Hall of Fame
Whenever Lee Kinney hears Bob Seger’s classic 1970s song “Hollywood Nights’’ he smiles and reflects on a time when he put his home state of Minnesota in his rearview window and headed west to Southern California.
“I packed up my car and left to go to California all on my own,’’ recalled Kinney, a native of Red Wing, Minn. “I was a Midwestern boy on my own. I grew up a lot. I always wanted to play professional golf and moving to California and eventually attending CSUSB allowed me to pursue my dream.’’
Kinney spent two years attending CSUSB and he more than made a name for himself during those two seasons of playing golf for the Coyotes. The two-time All-American helped the Coyotes to a pair of NCAA third-place finishes by finishing 21st in the 1997 NCAA championship and runner-up honors in 1998.
Not bad for someone who began his college career at the University of Minnesota on a partial scholarship, but in Kinney’s words “had too much fun” and needed another plan if he were to continue playing college golf.
He moved to Temecula and attended the Professional Golf School, then decided to play junior college golf at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo. A chance meeting with Coyotes All-American Scott Householder made Kinney consider CSUSB and he never looked back.
“To be honest, I had a blast,’’ Kinney said. “You don’t know how much fun you’re having in school until you are out. It took my first four events at CSUSB to turn my attitude around. I was kind of selfish and made the realization that golf is a team sport. I learned that even if I was struggling, I had to find my way through it. Once I figured it out, we had a blast. It was a great experience. Come event time, we played at some amazing places to play. The travel and the bonding with the guys and the chance to play some great golf courses around the country were a big part of my life that I’ll never forget and always remember.’’
Kinney earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and played professionally until a car accident derailed his career. He spent several years as a golf pro in his hometown and now works as a financial adviser for Ameriprise Financial.
Lee and his wife Tascha are the parents of three children – Anna, Tess, and Chase.
