Michigan Golf Journal April 2018

College Corner Kyle Mueller would ordinarily have enough to play for considering he is a senior ĐŽŵƉĞƟŶŐ ŝŶ ŚŝƐ ůĂƐƚ ƐĞĂƐŽŶ at the University of Michigan and is eyeing a chance for a professional career in the coming months. But as has been the case for nearly two years, there is something else Mueller has been playing for during a great ĮŶŝƐŚ ƚŽ ŚŝƐ ĐŽůůĞŐĞ ĐĂƌĞĞƌ͗ ŚŝƐ late mother, Monica. In July of 2016, Mueller was ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ŵŝĚƐƚ ŽĨ Ă ƉƌĂĐƟĐĞ ƌŽƵŶĚ in a tournament at Hilton Head, S.C. when he heard the news that his mother was involved in a car accident while she was driving from their home in Georgia to the tournament to see her son play. ͞^ŚĞ ǁĂƐ ŝŶ ƉƌĞƩLJ ƌŽƵŐŚ ƐŚĂƉĞ ĂŶĚ ǁĞ ǁĞƌĞ ŐŝǀĞŶ ƚŚĞ ŽƉƟŽŶ to see her (in the hospital),” Mueller recalled. “I chose not to because I didn’t want to see her ŝŶ ƚŚĂƚ ĐŽŶĚŝƟŽŶ͘͟ Shortly later, Monica Mueller passed away at the age of 49. Ever since then Kyle Mueller has played No. 10 golf balls in honor of his mother, who was born on June 10. “There’s something bigger ƚŚĂŶ ũƵƐƚ ŵLJƐĞůĨ /͛ŵ ĐŽŵƉĞƟŶŐ for,” Mueller said. “There’s not a day goes by that I don’t think of her. She’s always there with me and I’m playing with a heavy heart.” Mueller’s mother surely would be proud of her son at the way he has overcome such ƚƌĂŐĞĚLJ ƚŽ ƐƟůů ƉůĂLJ ŵĂLJďĞ ƚŚĞ best golf of his life this season. Mueller already has two wins this spring, those being at the Southwestern Jones /ŶǀŝƚĂƟŽŶĂů ŝŶ ĂůŝĨŽƌŶŝĂ ŽŶ &Ğď͘ ϮϲͲϮϳ ĨŽůůŽǁĞĚ ŝŵŵĞĚŝĂƚĞůLJ by the Desert Mountain KYLE MUELLER PLAYS IN HONOR OF MOM By Keith Dunlap