David Kite: Like father, like son
12/11/2008 5:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
By Ken Burger
The Post and Courier
He looks and walks and talks and laughs like his famous father, which is a good thing.
David Kite, 24, is the son of golfing great Tom Kite, winner of 19 PGA Tour events, the 1992 U.S. Open and the hearts of golf fans around the world.
With his father's easygoing style, the younger Kite grew up in Austin, Texas, but he played his college golf at the University of South Carolina. After graduation, he worked for a campus ministry, then joined the College of Charleston as an assistant golf coach earlier this year.
"I've known (C of C golf coach) Mark McEntire for years," Kite said. "He's from Austin and played at Texas. So he contacted me about this opening and said I should apply since I didn't really have a career."
And so far, he likes the switch from player to coach.
"It's interesting being on the other side," Kite said about the job of recruiting to fill the program's 4.5 scholarships. "But it's fun. We're not just looking at scores. We're looking for consistency, a player who can step in and compete every day."
Famous name
Kite was one of those young golfers who was good enough to play Division I golf in college, yet not quite good enough to play at the next level.
"I had a pretty mediocre college career," Kite said. "But I love college golf because it's the only place in golf where you can try and make it a team atmosphere. It's a lot of fun."
Which is the way Kite approaches the game, despite being the son of one of the game's greats.
"I guess the pressure was there, but I've never known it being any different," said Kite, whose fraternal twin brother doesn't even play golf. "I think the most pressure I ever felt was put on me by myself.
"I'm sure there was some from the outside, but I never felt like it was overbearing. My dad has always been a hundred percent supportive. But I think my parents would have preferred that none of their kids played golf."
His last name, however, was nothing but an advantage, he says.
"I played some great courses and worked with some great coaches that most people don't have the opportunity to do," he said. "I look back on it now and try not to take it for granted that I did all those things."
Everything matters
Kite, who also played baseball growing up, said he became a good golfer in high school and finally beat his father during his senior year.
"It was pretty intense," said Kite, who finished third with this dad in last weekend's Del Webb Father/Son Challenge in Orlando, Fla. "He's very competitive in everything he does. Everything matters. But he was excited for me. I've only beaten him about eight times in my life."
Kite said he chose USC over Vanderbilt when it came time to play college golf and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
"I played my four years in college and really enjoyed it," he said. "But I felt that competitive golf for me was kind of slowing down a little bit. About the middle of my junior year, I knew my game wasn't good enough to go pro."
Kite, who is getting married later this month, spends his time these days recruiting and coaching young talent for the Cougars. And, he has an interesting perspective about what he does.
"It's weird to think that I'm a part of one of the biggest decision these kids will ever make," Kite said. "Where I went to school has completely changed me. I met who I'm going to marry here. I'm living here now. I'm completely away from Texas now. All because I chose to come to South Carolina."
Reach Ken Burger at kburger@postandcourier.com.
