PEORIA MAGAZINE May 2023

S P O T L I G H T

JUST A PUTT AWAY FROM THE PROS

Morton’s Tommy Kuhl is making his mark on the links, hoping to swing his way into a golf career

BY KIRK WESSLER

H ard to believe, but Tommy Kuhl has flaws in his golf game. It’s golf, after all. But still hard to believe. Because Kuhl is one of the top college golfers in the nation, averaging 70.06 strokes per round in his senior season at the University of Illinois. Because even before that, he had a bag full of shots your bag never dreamed of. At Morton High School, he won two individual state championships, shooting a record 63 in the state finals his senior season. ‘FOR TOMMY, GOOD IS NEVER GOOD ENOUGH’ — Jamie King Seriously. Sixty-freaking-three at age 17 and you have flaws? “I had some pretty bad times putting,” Kuhl said. Poor putting has derailed countless quests to play on the PGA Tour, which is where Kuhl wants to make his living.

outrageously low scores was his short game. He’d be on a 365-yard, par-4 hole and bomb his drive 315, but he’d leave himself a 20-foot putt.” Even the Tour pros make only 15 percent of their 20-footers. So this wasn’t just about putting. The need for improvement required sticking approach shots closer to the pin – and then draining shorter putts. Kuhl says he was overwhelmed at his arrival on the Illinois campus. A lot had to do with the adjustments that most college students face: living away from home for the first time, trying to figure out classes, meeting new people. Then he got a look at his new team mates and realized he wasn’t the only former high school stud on the team, but just another talented player with big goals. Kuhl suddenly wondered if he was up to playing for a program of Illinois’ stature. But he’s also driven. ‘GOOD IS NEVER GOOD ENOUGH’

“That’s what they all want,” Fighting Illini golf coach Mike Small says. GOING LONG, COMING UP SHORT Small has played in 72 Tour events, with one top-10 finish, and still competes in selected tournaments. He has used the lessons he learned the hard way to teach aspiring stars and build U of I golf into a national power, consistently ranking among the nation’s top 25. When Kuhl arrived on the Illinois campus as a freshman, Small told him: “You’re one of the best ball-strikers in the country, but that’s not the only thing you need to play out here.” The message took a while to sink in, even though Kuhl knew his short game needed help. Hard truths aren’t easy to hear, especially when you’ve been a record-setting star despite your flaws. “Tommy could just overpower a course in high school,” Morton Coach Jamie King said. “On days when he was sharp, he’d show up and it was game over for everyone else. But the one thing that held him back from more of those

38 MAY 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE