© 2024 Milwaukee Public Media is a service of UW-Milwaukee's College of Letters & Science
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Wisconsin LPGA Hopefuls Compete at Brown Deer Golf Course

The weekend tournament at Milwaukee County's Brown Deer Golf Course includes Carly Werwie, Gabby Curtis and Jessie Gerry. While they may have the benefit of family and friends attending the event, Gerry always has a piece of home with her - her dad Dave serves as her caddy, cheerleader and unofficial coach.

"He’s also a psychologist sometimes, talking about the mental side of things. I feel like he juggles so many different things, and I think we make a really good team. I think he knows me better than just about anyone. Even if that means, I’m dehydrated or I need to eat something - he knows when that is,” Jessie says.

Her dad had other coaching experience when his freshman daughter signed up for the golf team, but he knew very little about the spot. Since then, Jessie says he has learned quite a bit.

"He loves to be inside of the ropes. In college there’s a lot of rules as far as, you can’t really interact with the players or anything. So he likes to be right there and is pretty competitive,” Jessie says.

While the golf pro is shy about her accomplishments, Dave has no qualms about bragging.

"I’m just a big fan. She’s really, really a good golfer. Keeps getting better and better. You know, she’s got the course record here,” Dave says.

Gerry captured the record at Brown Deer during her collegiate career at UW-Madison. She still sports her  Badger golf club cover.

"I proudly take Bucky with me all over the country. This is the one I still have from college, so he’s a little bit faded, not quite the university red anymore,” Jessie says.

And occasionally people confuse Bucky for other animals.

"I’ve heard skunk - that was the one I was most offended with," she says.

This weekend's event in Milwaukee gives Gerry's relatives and friends living in Wisconsin an opportunity to watch and cheer for her, even if some are not as golf savvy as her dad.

"My mom has watched a lot, but I would say she still doesn’t know too much about golf. But that’s kind of cool to because you know they're just there cheering for you, and it’s special to have that, whether they have any clue what’s going on or not,” Jessie says.

The tournament field has consisted of 144 up-and-coming professional golfers. The winner, when the rounds end on Sunday, will take home $15,000 and hope of moving up in the LPGA ranks.