Kinney Forging His Own Path

AMES - For most people, a top-15 spot in the PGA TOUR University Ranking is the end goal. Access to the Korn Ferry Tour or one of the three International Tours, and from there, a direct path to the PGA TOUR.

For Iowa State's Tripp Kinney, No. 15 isn't enough

"When they announced I was ranked 15th, it was a good boost but there is still a lot of golf yet to be played. I am looking forward to not just being pleased with a top-15 ranking," Kinney stated.

In July, the PGA TOUR debuted PGA TOUR University, a ranking system to assist college golfers matriculate to professional golf without sacrificing their collegiate career.

"College golf is already a top tier for amateur golf, and it will only grow stronger with players from other countries attending college and players staying in school longer because of this new program," said Kinney.

Born and raised in Waukee, Iowa, Kinney already had the Cyclone cardinal and gold colors running through his family. Most of his family graduated from Iowa State, with his grandfather playing collegiate tennis and his great grandfather Harold Smith a two-year letterman in football (1922-23). In fact, Smith was teammates with Jack Trice, whose name adorns the Cyclone football stadium.

At a young age, golf became part of Kinney's life.

"As soon as I could pick up those plastic clubs, I knew I wanted to play golf," Kinney said. "I won a couple of tournaments when I was eight and that was what drove me to try and become even better."

Kinney graduated from Waukee High School and won back-to-back Iowa state titles in 2014 and 2015. After being named the Class 4A Player of the Year in 2015 and playing in numerous American Junior Golf Association events, he knew that he would be playing competitive golf after high school.

While visiting colleges, he saw something special within the Iowa State golf team. He loved the comradery, the state-of-the-art facilities, and was drawn to the program.

"I met the team and I knew it was the right place for me and I haven't looked back," said Kinney.

As a freshman during the 2016-17 season, he played in every event for the Cyclones – including the NCAA Championship – and was named to the Big 12 Academic All-Rookie Team.

Each year thereafter, Kinney continued his rise.

As a sophomore, he was named First-Team Academic All-Big 12, but as a junior, his star officially hit the national scene. Kinney was named an Honorable Mention All-American and nabbed Ping All-Central Region and Big 12 All-Tournament Team honors while becoming the first Cyclone in history to compete in three NCAA Championships – thanks to a victory at the NCAA Louisville Regional.

As a senior during the 2019-20 season, Kinney was on the path to even more success, leading the team in scoring with a 70.89 average heading into March play, with an eye on yet another postseason appearance at the NCAA Championships.

To prep for his next step, Kinney planned to play the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Qualifying Tournament in March and begin setting his path to the pro ranks, but COVID-19 delivered other plans. The global pandemic halted the latter half of the spring season for NCAA Men's Golf, and left countless college players pondering their futures.

When the NCAA provided an opportunity for players to return to school in the fall to continue their collegiate golf careers, Kinney was on board, knowing there was still business to finish in Ames.

And now, six months later, he is looking ahead to his upcoming senior season, with an eye on taking his game to the next level.

"I want to have a strong season with the team and turn professional."

If anyone is ready for Kinney to have a strong season, it's Head Coach Andrew Tank, who has played a big part in the rise of the 23-year-old. Tank, who took over the reigns of the Cyclone program in 2010, has seen a number of pro-bound stars come through his program, but cited Kinney's work ethic as one that stands out.

"You can just tell he wants to be good and he is going to continue to do what it takes to get better," Tank said in an interview with Iowa State Daily. "As a coach that is what you want, someone who comes every day to get better. He does what it takes to be great and is not afraid to do the work."

"Coach Tank has guided me, and he understands that I want to get better. He helps push me and the team to get better and makes sure we are going in the right direction," said Kinney

Kinney is excited to compete with the team one last time and make memories that he will remember forever. In a college golf landscape dominated by the likes of Stanford, Texas, Oklahoma State and Georgia, the average fan wouldn't think of Iowa State as destination for growth in the game. For Kinney, that's just fine. Perhaps it's in the air. Perhaps it's in the team. Either way, he's in the right place.

"The atmosphere is really special here. Everyone pushes everyone, and the team's goal each day is to get better and to become professionals."

If all goes as planned, Kinney's path to the pros will run from Waukee to Ames and next June, through PGA TOUR University.