As one of the top golfers in the state as a freshman in high school, Kinslea Jones says golf has always been a passion of hers from a young age. 

Jones’s passion for golf was instilled in her by her grandfather, Grier Jones, who is a former professional golfer and the now-retired head coach of the WSU golf team. 

“Golf is a sport we’ve both always work hard at and enjoy.” explained Stu Jones, Kinslea’s older brother and fellow golfer, “Our grandpa’s career 100 percent impacted our love of golf. He was the one that got us into it.” 

The Jones siblings have been playing since four years old for Kinslea and six for Stu. Their grandfather taught and coached them both throughout their careers as children too. 

“None of my other family members played golf besides Stu so he’s the one who taught me everything and he’s also my coach,” said Kinslea in regards to how her grandfather influenced her through golf.

Grier Jones coached Wichita State University’s golf team for a total of 24 seasons. Additionally, he played professional golf for 14 years and was named Rookie-of-the-year his very first year playing pro. He won many titles as an individual and as a coach and was even inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in October of 2010. 

“I’ve worked at my golfing for a long time,” said Kinslea, “it’s really rewarding to know I rank so high in the whole state.”