Siblings Jordan and Katelyn Wright join forces at Major Series of Putting
Jordan Wright watched his older sister, Katelyn, participate in the Major Series of Putting this week and decided he wanted to play, too.
When he entered the Team Championship on Thursday, he didn’t have to look far to find a partner.
“It’s nice playing with her because there’s not as much pressure, as opposed to if you’re playing with somebody else, you let somebody else down,” Jordan Wright said. “There’s a little bit more relief knowing that we have a good enough relationship that it’s not a big deal.”
“Smack him over the head a couple times, and that should do the trick,” Katelyn Wright added.
The Wrights, who finished in 26th place at 14 under par, were not the only siblings to compete in the Team Championship.
Brothers Cole and Keith Watkins shot 13 under over the five rounds to finish 27th out of 49 teams, while brothers David and Jeff Goldenberg did not make the cut.
Former UNLV golfers Kurt Kitayama and Taylor Montgomery shot 9-under 27 in the final round and finished at 33 under to win by two shots and collect the $15,000 first prize.
“I had no idea what to expect coming into it, and they’ve done such a great job,” Katelyn Wright said.
Katelyn Wright was a four-time Nevada state individual champion at Incline High from 2006 to 2009 — she is one of two golfers in state history to accomplish the feat — and played four years at Nebraska.
The Lake Las Vegas resident competes on the Symetra Tour and played in the MSOP All-Pro Championship event that was won by Cole Nygren, Jordan Wright’s former roommate at Cal Poly.
Katelyn Wright drained birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 on Thursday afternoon to help her team make the cut.
Jordan Wright won the 2011 Nevada Class 2A state title as a junior at Incline. He competed at the prequalifier for the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open and is slated to play in the Nevada Open starting Tuesday in Mesquite.
The Wrights said they’ve long outgrown their sibling rivalry, but couldn’t help giving each other a hard time on the MSOP course.
“She three-putts and then I three-putt, and then she gets mad at me for three-putting, even though she did the same thing,” Jordan Wright said.
“You saw me, what I did, so that’s what you don’t do. That’s why I go first,” Katelyn Wright chimed in. “But it’s fun. Nobody else I’d rather be out here playing with.”
Also in the field for the Team Championship were husband and wife David and Kirsty Kohler of Oakville, Ontario.
The Kohlers won their entry during a charity event, but were unable to make the cut.
“Take advantage of all opportunities that are presented because you never know what will happen,” Kirsty Kohler said. “We met some great people.”
Amateur winner
Bobby Cavanaugh won the MSOP Amateur Championship and $750 first prize late Wednesday, defeating Jim Wilson in a four-hole playoff after both players finished at 8 under.
Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.