The game of golf runs deep in the Kuehn family. It’s in their blood, who they are. And Rachel, a current Epson Tour rookie, is destined to make her presence known in the professional ranks.

Her journey in golf started before she was born, as her mother, Brenda Corrie-Kuehn, teed it up in the 2001 U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club while eight months pregnant. Eight days later, Rachel was born, and since then, the phrase “like mother, like daughter” has been an accurate description of the duo.

“My mom is the one that got both me and my brothers into the game,” said Rachel. “She always kept it fun, always kept it lighthearted. We took everything as a learning opportunity. I owe her everything. She’s the reason I’m here.”

But the bond the current Epson Tour rookie has with her mother is so much more than sharing the same profession. They also share the same alma mater, with Rachel recently attending Wake Forest University from 2019 to 2024. Brenda was inducted into Wake Forest’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1999, giving her daughter some pretty big shoes to fill. Her mother’s success even contributed to the pros and cons list when the then-teenager was deciding which college she would call home.

“When I went to Wake (Forest), I wasn’t really sure. I was hoping to be able to carve my own path, and when I made my pro and con list, ‘Going to Wake because mom went there’ was actually a con at the time, which, looking back, is so funny,” said Kuehn. “I feel so fortunate to be able to share that bond with her, obviously, all of golf, but the same school. I feel so close to her, and she’s my best friend, so I look up to her so much.”

Rachel was successful in carving her own path as a Demon Deacon, adding accolade after accolade to her amateur resume. In 2023, she became the first Wake Forest women’s golfer in program history to be named ACC Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons and also earned ACC Women’s Golf Scholar Athlete of the Year honors.

Adding to both her and her mother’s impact on the university, they became the first known mother-daughter duo to win the ACC individual title, with Brenda winning in 1986 and Rachel taking home the title in 2024.

Outside of the collegiate scene, Kuehn also climbed up the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), reaching as high as fifth in the standings . The now 23-year-old has also competed in five Arnold Palmer Cups and two Curtis Cups, securing the winning point for the United States in the 2021 and 2022 Curtis Cups.

Now, Rachel is testing her game in the professional ranks, competing on the Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA. Thus far as an Epson Tour rookie, she has made four cuts in six starts, earning back-to-back T8 results at the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort and Spa and the Reliance Matrix Championship.

Way back when, in 1988, her mother also competed on the Epson Tour, which was then known as the Futures Tour. However, the circuit had not yet been acquired by the LPGA, so it was not recognized as the Official Qualifying Tour. Brenda won the 1988 Chattanooga Classic, and while Rachel has not yet won on the Epson Tour, it’s another milestone of her mother’s that she wishes to match.

And, in a game of highs and lows, Rachel will continue to lean on her mother’s experience and love to help her keep her head up and keep moving forward as she chases her dreams, both on and off the golf course.

“She was always big on everything is a learning opportunity, and it’s all experience under your belt,” Rachel said.

The former Demon Deacon is set to tee it up next at the Copper Rock Championship in Hurricane, Utah, from May 15-17. Rachel is currently 24th in the season-long Race for the Card rankings, and another solid finish could put her closer to achieving her dream of earning an LPGA Tour card for the 2026 season.

Rachel Kuehn Following In Mother’s Footsteps While Creating Her Own Career in Golf

Related Articles