Last week was my first return to LPGA competition in almost a year. I flew to Buffalo, NY and then drove almost 2 hours to Waterloo, Ontario, Canada to compete in the Manulife LPGA Classic. The Canadian fans were awesome! I am not used to competing with so many spectators and people cheering for just great golf shots. It was a lot of fun to see the fans excited the event was being contested and the tournament was run extremely well with a lot of wonderful volunteers. As for my golf play, I teed off in the afternoon on Thursday with extremely windy conditions. While the score resulted in 7 over par, I did play a lot better than that indicated. And I walked away from the day encouraged with my golf game, while noting some obvious flaws that will need to be improved upon in the coming weeks. Friday’s round, I teed off bright and early, bundled up in many layers with a temperature of about 45 degrees. My good ball striking off the tee continued and other parts of my game rounded into form. I shot even par, 71 for the day. While my two day combined score was not nearly good enough to make the weekend cut, I was able to walk away with my head held high. In no way was my performance spectacular, but I saw some encouraging signs. And I have a few weeks to work on my game and the areas I see need some big improvements before I tee off again at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship Presented by P&G. There is always more that goes into a week on the road than just golf. And this...

First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who has supported my career throughout the years. I appreciate the support and certainly have put a lot of work into reaching the level I have achieved. A lot has happened to my career over the last ten months and I had to take a step away from golf and golf competitively. In August of 2013, I made the calculated decision based on doctor recommendation to have shoulder surgery. It turned out that decision was the correct one as surgery and subsequent rehab has proved to be extremely successful and my shoulder feels better than I could have possibly imagined. Due to the shoulder pain I was experiencing, I had to withdraw from LPGA events in June, spent a month trying to rehab my shoulder and ultimately needed surgery. I have not played in a competitive event since June of 2013. After surgery and months of physical therapy to rehabilitate my shoulder, I was given the go-ahead from my surgeon to begin playing again in March of 2014. During my time away from the game, I had the privilege to work as a radio co-host and social media coordinator for Golf AZ Radio on AM1440. My experience on the radio was something I came to love. Not only did I have so much fun being a part of something different, I had a new appreciation for golf and the way the game can be played. Looking at the game from a different perspective and analyzing the game for the radio show is something I hope to be able to translate into golf competition. With a new love...

http://m.spokesman.com/stories/2013/apr/05/golf-former-idaho-player-kayla-mortellaro-follows/ Golf: Former Idaho player Kayla Mortellaro follows path to LPGA she saw as youngster Mortellaro’s exceptional ball striking led to 10 wins and 32 top-10 finishes while at the University of Idaho. Jim Meehan                The Spokesman-Review April 5, 2013 Tom Mortellaro flipped on the television to the Golf Channel, new to the airwaves in the mid 1990s, intent on improving his game and learning more about the swing. Without fail, daughter Kayla, a toddler, would grab her plastic club and emulate the swings she saw on the screen. “I’d mimic everything the instructors were doing,” Kayla said. “I was learning the whole time he was trying to pick up the game.” Soon Kayla and her dad were hitting balls on the driving range at Shalimar Country Club in Tempe, Ariz. Tom noticed Kayla had a habit of hitting balls straight. One day Kayla asked if some of her friends could come along. No problem, Tom thought, he’d give Kayla’s friends some swing tips but he noticed they rarely hit a ball straight. A friend encouraged Tom to put Kayla in an LPGA girls club program. She finished third in her first tournament, second in her second event and won her third one. After that, Kayla began winning a lot of junior tournaments. “It started out being a fun thing,” Tom said, “and then it started rolling down the road.” When young Kayla attended an LPGA Tour event in...

As you all know playing on the LPGA tour has been a dream of mine since 5-years-old. The chance to be there and play on the biggest of stages is truly an incredible experience. With this amazing dream comes an abundant cost. I hope you will jump on board to be a part of Team Kayla and have some fun with me on May 9 while helping to raise money to defer some expenses. I look forward to seeing all of you who have helped along the way in making this dream of mine come true. When: May 9 Where: Vistal Golf Club Time: 1:00 pm shotgun Below is the entry form. Team Kayla scramble 5.9.2013 Thanks again!

My 2013 LPGA campaign begins on Feb. 14 in Canberra, Australia for the 2013 ISPS Handa Australian Women’s Open. I am greatly looking forward to the beginning of my career and the exciting opportunities presented. I have never been or played golf in Australia before, so being in a new country as well as my first LPGA event will certainly be a unique experience. Since qualifying for the LPGA, I have spent a lot of time working on my short game in hopes I can enter the 2013 season with a new arsenal of shots and a strong mental approach. Be sure to tune into the Golf Channel or set your recordings to watch the tournament coverage Feb. 14 and 15 from 12:30- 2:30 PM ET,  Feb. 16 3:00- 6:00 PM ET and Feb. 17 3:00- 6:30 PM ET.

The last 14 days have been an unbelievable journey and I am happy to announce I earned my 2013 LPGA Tour Card by competing in qualifying school last week! First and foremost— I want to thank so many people. The list would be endless because there have been an incredible amount of people who have offered support, guidance and belief throughout the 17 years of my golfing life. Your efforts do not go unnoticed and I always know at the end of any event there is a long list of people who make up ‘team Kayla’ that afford me the opportunity to do what I love. And now, starting in 2013, I have the opportunity I have dreamed of since I was 5- years-old. In order to earn my tour card I had to play in a three stage qualifying tournament process hosted by the LPGA. The third and final stage was completed on Sunday, Dec. 2. This particular event was a total of 5 rounds of golf with a cut after the 4th round. The tournament didn’t start of smooth sailing. Round 1- played on Wednesday was cold and extremely windy. Two swings cost me more than I ever could have imagined that day. Those unfortunate events resulted in shooting a 79 and in a tie for 110th place. That was not the start I was looking for and was very disappointed with the result of the day. But I bounced back the following day shooting a 69- 10 shots better than the day before. That drastic swing moved my position down to a tie for 54th. The third round I shot another 69 that catapulted me down to a tie for 24th.  The...

On comeback and carrying the torch for Idaho. Golfweek

As the Thanksgiving holiday season approaches, I will be spending my time in Daytona Beach, Florida preparing and playing in the third stage of LPGA qualifying school at LPGA International. For those who don’t know, the format for this final stage held Nov. 28- Dec. 2 consists of 4 rounds of golf in 4 days alternating between the Legend and Champion courses. After the 4th round my score must be within the top 70 and ties to advance to the 5th and final round played on the Champion course. Based on previous year’s results, players who finish in the top 20 earn a full exempt card on the LPGA tour for the 2013 season. Players finishing 21-40 earn a conditional status on the LPGA. By competing in this third stage, I have earned full status on the Symetra Tour which is a feeder system to the LPGA. The Symetra Tour is a wonderful opportunity to have a full tour to play on and earn status to the LPGA tour for the 2014 season. Entering this final stage I feel excited with the opportunity to play for a chance at a dream of mine since 5-years-old. But most of all I am truly thankful for the numerous family members, friends and fans who have believed in me and helped me along the way to have this chance. how to reduce cellulite You can follow my progress and events of the tournament on kaylagolf.com or on my twitter account @KaylaMortellaro zp8497586rq