CEDAR CITY — Canyon View High School senior Keslee Sherman has been accepted into New Mexico State University’s PGA Golf Management Program.
At Canyon View’s media center Wednesday afternoon after school, Sherman formally signed a letter expressing her intent to attend NMSU as several of her family members, coaches, teammates and friends looked on.
Sherman said she decided she wanted to attend NMSU after making a campus visit to Las Cruces, New Mexico, in October.
“I felt like it was the right thing to do,” she told those gathered at the signing ceremony. “I knew I wanted golf for the rest of my life and realizing that I could join a program where I could learn not only to just become a better player, but also help people improve their game.”
Although she wasn’t offered an athletic scholarship, Sherman said she plans to eventually try out for the Lady Aggies golf team as a walk-on.
Her father Steve Sherman said NMSU is one of just 11 universities around the United States that have a PGA Golf Management program, which enables students to earn a four-year business and marketing degree tailored specifically for golf course pros and managers.
Of the 300 students enrolled in NMSU’s selective program, only a handful are female, Keslee Sherman noted.
“Being one of a few girls that will be in this program and in an occupation that is mostly, as people say, for males, I’m willing to take on this and show people that I’m ready for this, and that women deserve to be in this as much as males do,” she said.
Keslee Sherman said she hopes to improve her own game as she learns the business and marketing side of golf. Successfully completing the four-year program at NMSU along with the required internships will enable her to receive her PGA certification, she said, adding that a main goal of hers is to eventually play professionally on the LPGA Tour.
In the spring of 2018, Sherman finished her junior season at CVHS in fifth place overall among Region 9 golfers, averaging 42.5 strokes per nine holes during the regular season. The year before, as a sophomore, Sherman placed seventh overall among individual golfers at the state 3A tournament in 2017, becoming the first female Canyon View golfer ever to make the all-state first team by placing among the top 10 at state.
Canyon View girls coach Mark Comstock said he and Sherman share a common bond in that they are both left-handed.
“The truth is, she beats me regularly, all the time,” he said as those in the audience chuckled. “She is just a tremendously hard worker and the effort that she’s put into to become a golfer has been tremendous.”
“She’s a great kid who loves golf,” agreed Jared Barnes, the golf pro at Cedar City’s Cedar Ridge Golf Course, who also attended Wednesday’s signing event. “It’s a good opportunity for her, based on her ability and desire to be involved with golf. She definitely loves the game, so I’m happy for her.”
Sherman is following in the footsteps of her three older siblings, all of whom also played golf at Canyon View High, namely Kaleen (Class of 2012) Karissa (2014) and Kordell (2016). They are the children of Steve and Heather Sherman of Enoch.
Keslee Sherman, who received and opened her letter of acceptance from NMSU on her 18th birthday last week, will finish out her high school career by playing one more season for the Canyon View Lady Falcons next spring.
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Canyon View athletic director Kyle Robinson (right) introduces golfer Keslee Sherman and her high school coach Mark Comstock, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 12, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Canyon View golfer Keslee Sherman speaks to supporters before signing a letter of intent to enroll in New Mexico State University's PGA Golf Management Program, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 12, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Canyon View golfer Keslee Sherman's new golf club bag showing New Mexico State University's logo, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 12, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Canyon View golfer Keslee Sherman and her high school coach Mark Comstock, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 12, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Canyon View golfer Keslee Sherman (second from left) is joined by parents Steve and Heather Sherman and her older brother Kordell Sherman after the signing ceremony, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 12, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News Canyon View golfer Keslee Sherman (center) is joined by family members after the signing ceremony, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 12, 2018 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
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