Wake Forest Athletics
Photo by: Brian Westerholt/Sports On Film
Kuehn Makes an Instant Impact at Wake Forest
10/16/2019 4:40:00 PM | Women's Golf, Les Johns
When Wake Forest freshman Rachel Kuehn failed to even qualify for the first tournament of the season, coach Kim Lewellen had a simple message for her.
"You're going to compete at home while we're competing," the Wake Forest women's golf coach told Kuehn. "Earn your spot if you want it."
Hitting the cart path during a qualifying round led to a triple bogey, which led to Kuehn not qualifying for the Cougar Classic by just one stroke.
Lewellen's advice? Play to win.
"Rachel, I don't want you to be a defensive player, just trying to make the lineup," Lewellen advised her. "You're a really good player. You need to be offensive. Go out there and try to win the event."
It's safe to say the message was well received.
Kuehn not only qualified for the next event, she went out and dominated the star-studded ANNIKA Intercollegiate. She posted a five-shot victory, going 13-under while defeating a field that included 12 All-Americans.
"It definitely stung that I didn't get a chance to play in the first tournament," Kuehn said.
The time on campus while her teammates were finishing second in the season-opening event in Charleston, South Carolina led to some soul searching.
"What do I need to do to qualify for the next one?" Kuehn pondered. "How can I challenge the best players in the country and be the best I can be?"
Kuehn ran out to a quick lead at the ANNIKA, going bogey-free in the first round.
"She made some clutch putts to save par," Lewellen said. "She handled herself professionally and was emotionally mature the whole time."
It wasn't until she made the turn during the second round that it dawned on her just how well things were going.
"I made the turn and I still hadn't made a bogey for the entire tournament," Kuehn Said. "At that point, it clicked in."
She finished the tournament strong, and the Deacs took first place as a team. The Deacs rose to the No. 1 ranked team in the country.
"It's been great and incredibly busy," Kuehn said about the start to her collegiate career. "I've gotten to meet so many great people and the team is so close. This really is a home away from home. There have been some rough periods, but I knew the team was there for me, so it's been great."
The storybook start of Kuehn's career is even more remarkable when you consider at one time she was 100 percent confident she'd never attend Wake Forest.
Kuehn's mother, Brenda Corrie Kuehn, was an All-American and is in the Wake Forest Athletics Hall of Fame. Her father, Eric, played baseball for the Deacs.
"I was completely sure that I was never going to come here," Kuehn said.
But she ended up visiting the campus, and she unexpectedly fell in love with what she saw.
"I loved the facilities, and how can you not love them?" Kuehn said. "I like the small campus, smaller student population and that it was liberal arts. There were so many things I loved about this school. You get this feeling.
"There really were no negatives to this school. It was everything I was looking for."
So she called her mother on the way home from the trip.
"Mom, I loved it," she told her.
"She wanted me to make my own decision, and to not be influenced by her, dad, or anyone else," Kuehn said. "She was going to be happy as long as I was happy."
Kuehn was familiar with Lewellen, as she considered Virginia prior to choosing Wake Forest as her college destination.
"I recruited her to play, and obviously lost to Wake," Lewellen reflects, having taken over as the coach at Wake Forest last summer.
Experiencing a coaching change can be tough on a team and also commits who have chosen a school and a program, but the hiring of Lewellen put Kuehn's fears at ease.
"When I found out coach Kim was coming in, all my anxiety was lifted," she said. "I knew she was going to great for the program and that we were going to get along well."
Kuehn finished 13th last weekend in the Tar Heel Classic Invitational, shooting 2-under for the tournament. She said she wants to improve her chipping.
"You can never stop improving in golf," Kuehn said. "There's always something you can do better. I want my long game to get a little more consistent, and for my putting to get better. But that goes for anyone, whether it's Tiger Woods or someone just starting."
Her team never fails to entertain, according to Lewellen. She walked out of the Arnold Palmer Golf Complex at the end of practice recently and saw Kuehn cutting up with senior Siyun Liu.
"Juggle me a ball," Kuehn asked Liu.
So Liu tossed a golf ball Kuehn's way and watched her easily whack it much like a baseball.
"No one can do that," Lewellen said, adding that Kuehn was an all-state tennis player.
Liu tried rather unsuccessfully to match Kuehn's feat, finally fouling one off a few feet while the rest of the team joined the frivolity.
Lewellen's team is good at golf, that's for sure, but they also enjoy being together — which bodes well for a deep tournament run come May.
"I'm so glad that I made this decision," Kuehn said. "It's the best place for me, by far."
"You're going to compete at home while we're competing," the Wake Forest women's golf coach told Kuehn. "Earn your spot if you want it."
Hitting the cart path during a qualifying round led to a triple bogey, which led to Kuehn not qualifying for the Cougar Classic by just one stroke.
Lewellen's advice? Play to win.
"Rachel, I don't want you to be a defensive player, just trying to make the lineup," Lewellen advised her. "You're a really good player. You need to be offensive. Go out there and try to win the event."
It's safe to say the message was well received.
Kuehn not only qualified for the next event, she went out and dominated the star-studded ANNIKA Intercollegiate. She posted a five-shot victory, going 13-under while defeating a field that included 12 All-Americans.
"It definitely stung that I didn't get a chance to play in the first tournament," Kuehn said.
The time on campus while her teammates were finishing second in the season-opening event in Charleston, South Carolina led to some soul searching.
"What do I need to do to qualify for the next one?" Kuehn pondered. "How can I challenge the best players in the country and be the best I can be?"
Kuehn ran out to a quick lead at the ANNIKA, going bogey-free in the first round.
"She made some clutch putts to save par," Lewellen said. "She handled herself professionally and was emotionally mature the whole time."
It wasn't until she made the turn during the second round that it dawned on her just how well things were going.
"I made the turn and I still hadn't made a bogey for the entire tournament," Kuehn Said. "At that point, it clicked in."
She finished the tournament strong, and the Deacs took first place as a team. The Deacs rose to the No. 1 ranked team in the country.
"It's been great and incredibly busy," Kuehn said about the start to her collegiate career. "I've gotten to meet so many great people and the team is so close. This really is a home away from home. There have been some rough periods, but I knew the team was there for me, so it's been great."
The storybook start of Kuehn's career is even more remarkable when you consider at one time she was 100 percent confident she'd never attend Wake Forest.
Kuehn's mother, Brenda Corrie Kuehn, was an All-American and is in the Wake Forest Athletics Hall of Fame. Her father, Eric, played baseball for the Deacs.
"I was completely sure that I was never going to come here," Kuehn said.
But she ended up visiting the campus, and she unexpectedly fell in love with what she saw.
"I loved the facilities, and how can you not love them?" Kuehn said. "I like the small campus, smaller student population and that it was liberal arts. There were so many things I loved about this school. You get this feeling.
"There really were no negatives to this school. It was everything I was looking for."
So she called her mother on the way home from the trip.
"Mom, I loved it," she told her.
"She wanted me to make my own decision, and to not be influenced by her, dad, or anyone else," Kuehn said. "She was going to be happy as long as I was happy."
Kuehn was familiar with Lewellen, as she considered Virginia prior to choosing Wake Forest as her college destination.
"I recruited her to play, and obviously lost to Wake," Lewellen reflects, having taken over as the coach at Wake Forest last summer.
Experiencing a coaching change can be tough on a team and also commits who have chosen a school and a program, but the hiring of Lewellen put Kuehn's fears at ease.
"When I found out coach Kim was coming in, all my anxiety was lifted," she said. "I knew she was going to great for the program and that we were going to get along well."
Kuehn finished 13th last weekend in the Tar Heel Classic Invitational, shooting 2-under for the tournament. She said she wants to improve her chipping.
"You can never stop improving in golf," Kuehn said. "There's always something you can do better. I want my long game to get a little more consistent, and for my putting to get better. But that goes for anyone, whether it's Tiger Woods or someone just starting."
Her team never fails to entertain, according to Lewellen. She walked out of the Arnold Palmer Golf Complex at the end of practice recently and saw Kuehn cutting up with senior Siyun Liu.
"Juggle me a ball," Kuehn asked Liu.
So Liu tossed a golf ball Kuehn's way and watched her easily whack it much like a baseball.
"No one can do that," Lewellen said, adding that Kuehn was an all-state tennis player.
Liu tried rather unsuccessfully to match Kuehn's feat, finally fouling one off a few feet while the rest of the team joined the frivolity.
Lewellen's team is good at golf, that's for sure, but they also enjoy being together — which bodes well for a deep tournament run come May.
"I'm so glad that I made this decision," Kuehn said. "It's the best place for me, by far."
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
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