Kip Henley - "Big Break II" Contestant

44

Crossville, Tenn.

Chattanooga, Tenn.

Golf Teaching Pro

Married/2

River Run Golf Club

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Golf

Papa

The golfing lifestyle is all Kip ever wanted since deciding at age 14 that he wanted to be a tour player. He began knocking balls around at age 5 with a cut-off set of Arnold Palmer signature clubs, his hero. His mother even worked folding boxes at the Arnold Palmer company in Chattanooga.

Kip gave up his amateur status in 1982, trying tour school for the first time. After running out of funds, he turned to the life of a club pro and has held his Class A status with the PGA of America since 1988.

Through the club pro ranks, he earned a spot in the 1997 Club Pro Championship, where he suffered severe dehydration and required hospitalization after starting the third round in sixth place (the top 25 earned a birth in the PGA Championship at Wingfoot).

He played three times in the PGA TOUR's FedEx St. Jude Classic, missing the cut each time, but making the cut in several Nationwide Tour events he entered.

In 2000, Kip took his family on the road with him for entire year while playing on the Hooters Tour, with his wife home-schooling their two daughters.

Currently, he caddies on tour and carries the bag for a number of notable tour pros, including long-time friend Garrett Willis. He says it's the second best job in the world, next to getting the clubs handed to you.

Although he has two Tennessee State Open wins and has been the Tennessee Player of the Year four times, Kip says he still hasn't accomplished his proudest moment in golf. "I'm happy-go-lucky on the course and like to have my fun," he said. "But I'm determined to win my big break. This might sound terrible, but I've given a lot to this game, it owes me."

Source: The Golf Channel

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