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Grand Forks Airman tees up second swing with AF golf team

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Derek VanHorn
  • 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  One Grand Forks Airman will take her skills on the links to compete for the U.S. Air Force women's golf team.

Staff Sgt. Tina Kay, 319th Operations Support Squadron, was recently selected to participate for the squad - her second stint as a member in her eight-year Air Force career.

Kay originally played for the team in 2006 as a 19-year-old airman first class, earning the nickname, "The Kid," as the youngest Airman on board. She played with the team for two years before returning to her original job as a weather forecaster.

It was an e-mail from the team captain that lured Kay back to the competitive side of the game this time around. With the approval of her chain of command, Kay said she couldn't pass up the chance to play again.

"It's an honor to be picked up this year based on the people I know and their faith in my abilities," said Kay.

The Mobile, Ala., native is scheduled to begin with the team Sept. 28, and will open qualifying rounds at Maxwell AFB, Ala., where the team will compete against one another internally to determine each player's seed on the roster.

The top four golfers will advance to play in the 2012 Armed Forces Golf Championship to compete against other military branches at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla. The top performers from the Armed Forces event will return to Jacksonville for an international competition, matching players up against golfers from militaries across the globe.

While Kay said she would love to make it to Jacksonville, it isn't the scores that hold her focus.

"My only goals are to make everyone involved proud and do the best that I can do," said Kay, whose career best score is a 3-under 69.

Kay began playing golf at age 6, and following high school she had multiple scholarship offers, but decided to turn those down to serve her country.

"I decided the best thing for me was to come into the military," she said. "I was just fortunate that the Air Force gave me the opportunity to both serve and play golf."