Schreiber Grad Kelly Shon is Ready for Princeton

Wake up at 5 or 6 a.m., head off to the green and putt for three hours, then put another three hours in at the driving range.

That's how Kelly Shon starts most of her summer days.

Shon, a 2010 Schreiber graduate, is now ready for Princeton where she'll play golf for a Division I program. The 18-year-old has been playing since age 12, and although she'll be moving on to playing golf collegiately, she won't forget the time she spent as a high school student athlete. 

"The challenges of balancing many aspects of high school with playing golf 'full-time' was a challenge yet exciting," Shon said.

In the spring, Schreiber competed for the Conference III title (the team won) and the Nassau County Championships (the team came in fourth); the sole female golfer on the squad was essential in both accomplishments. Shon moved on to the New York State Championships. 

After the state championships, Shon played in the Canon Cup, a top competition for premier junior golfers and was profiled for Golf Week. Following, she played in the U.S Women's Amateur's where she finished 23rd in a field with more than 150 women. In between those three tournaments there were many other junior invitationals.

And you thought your schedule was full.

Bigger than tournament play, though, is academics. Shon plans to spend the next four years at Princeton University. After turning down offers from numerous golf powerhouses, Shon went her own way by choosing a school that focused on academics first. After being criticized by the golf community for her decision, the young golfer didn't care; she made the decision for herself, no one else.

"I wanted to give myself the luxury to fall back on something if all doesn't go as hoped for in my golf career. Most importantly, I believe having that luxury would help me play golf for the right reasons," said Shon, who, like other Princeton freshman, has not declared a major.

At Princeton, Kelly will learn from new head coach Nikki Cutler. Cutler, an Vanderbilt alum, decided to coach the Tigers in part because of Shon, a "driven and motivated" player.

"Her game is in a great place. She's very smart and she understands how to play the game," said Cutler. 

The first year coach even went as far to say that Shon could be among the best players to play for  Princeton this season. However, she would have to earn the title of the top spot on the team on her own. 

All the balls driven and long practices the Schreiber alumnus has put in this summer will surely pay off in the long run; at least Cutler thinks so.

"The most exciting thing about Kelly is she has the ability to be successful at the highest level," Princeton's new head coach said.

And, in part, that's what makes Shon such a sensation: her highest level has yet to be discovered.