Consistent Steger leads the State Open
WAUWATOSA – Professional golf can be a grind, especially for those trying to scrape out a living early in their careers.
Kaylor Steger has battled adversity since turning pro, but the Mount Pleasant native seems to be in a good place. He fired his second straight 4-underpar 66 on Tuesday to take a two-shot lead in the Wisconsin State Open at Blue Mound Golf & Country Club.
Brookfield's Harrison Ott, a rising senior at Vanderbilt, was two shots behind and State Amateur winner Thomas Longbella trailed by three. Beaver Dam's Dan Woltman, trying to become the first golfer to win three straight State Opens, was five shots back.
“Played solid,” Steger said. “Honestly hit it better today. Played a little more solid golf all the way around.”
The 24-year-old Steger won the 2014 WIAA Division 1 state championship as a senior at Oak Creek High School. He then briefly attended the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
“I knew going in that I wanted to eventually play professional golf,” he said. “And once I got there, I kind of realized it wasn't the best place for me. I loved the coach, the school and the people and everything. But I just decided that I was going to try to play professional golf and I left after the first semester.”
Steger started playing mini-tours in Georgia and South Carolina.
“I was absolutely lost for like two years,” he said. “Played horrible. Took dead last in most of the events I played in. Was having equipment issues and stuff.”
Steger also battled injuries, including a broken wrist that he tweaked again last year while competing in the European Tour Qualifying School.
But he feels like he is back on the right path. He was playing well heading into Canadian Tour Qualifying School when the coronavirus pandemic hit in the spring.
“I started picking things back up,” Steger said. “With a lot of help from my coach, Dave Rasmussen.
“And going and playing down in Florida, getting around some good players down there, helping grow my game. Just playing in more stuff. Just kind of been grinding, working at a course down there when I can and then playing as much as I can as well.”
When things were bleak, Steger questioned whether to keep chasing a career.
“You kind of go through those thoughts when it's tough to even get out to the course because your body hurts from something and you're playing so bad,” he said. “But I didn't give up and it just feels good to be out here.”
Steger can look around the tournament field for inspiration. Wisconsin natives Skip Kendall and Mark Wilson both built solid careers.
The 55-year-old Kendall, who won four titles on the then-Nationwide Tour, returned to the State Open after three decades. Wilson, 45, won five PGA Tour events in his career and was back in the State Open for the first time since winning it in 2001.
“It was the 100th anniversary and it was at Blue Mound Country Club,” Wilson said. “I knew they would get this place in really cool shape.
“My parents live 20 minutes from here, so it made it really simple to think ‘Oh it's in the Milwaukee area, so let's do it.'”
Wilson, who does radio broadcasts for the PGA Tour, shot a 3-over-par 73 after a 69 in the first round.
“I struggled today,” he said. “Didn't have it. Irons were a little off. Short game let me down. It wasn't pretty.”
But Wilson enjoyed playing with the up-and-coming Ott.
“I know of him mainly because my good friend David Roesch teaches him,” Wilson said. “So I've known about Harrison since he was just a teenager. I guess he's barely not a teenager.
“He was really solid for two days and I was really impressed with his demeanor.“
Ott will need another solid day in the 36-hole finale on Wednesday because Steger looks ready to close out the victory.
“It's just been building,” Steger said. “I feel pretty hungry to want to win.”