In Bradenton, Florida, there is a junior golfer who is homeschooled so that he can have the opportunity to play golf every single day. He has lived in California, Texas, Colorado, and now Florida where IMG Academy Golf Club is his home course. We are talking about 13-year-old Kai Jorde, who recently picked up a win at the Saddlebrook Spring Junior Open in late March.
Jorde started playing golf when he was 6 years old and entered his first tournament just a year later at the age of 7. Maybe it’s the experience of playing in so many different states and environments, but Jorde has been nothing short of impressive in the last two tournaments he has played in. That experience, in addition to the ability to play almost daily, has certainly been showing on the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour. If you haven’t heard of this class of 2030 golfer yet, you certainly will.
At his last tournament, the Saddlebrook Junior Open, he shot a 75 in the opening round and managed to shoot a 73 in the second round. That two-stroke reduction ultimately won him the tournament as the second-place finisher finished the tournament with a +8 and Jorde finished with a +6. After the Saddlebrook Junior Open, we had a chance to catch up with Jorde and talk about the weekend.
What do you enjoy most about the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour?
” I enjoy playing in multiple day events and making new friends from different cities.”
How did it feel to get your most recent win on the tour?
“I felt great to win- even though I didn’t play my best. It’s always good to find ways to win without playing your best.”
How do you prepare for a tournament?
“I look at the course yardages and try to practice hitting clubs I will use at that particular course. I generally only play practice rounds for the national events so I use 18 birdies app to have a plan before I play locally.”
What are your career aspirations?
“I want to play in college at either UCLA or Oklahoma State and eventually play on the PGA Tour.”
What do you want people to know about you?
“I want people to know that I work extremely hard and practice every day. I love playing with and meeting new friends. I also am part of a distance running club and started running during my time in Colorado. I run distance races and have completed a half marathon in 1:43:06.” Â
Jorde’s hard work has been paying off and he is seeing it turn into tournament wins. He’s won his last two tournaments, and with the way he prepares and practices, we are excited to see if he can win a third in a row! Good luck to Kai Jorde in the rest of his tournaments on the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour.
