Daily Egyptian:First off, how and when did you get into the game of golf?

Kelly Gerlach:Actually, I was about 11 years old and I played every sport except for golf, and I tore my ACL. I was too young to have it repaired, so I had to go a year and a half without doing anything athletically. So I picked it up and kind of went with it, and after that, it worked out for me. No lessons, no nothing, just had about four clubs and went out and won a couple of tournaments. That’s how it started.

DE:So then after a fairly accomplished high school career, how did you decide upon SIU?

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KG:No. 1 thing was coach [Diane Dougherty]. She is probably one of the best coaches in the country, and this program we have here is one of the elite programs in the Midwest. I had two really good choices between here and U of I, and it came down to the coaches.

DE:Then how has your experience here been thus far?

KG:So far, so good. We had a real successful year last year. It was one stroke short of the success we wanted in the conference tournament, but so far it’s gone pretty good. This year hopefully we can go ahead and get that championship.

DE:Speaking of the Missouri Valley Conference championship, what was it like to be the individual champion last year, as a freshman?

KG:It was definitely exciting. It was something I’m sure I’ll appreciate when I’m older, but right now I want the team championship more. It’s a bigger deal to, I think, everyone else than me. I got a nice plaque and everything, but it’s not the championship I really want. It’s actually been more of a motivating factor. I got to experience victory, but my team didn’t; I want everybody to be there with me.

DE:So receiving the MVC Golfer of the Week award twice in less than a month last season falls along the same lines to you?

KG:Yeah, it was nice, but if I remember correctly, we didn’t play that well as a team. It would be great if we win the tournament as a team and I get that as a result. But whenever your team isn’t there to enjoy the success, it’s another feeling.

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DE:You mentioned you played other sports throughout high school, such as softball and basketball. Do you still participate casually?

KG:Well, as far as coach knows, I don’t play any of those sports. I just focus on golf. But in the off-season, I played a lot of basketball at the Rec. I don’t hit a lot in the cages because some people say it messes up your golf swing, but I do play a lot of catch. I was a big swimmer for 12 years, so I still swim quite a bit.

DE:Now, getting a scholarship to travel and play golf seems like a sweet deal. Would you say that is a nice perk, and what have been some of your favorite places to play?

KG:Definitely. I haven’t ran into a better schedule than what we have. Anytime you can get paid to go to Hawaii and play a course that PGA and LPGA events are held on … I mean, you’re looking at a volcano in front of you, the ocean to the right and playing golf as well for free. It’s obviously one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had. We also played a tournament in Myrtle Beach, and that was one of my favorites. We had a five-bedroom condo, so it was just my team chilling on the balcony looking at the ocean and playing a little golf. That was a great experience.

DE:You recently sustained an injury. What is the extent of it, and when might you be back?

KG:Well, I just got an MRI yesterday, and I’ll get the results back tomorrow. Right now it’s either some tendon and ligament stuff – I don’t really know what they said; I kind of lost interest – or it’s a stress fracture. We’re hoping it’s the tendon stuff because if it’s a stress fracture, I’m out for the year.

DE:Considering this is your sophomore year, this might be jumping the gun, but have you given any thought to a professional career after college?

KG:It’s definitely something I’m thinking about. It is kind of jumping the gun. In order to get a professional career, you have to do some stuff in college. If the opportunity is there, it’s something you have to think about. I know a couple girls on the tour, so I know something of the ins and outs of it. Once again, to travel the country and play golf for a career … I mean, I know it would be a lot of work, but it’s something I would like to try.

DE:Finally, how much has coach Dougherty taught in just the couple of years you have been at SIU?

KG:Like I said, I never had a lesson before I came here. I kind of taught myself, so when I came here, she not only taught me more about my swing but just the game of golf. She’s had such a great career. I go in her office all the time just to look at her U.S. Open stuff and pick her brain. She’s just so knowledgeable about all aspects of golf. Besides my parents, she’s probably the most influential person in my life.

Reporter Gabe House can be reached at [email protected]