We chat with Keeley Marx, a Melbourne amateur pursuing her golf talents at Iowa State University.
Keeley Marx has it all. On the course, her records speak for themselves. In 2022, she won the IMG Academy Junior World Championship. As a freshman with the Iowa State Cyclonitas, the 20-year-old has finished in the top-10 in eight of 14 counting events on the schedule. Recently, though, Marx took a break from her journalism major to qualify for the US Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania. Marx drove from Iowa to Briarwood Country Club in Deerfield, Illinois, for the 36-hole qualifier. She posted rounds of 69-72 for a one-under total of 141 to secure medallist honours and a major-championship debut.
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Australian Golf Digest Women: How are you finding the juggle of college schoolwork and golf?
Keeley Marx: Honestly, it’s a lot easier than I was expecting just because it’s so supportive. The whole setup at Iowa State is [amazing]. We have a whole building basically designated to tutors, mentors and academic advisers. So if you’re falling behind, they’re on you to get it done.
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How was the second round at 36-hole qualifying for the US Open?
I knew I had a good chance; I was bogey-free in the morning: 16 pars, two birdies. I had one of my teammates on the bag, which was awesome. In the second round, we got called off the course with two-and-a-half holes to play; I had no idea what was going on, no idea where I was positioned. Then we’re in the clubhouse waiting and it’s just bucketing down rain and thunder. Went back out and I finished one-over for the second round. I walked off the course and my caddie was like, “Oh my gosh, you made it!” I was like, Wow, I’m going to play in a major! I was straight on the phone to my family group chat, calling them, screaming, “Pick up the phone!” It was so exciting.
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What’s the drive from Chicago back to Iowa?
The car trip took just under six hours. We just wanted to finish it that night. So I promised my teammate who caddied that I’d buy her dinner and listen to some Taylor Swift. I had one of the best experiences of my life.
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Can you give us a bit of an insight into the college system in the States and how you ended up at Iowa State?
I’ll start with why Iowa State. I wanted to go to college for quite some time. I figured, at worst, I was going to get to play four years of college golf and get a degree at the end of the day – and I get to live away in a different country. In the end, I’m coming out on top. When the date came where I could officially message coaches, which was June 15 a couple of years ago, I sent out 35 different e-mails to different colleges. [Iowa State head golf coach Christie Martens] was the first person to reply to me. She said, “Just ask away. I know you’re not used to this. You obviously live in Australia.” And it was just the fact that she treated me like a human, and I know that sounds crazy, but she just treated me like I could be a part of her family and that I’m more than a number on her team. She’s met my expectations plus more and to have a team that is loving made it easy to commit to a school where I knew I was going to feel at home.
I guess the weather in Iowa can be questionable [laughs]. But they’re prepared. They have anything you could want. If it’s cold, we may practise in the football stadium hitting wedges to 110 yards. We also have heated hitting bays, we can just hit out into the snow and watch the ball go into the snow. That’s crazy to me. Indoor simulators, putting, chipping – everything you can imagine. From a schedule point of view, we play the maximum amount you can, which is great because I wanted to have the full experience of playing an [autumn] and a spring season each year. Then we practise 20 hours a week as a team; that includes gym and golf.
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I know it’s your rival, neighbouring university, but how has the buzz around former University of Iowa women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark been? Has her success, even now she’s in the WNBA as a professional, been an inspiration to you and other athletes in Iowa?
Definitely the rival school, so I can’t say I’m happy about her being at Iowa, but I actually have had the opportunity to watch her play and she’s amazing. She just owns the court and to see what she’s doing for basketball is crazy. Even she’s now playing pro level and signing million-dollar deals with companies. It’s amazing to see her building the sport, and women’s sport in general. I think it’s pretty inspiring to know that somebody in the college circuit can do something like that, so absolutely it helps my golf game. I’ll be graduating in three years and hopefully I can build a good community around myself and be able to inspire others. She’s inspiring millions and if I can ever get to that, that would be amazing. Hopefully that I can follow her in her footsteps. I’m a big fan of hers as well.
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How has college developed your golf?
Being in a college environment is totally different to Australia. Playing an individual sport, playing in college really just makes you feel like you’re a part of the team, which is awesome. I think it makes you more confident backing yourself, knowing that you have a whole team, plus coaches and support staff. It helps you develop at a quicker rate. I’m much more of a confident person on and off the golf course now that I’m in a different environment, a different country, and I think college really just helps you mature a lot quicker.
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Did qualifying for the US Open give you an extra belief the pro golf is the path you want to take, and that you’re good enough to get to this level?
Absolutely. I have a couple more years of college. At the moment my dreams are to play pro golf on the LPGA, but things change. Qualifying opened my eyes up to seeing what life could be in a couple of years and it makes me so excited to have seen that next potential step in my life.
