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Schuman took over the University of Wisconsin men’s golf program in 2003 and was on a recruiting trip to Iowa to watch Kaiser play in a junior tournament at TPC at Deere Run.
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Kaiser, a senior at Onalaska High School, was one of the top prep players in Wisconsin.
“One of my goals when I established the Badgers golf program was to keep the best players in Wisconsin here,” Schuman said earlier this week. “Kaiser was the first guy and the best player in the high school ranks.”
Schuman was excited to watch Kaiser play in a “pretty big” junior tournament in Iowa. Fortunately for Kaiser, Schuman didn’t make any rash decisions after the first round.
“I believe he shot 93. I thought, ‘If he’s our top recruit, where are we going to get the other kids from?’” Schuman said, chuckling.
Less than 24 hours later, Kaiser shot 71, the low round in the field. Schuman was pleased by what he saw, but even more pleased with the way that “Kaiser kid” handled himself the first round.
“He kept his head up the whole time and was so positive,” Schuman said. “He looked the same as when he shot 93. It was how he handled himself on the golf course that was big to me.”
Kaiser, now 22 and co-captain for the Badgers, also recalls those two days.
“Actually, I shot 95 and pretty much thought my chances were blown to go to Wisconsin,” he said. “I shot 71 the next day. It was the low round of the day, but I finished in the middle of the pack.”
Kaiser went on to sign a letter of intent to attend Wisconsin in the fall of his senior year at Onalaska.
Indeed, everything has worked out well for Schuman, Kaiser and the Badgers, who make their second straight trip to the NCAA Regional Championships this week.
The Badgers qualified for the 27-team, 54-hole West Regional at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Wash., beginning Thursday. They came within one stroke of qualifying for the NCAA championships last year, and despite being the 20th seed this year, Schuman and Kaiser are confident in their chances to finish among the top 10 teams and qualify for the national meet.
“We’re very confident. There’s no reason not to be,” Schuman said.
“I like our chances a lot,” Kaiser said. “The golf course, from what we know, suits us pretty well. We have never played or seen it, but from what we’ve heard, it’s something pretty decent for us.”
Kaiser has played many courses throughout the United States during his junior playing days and four years as one of the Badgers’ top performers. The Badgers are scheduled for a practice round on Wednesday before Thursday’s opening round.
Kaiser, the only senior for the Badgers, realizes it could be his last tournament in a long and illustrious college career. However, it’s just another chapter in his life.
There was the time when he was 11 years old and asked his parents to let him take lessons from Tom Gees, a PGA teaching pro.
“I was just hitting balls in this little lesson area at Northland Golf & Ski,” Kaiser recalled. “Tom watched me hit a few and thought I had some potential and proposed the idea that we work together.”
The long-hitting Kaiser has been with Gees ever since.
There was another time when the 6-foot-2 Kaiser decided he must lose weight. He weighed 300 pounds three years ago. Today, he has the look of a PGA Tour pro at 175 pounds.
There was another time several weeks ago, when Kaiser added another short, but important chapter in his life. He considers it his biggest disappointment in golf.
“I lost my swing. I had some struggles mechanically and I don’t know how it happened,” he said. “I couldn’t keep the ball on the course.”
With help from Gees and Schuman, Kaiser worked through his struggles and returned to the Badgers’ starting lineup.
Kaiser is happy. So is Schuman, because of the senior leadership Kaiser provides on and off the course.
“I couldn’t be happier for the kid,” Schuman said. “We need him. He leads by example, and he’s such an impressive kid for what he’s been able to do and how he’s changed his body physically.”
Although Kaiser has used up his athletic eligibility, he will attend Wisconsin next fall to complete a degree in business management in May 2009. Meanwhile, like many college golfers after they use up their athletic eligibility, Kaiser plans to turn pro this summer and dreams of eventually playing on the PGA Tour some day.
Schuman said he will miss Kaiser’s presence on his team, but has other top-notch players and recruits who are ready to step in. Yet, he will always remember his first recruit to the Badgers golf program.
“We’re going to miss Jeff. He’s a super kid with a super family,” Schuman said.
Gees is equally pleased with Kaiser. He has watched him grow from a pre-teenager to a young man with a good future in professional golf.
“I’ve seen Jeff mature not only as a golfer, but as a young man,” Gees said. “He has great athleticism, great balance and great desire.”
Gees said Kaiser is extremely easy to teach, is a great learner and very good practice player who works on what Gees asks him to do.
“He has a good, conceptual mind. He understands what we want to do,” Gees said. “Jeff’s future is limitless. He can flat out play.”
Bob Lamb can be reached at (608) 791-8228 or blamb@lacrossetribune.com
