Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles women’s golfer Kaydi Rhodes said her time with the Golden Eagles has been spent excelling on and outside of the golf course.
Rhodes was named to the Honor Roll four times over her first three years. She was also named to the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll. Rhodes said she continues to instill the motto of having a championship ring on one hand with a degree in the other.
“That was our very first meeting when they instilled that into our heads,” Rhodes said. “That was our end goal at some point was to get a championship and academically get your degree.”
Rhodes currently is majoring in zoology for Tennessee Tech. But Rhodes said her teammates have jokingly brought up the idea of Rhodes being an assistant coach alongside head coach Amanda Smith. Rhodes said she remains undecided on her future. Rhodes said both in the classroom and on the golf course, the support system is as important as the competition.
“Academically, they’re always pushing you to be the best that you can,” Rhodes said. “They always support you if you’re having trouble. They urge you to go seek help.”
Rhodes said the balance of discipline and encouragement has resulted in her thriving on the course.
“Athletically, they’ve pushed me to be the best,” Rhodes said. “I’ve become the best version of myself as a golfer that I could be because of this program.”
Rhodes finished last season posting a career-low 72 at the OVC Championships. She finished in the top 10 golfers in the first meet of this season last week.
