helping out, Hensley said.

“The girls’ team work really close with the First Tee Program and that’s why they’ve been helping,” Hensley said.

Texas Wesleyan golfer Piper Frisbie demonstrates how to hit a golf ball for members of the Boys and Girls Club.

He also said that universities from around the area that practice at the country club, such as Texas Christian University, the University of Texas at Arlington, and Texas Wesleyan help out at the clinic every year. The goal of the clinic is to get the children interested in the game and to have fun.

“We’re not with them long enough to teach the gold swing, but we can give them a general idea and let them have fun with it and get hooked,” Hensley said. “Hopefully, they get closer to the game of golf.”

Hensley said helping at the clinic every year warms his heart.

“We don’t know what these young boys and girls are going home to, so this might be the highlight of the week or this might be the highlight of the month,” Hensley said. “Hopefully, we put a smile on their face for at least five minutes.”

Senior Alfonso Herrera has helped out with the tournament for the past four years and said the clinic is a rewarding experience.

“Personally, it feels good to help the kids and spend time with the kids,” Herrera said. “It’s fun seeing how they enjoy hitting the ball.”

Freshman Rustyn Goolsby said this was his first time helping out at the clinic and he enjoyed his time with the kids.

“It was fun to get to help out little kids and show them a little bit about golf,” Goolsby said. “I think it has a positive impact on the kids, it’s giving them something to do, keeping them out of trouble.”