Seth Smith has played in every Holmes Cup in part because of his friendship with Mike Kehoe. (Larry Vaught Photo)
The Holmes Cup is an invitation only event at Old Bridge Golf Club in Danville started eight years ago by PGA Tour player JB Holmes, his father Maurice Holmes and Mike Kehoe, the pro at Old Bridge.
Top high school/junior golfers are invited to the Ryder Cup-style event that has fourball, foursomes and singles competition.
The only player who has played in all eight events is Taylor County senior Seth Smith, who was runner-up in the recent state golf tournament and also second in the Kentucky Mr. Golf standings.
Smith has known Kehoe his “whole life” — Kehoe was previously the general manager at Campbellsville Country Club in Taylor County — and first met Holmes, a Taylor County native, when he was 8 or 9 years old. Holmes, 40, turned professional in 2005 after his collegiate career at Kentucky and won five PGA events before injuries limited him to just one tourney appearance in the last two years.
“It’s good to have an event like this where you can have fun with your friends,” Smith said. “We don’t get to do this kind of thing a lot. It’s fun, not pressure.”
“But it’s also huge playing in his (Holmes’) tourney. He is from our hometown and to see where he has got in life playing on four and winning like he did. It’s incredible knowing he came from the same place I have. It’s inspirational because what he did is what I am trying to do — make a living out of it (playing golf).”
Smith was inspired when he started playing golf that he had “five or six D1 (Division 1) golfers”out there playing with him. They were older than him but that motivated him.
Kehoe inspired in a bit more unusual way. He let Smith — and others — drive golf carts after they passed a driver’s test he put together.
“The questions were not all that hard. Some were like two plus two equals what. I was in fifth grade when I took my test and passed. He has a few trick questions. One I remember is what do you when you get under a tree (in a golf cart). One answer was back up, another was don’t ever get under a tree which was the correct answer,” Smith said.
“But getting to drive a cart like that when you are young helps keep you interested in golf. When you are that young is is just for fun and being able to drive a golf cart was fun.”
Smith won both his fourball and foursome matches Saturday and will be playing in singles today. He had taken a small break since the state tourney when he missed a putt on the final hole that would have put him into a playoff for the title. However, he said making bogey on the par-five second hole both days — a hole he feels he should have birdied — cost him the title.
“It is still a good accomplishment to get second and I was the only player to break par both days,” Smith, who finished 3-under par, said.
He was second in the Mr. Golf to teammate Luke Coyle, an Alabama commit. He said one shot less in any tournament during the season would have secured enough points for him to have been Mr. Golf.
“It hurt a little less losing to a teammate and friend. Playing with good people always makes you better,” Smith said.
Smith will play his collegiate golf at Austin Peay University in Clarksville, Tenn. He visited Kentucky and Louisville but was offered more scholarship money by Austin Peay and said the facilities were equal to what UK or Louisville had.
“It’s also just a little warmer there most days,” he said. “Another thing is they are not in the top 50 in the country right now, so I am going down there and will get to play. Getting experience is the big thing. You can only get so good practicing and not playing in competition.”
