By Lauren Kane
What do you do when your dream job has always been to become a professional golfer? Well, if you are Kasey Scott, you pursue that dream until it comes true. Scott, a Barry alum who played on the men’s golf team from 2001-2003, is currently living in Bradenton, Fla., and working toward that goal.
“Golf has always been my first love,” he explained.
After graduating from Barry with a sport management degree, Scott found himself playing golf so well that he qualified for a Professional Golf Association (PGA) Tour event: the 2003 Buick Open.
“Playing at the Buick Open was an experience like no other,” he explained. “I thought I was ready, but I was too nervous.”
Even though Scott did not succeed like he planned, playing in a professional event so early in his career helped him in the long run. He now has a fantastic new coach and things are headed in the right direction.
“I knew I had a long way to go,” he stated about his experience at the PGA Tour event. And for a man who grew up watching the great Tiger Woods, it was a pleasant shock to find himself locker buddies with such a distinguished player.
“[The Buick Open] opened up a whole new world [for me]. I learned a lot and it was a great experience,” Scott (pictured at left) said.
To help achieve his ultimate dream, Scott is taking some of the skills he learned at Barry and applying them toward his goal. For instance, time management was a very important skill he learned while being an athlete at Barry.
“Barry is a small setting and I had people looking over my shoulder making sure I was doing alright.”
The late Neill Miller, Assistant Dean of Barry’s School of Human Performance and Leisure Sciences, was a big help in getting Scott on the right track. Scott uses time management and organization in his everyday life, from arranging hotel reservations, finding maps, to even working on his finances.
Scott knows the path towards becoming a professional golfer is a long and arduous one, but he is prepared. He will play golf full time starting this summer on the Gateway and Hooters Tours with the goal of qualifying for the Nationwide Tour. And once he succeeds in that respect, the PGA Tour is his next conquest.
“I will chase my dream for as long as it takes,” he states. “Anyone can do what they want if they put their mind to it.”