the cart and hit shots . It was something we could do together .” As she got older , she got better , and her and Dad ’ s wagers got bigger . They still play . The oldest of Kara and Darren Frerking ’ s four children , her two sisters , Emily and Nikki , played softball , and her brother Jake played basketball and lacrosse .
At Blue Springs South , she played basketball and golf but gave up basketball after two seasons to concentrate on golf . A four-year varsity golfer , Madi was allconference , all-district , all-metro , and allarea . A student of Rob Shipman at Milburn Country Club , she also had an outstanding career in junior golf , winning the Midwest Section PGA girls ’ championship at age 17 .
Her play earned her a scholarship to Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville , where she set program records for the lowest season average and lowest career average as both a freshman and sophomore ( 2015 and 2016 ). Her four top 10 finishes the first year and two the second earned her OVC Commissioner ’ s Honor Roll , Dean ’ s Honor Roll , and WGCA Scholar All-America honors both years . Additionally , she was named to the All-OVC Newcomer ’ s Team as a freshman and received the OVC Academic Medal of Excellence as a sophomore .
But then Southern Illinois dropped the ball –– and women ’ s golf because of budget cuts . “ The timing was terrible ,” she remembers . “ We found out in April when all the scholarships were gone .” Through the efforts of her coach , three promising options were offered to her , all in Texas , where her father ’ s job had taken the family .
She chose the University of Incarnate Word , a private NCAA Division I university in San Antonio . “ Great amenities and practice area ,” she says . She exploded on the program , winning the first tournament in which she played . The No . 1 player in most of her tournaments , Frerking lost a 5-hole playoff in the Lady Cardinals Classic and was second in the PGA Minority Golf Tournament in Florida . She won two tournaments and had 12 Top 25 finishes in her two years there .
Graduating Magna Cum Laude while earning a degree in Business Administration , Frerking
Greeting fans with a big smile , Blue Springs native Madi Frerking signed autographs and posed for photos at the Yuengling 19th Hole at this year ’ s KC Golf Show .
was All-Southland Conference honorable mention , April Golfer of the Month honorable mention , voted the Outstanding Student in the School of Business , and inducted into the Delta Mu Delta honor society .
While professional golf was always a goal , the LPGA Q School was coming up too quickly , so she took a year off after graduation to see the world , spending two-and-a-half months backpacking in Europe . In 2022 , she played all over South Africa on the Sunshine Ladies Tour . When COVID kept her out of the first of three tournaments , she made the most of it . “ I sat on a beach with penguins and went cage diving with white sharks , super cool experiences . Then we flew to Johannesburg and drove to Sun City , where we went on a safari and played Gary Player ’ s course ,” said Frerking . She continued her travels in 2023 by playing in a Ladies European Tour School in Morocco .
As glamorous as it might seem –– playing great courses , experiencing new cities , meeting leaders in golf , signing autographs –– professional golf is also a road filled with many bumps and hurdles .
Madi Frerking , LPGA , stole the spotlight at the 2023 Kansas City Golf Show when she rolled in a 50-foot putt on her first try , much to the roaring delight of a boisterous gathering of fans .
( Photo by Alan Hoskins )
“ Everyone thinks it ’ s so cool and awesome . I wouldn ’ t say it ’ s not fun , but it ’ s a grind . It would be easy to burn out ,” says Frerking , who worked at golf courses and even caddied to help pay bills . “ My first Q School , I had no idea how competitive and stressful it was . My play was not a fair representative of my golf game .”
It ’ s also a lonely job . “ Absolutely ,” says Frerking , who almost always travels alone from event to event , usually driving long distances in a car that now has 130,000 miles . “ I talk with my psychologist , and we discuss the difference between being lonely and being alone . It ’ s hard to build relationships .”
But she ’ s not ready to quit . Frerking could easily find jobs at any number of courses and has had offers . “ One person offered me three different jobs ,” she says . “ It crosses your mind at some point . It would be nice to have a steady income . But I ’ m not in it for the money . I ’ m in it for me and the love of the game –– so I ’ m going to keep grinding . I have no regrets . I don ’ t want to ever regret something because I didn ’ t try it .” �
TeeTimesMagazine . com TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE April 2024 17