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MacKinzie Kline can play. That’s why the Encinitas teenager played in the Kraft Nabisco pro-am in March and received a sponsor’s exemption to play in the Annika Sorenstam-hosted Ginn Tribute at the end of this month. But there are a lot of good junior golfers out there. Very few, however, have Kline’s inspirational story. Born with a congenital heart defect that necessitated two open-heart surgeries by the time she was 2 years old, Kline, 15, hasn’t let physical limitations slow her down. She’s one of the top-rated girl golfers in the country and has become a prominent spokesperson for the Children’s Heart Foundation. She’s also making history because the LPGA adjusted its rules and will allow Kline to use a golf cart during the Ginn Tribute. “I’m very excited to play [in the Ginn Tribute],” Kline said at the Kraft Nabisco. “I really can’t believe that I’m actually going to be able to play, but I’m excited and hopefully I’ll play well.” Were you surprised with the ex-emption and the waiver on the cart? Yes, I was very surprised. My dad was talking about it first, and I thought maybe they would let me play. But I never really thought it would actually happen. I was so excited when it did. Would you be able to compete in that tournament without the use of that cart? I would not. It would be very, very hard for me to actually play well and be able to focus. Tell us a little bit about your condition and what you’re able to do — what you can and can’t do in terms of physical conditioning? Well, I can’t do any aerobic activities because I only have three chambers. And because of the blood clots I have, I can’t [ride] roller coasters or go on a boogie board, or if I wanted to try surfing, I couldn’t do anything like that. What’s your relationship with Annika Sorenstam? I met her at the Nokia. I actually got to play nine holes with her. It was so much fun watching the greatest LPGA golfer play. She’s really very nice, and actually, she’s kind of shy. What’s the strength of your game? I’m starting to hit the ball farther. I’m really working on my putting right now and trying to get that really good. Do you have a favorite player? I like Annika. I like Lorena [Ochoa]. I like watching Natalie Gulbis and Paula Creamer. I’ve met a lot of players because of pro-ams, and I just start liking all of them because they are so nice and you want all of them to do well. What are your goals in golf? I want to play in the USGA events this summer, which would be very fun and, hopefully someday, I’ll play on the LPGA Tour. That’s my biggest goal, but right now I just want to do really well in the USGA events. SG |
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