Kylie Jack Returns To Her Golfing Roots To Compete At Inaugural B.C. Indigenous Championship Along With Her Mom And Dad
Kylie Jack Tees Off In The Inaugural Indigenous Championship - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf
By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf
(OLIVER, BC, May 30, 2023) — The inaugural B.C. Indigenous Championship is a family affair of sorts for Kylie Jack and her parents, Sharon and OJ. And they did not need any yardage books to help them navigate their way around Nk’Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course.
“I grew up on this course,” said Kylie, who honed her golfing skills at Nk’Mip and went on to play collegiate golf for Simon Fraser University where she earned a degree in criminology.
Her mom Sharon plays 45 to 50 rounds of golf a year and most of them are at Nk’Mip. And dad OJ is no stranger to the course, which is owned and operated by the Osoyoos Indian band.
When they heard about the first Indigenous Championship being played at Nk’Mip they didn’t hesitate before signing up.
In fact, Kylie knew about the event even before it was officially announced. She got a call from tournament chair Christina Spence Proteau, who encouraged her to play. She did not have to be convinced.
“I am really happy to be at this tournament with a lot of the community members, people I know, and people I don’t know who I am now meeting,” Kylie said. “So it is really cool to be all brought together in this way.”
Monday’s first round of the Indigenous Championship was Kylie’s second round of the year. Her first was Sunday’s official practice round. She’s been a little busy. “I just finished my third year of law school,” said Kylie, a member of the Penticton Indian band.
“I am in the Indigenous Law Program at the University of Victoria. It’s the first program of its kind, so it’s really cool to be a part of that. I have also been learning my language alongside that. I have been very focused on my academics and my career.”
Kylie, who is spending her summer working as a summer law student at the Department of Justice’s regional office in Vancouver, was hoping she had managed to shake most of the rust off her game during Sunday’s practice round. “We’ll see how it goes.” she said. “I am just looking to have some fun and enjoy spending some time on my home course.”
Her mom, Sharon, said having Kylie back playing at Nk’Mip brings back some great memories. “We have played a lot of golf here as a family,” she said. “We have had lots of fun at this course.”
It was at Nk’Mip where Kylie’s talent as a golfer began to emerge. “When we moved over here from Invermere she started playing on a junior tour for kids aged like 10 to 12 and she just dominated,” Sharon said.
The Jacks all hope this tournament grows and helps encourage more indigenous people to play the game they love so much. “There’s a lot of very good First Nations golfers out there that never get the opportunity to play in an event like this,” said OJ Jack.
“There are a number of people who I have talked to who haven’t hardly played at all, but they want to play in this. It will be something they can build for and shoot for as far as training-wise and practising.
Kylie, who received a Premier’s Award for Aboriginal Youth Excellence in Sport in 2017, hopes this is only the beginning for indigenous golf championships. “I think it would be cool to go from this and maybe see Golf Canada do an event,” she said. “I think that would be really cool. A national event would be really amazing.”