After the 2012 season, Edmond, Oklahoma native Kendall Dye had a decision to make. When she graduated from Oklahoma and turned professional in 2010, she gave herself three years to conquer the Epson Tour and graduate to the LPGA Tour. Her three years were up and she had finishes of 73rd, 47th and 96th on the Epson Tour’s Volvik Race for the Card money list.
She admits now that even those close to her began to question whether she should continue to pursue her dream. Many believed that is was time for her to put away the clubs and begin a traditional nine to five job.
She turned a deaf ear.
Year four was better, but she finished 19th and outside the top 10. The “should I just get a normal job decision loomed again”, but now she saw improvement and felt ready to make a run.
In 2014, Dye won the fourth event of the year on the Epson Tour, the IOA Golf Classic and produced seven additional top 10 finishes to finish eighth on the Volvik Race for the Card money list.
Her win in Longwood, Florida was memorable and also mirrored her career path. She got off to an OK start, not great. She clawed to hang around the top of the leaderboard and then struck late to win.
Needing a strong finish, she produced birdies on the 10th, 12th, 13th and 15th holes and seized complete control when she holed out for eagle from 75 yards on the 16th hole.
After securing her card and jumping into the pool at LPGA International, Dye perfectly summed up her journey.
“I’m just a little kid from Oklahoma, never played out of the state growing up, and this kind of shows you that if you set your mind to it (LPGA) and give yourself some time then dreams can come true.”
Although she now resides in Phoenix, Ariz. and plays out of Troon Country Club, Dye is an Oklahoma girl through and through. She is a diehard Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma City Thunder fan.
Off the course, Dye enjoys cooking. Her specialties include teriyaki salmon and sautéed mushrooms, which are “famous” amongst her friends.
Although it took a little longer than she had hoped, Dye found just the right ingredients to get a taste of the LPGA.
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