Recent Grandville High School graduate Kyle Klein has taken the disc golf world by storm.
“Honestly going in I didn’t think I was going to do this well," Klein said. "I didn’t think I was going to be performing to the level that I am now. I know I can do it but it is honestly beyond my expectations.”
A year ago at this time Kyle was an amateur.
Now, not only is he a very young pro at 18 years old, but he is more than holding his own with the best players in the world.
“The tournament I just played in this weekend, last year I was still an amateur but I competed in the open division I actually tied for third place in the open division and I was still technically an amateur," Klein said. "So I realized then I could really hang with the open division professional players.”
Kyle credits his father for getting him started in the game about seven years ago.
While he has always enjoyed playing, he admits he didn't see it taking him to where he is today, not at first anyway.
“Not starting out," Klein said. "Not within the first three or four years but as of last year I was thinking this is something that I might want to do.”
While there are not many, if any, professional disc golfers as young as Kyle, he says the other pros have gladly accepted him into their fraternity.
“I have been accepted pretty well I feel like," Klein said. "A lot of the top guys don’t look at 18 year olds and younger and feel intimidated and feel they don’t want eighteen year olds to play, honestly they welcome them with open arms and say this is cool the young kids are coming in and competing with the best guys because they know this is going to be the future of the sport.”
Kyle is currently trying to decide his future, he is considering taking college courses online while continuing to play disc golf.
