Living A Childhood Dream

Growing up in a household of golfers it is only fitting that the age of 10 Kylie Esh would win the Idaho State Junior Challenge, sparking a dream to play golf at the college level. In the fall of 2017 Kylie fulfilled that dream when she signed a Letter of Intent to play golf on the women’s golf team at the University of Montana.

Joe and Jamie Esh meet while attending Polson high school where Joe played basketball and golf for Jamie’s father. Athletics is in Kylie’s blood as her mother was a stand out athlete in high school who had the opportunity to play golf at the collegiate level for the Washington Sate Cougars Women’s golf team, not to mention her grandfather on her mothers side has a place in the Montana State basketball hall of fame. Over time Kylie’s father would become a PGA golf professional and the couple found themselves in Shelby Montana where Joe became the head golf pro at the Marias Valley Golf Course, and soon after Kylie would arrive.

As a youth Kylie thrived on the golf course winning five state championships in Idaho at the junior level before breaking out on to the high sports scene. Kylie spent her freshman and sophomore portion of her high school career at Lewiston high in Lewsiton Idaho before the Esh family would make their way back to Montana and the Missoula Valley.

Kylie and her younger sister Kelsey where enrolled in the Loyola Sacred-Heart school system when the Esh family returned  to Missoula partially because their mother Jamie found a teaching job at the school, and partially because the tradition that Loyola has as a family. As a junior Kylie tried out for the Breaker basketball team and found her way into a starting position, emerging as a force on the court. Kylie’s dad Joe compares Kylie’s basketball style to her sister’s, “Kelsey plays basketball like a rugby player, Kylie plays more like a golfer.” In her first season on the squad Kylie made a name for herself playing hard nosed ball under the hoop, and showing from the three point line. As a senior Kylie has had an opportunity to play the 2017-2018 season with her sister who is a freshman at Loyola.

The athlete portion of the student athlete is not the most important part, and Kylie showed it as she tackled her studies with the same tenacity that she showed on the basketball court. For someone who plays at the national level that Kylie does, she is a rarity as the majority of her peers are home schooled. Being enrolled at Loyola is more then just learning for Kylie, it’s about family, “I like being a part of the Loyola community because everyone supports each other, everyone cares about everyone and they want to help each other.” In her senior year at Loyola Kylie was voted by her peers as the homecoming queen, stamping her place in the hearts of the Ramily..

In the Spring of 2017 Kylie played her first round of golf at the high school level in Montana and blew everybody away with her skill on the course. Going to state was a special moment for Kylie as the Montana Class B Tournament was held in Shelby Montana, the place where Kylie was born. As if fate had aligned the stars for Kylie because on the first day she would set a course record at the Marias Valley Golf Course, the same course that her father was the golf pro for nine years. The rest of the weekend Kylie owned the scoreboard finishing at the top with a score of 146 after two rounds of play, 13 points ahead of her teammate Katie Fagg who finished second overall.

Kylie has played at a variety of levels on the golf course from the Idaho Junior Championships to playing at the junior pro am at Torrey Pines against the best high school golfers in the world. Having experienced golf at multiple levels against a variety of top players has prepared Kylie for her next step in her golf career as she will be joining the University of Montana Women’s golf team. Kylie explains why she chose to stay in Missoula. “It was an opportunity to stay close to family in state and with in state tuition.” Kylie plans to be a physical therapist when she finishes her college career and Montana has a prestigious physical therapy program.

Hard work and determination has led Kylie to be one of the top golfers not only in the state of Montana but also as an international player. From winning her first championship at the age of 10 to having the chance to represent both Idaho and Montana among the top golfers in the world Joe has been right at his daughters side silently guiding her to be her best. With Kylie’s senior year at hand Joe looks forward to seeing his daughter spread her wings, “Kylie’s foundation has been created through golf and her faith, she is so humble and has such an out going personality and that is the foundation that will help her succeed at the next level.” Kylie’s strong faith in God, the morals that her parents have taught her, and her determination to be the best she can be have made Kylie into one Missoula’s most exciting sports heroes they have seen in a long time.

For now Kylie will take in her senior year and enjoy her time among friends and family strengthening her faith, but come this fall Kylie will be living one of her childhood dreams, to play golf of the collegiate level.

All photos have been provided by Neu Photos.