Written By Jeffrey Reed
As Strathroy’s Taylor Kehoe nears the end of her U.S. collegiate golf career, she’s making noise on the links before eyeing the professional ranks. But in fact, Kehoe, 22, has always saved her best rounds for the big tournaments–and the biggest of her life comes at the NCAA Women’s Championships at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California.
On May 13, Kehoe led the Michigan State Spartans to a playoff victory at the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional and a berth in the NCAA Championships. Kehoe fired a 3-under-par 207 to finish in fourth place. Her final-round 3-under 67 is tied for the lowest round by an MSU golfer in NCAA Regional history, and her 54-hole score of 207 is the lowest ever by a Spartan at regionals.
“I’m so proud of the way we fought back into the top five,” said Kehoe, always putting her team first before any individual accolades and accomplishments. She said fighting through a playoff to finish in the top five and thus clinching a spot in the NCAA Championships was “definitely stressful, but I know we were ready for the moment. Now it’s time to get back to work and prepare for nationals.”
Kehoe is making her senior year at MSU count, big-time. In April, at the 2026 Carolina Challenge Cup, the Strathroy District Collegiate Institute grad who began her college studies at the University of Alabama won her first NCAA event with a score of 68-66—134 (-6). That round of 4-under 66 was the best single round of her Spartan career–her previous best round was 64 while at Alabama in 2023.
According to Kehoe, her A-game has come to fruition because of “trusting my game and embracing my role as a senior. I’ve tried to enjoy every moment and not put too much pressure on myself, and I think that mindset has helped me play more freely and consistently. Our team has shown a lot of resilience all year, and I think we really believe in each other heading into nationals.”
Every golfer knows that the mental game is just as important as hitting fairways and making putts. Kehoe said she has “definitely grown a lot” when it comes to the six inches between the ears. “I’m much better at staying present and resetting after mistakes, instead of letting one bad hole affect the rest of my round.”
Michigan State is one of 30 teams total from six regionals advancing to the NCAA Championships May 22-27. For Kehoe, a championship title would be the icing on the cake before turning pro.
Award-winning writer Jeffrey Reed has covered Middlesex County sports since 1980.
He is publisher and editor of LondonOntarioSports.com. Reach him at
jeff@londonontariosports.com.
