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Best Golfers from Every State: Laurel Kean and Maine Golf

By Christopher O'Day

22 Mar 2002: Laurel Kean hits a shot during the second round of the Welch's-Circle K Championship at Randolph North GC in Tucson, Arizona. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Scott Halleran /Getty Images
22 Mar 2002: Laurel Kean hits a shot during the second round of the Welch's-Circle K Championship at Randolph North GC in Tucson, Arizona. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Scott Halleran /Getty Images /
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We continue our series on the best golfers from each state, heading far into the Northeast to investigate some of the best of Maine golf. The search was short, and Laurel Kean gets the honors.

Although it wasn’t quite as easy as determining the best golfer from Alaska, when it comes to Maine golf, the search was another short one to find out that Laurel Kean is the top golfer.

We are approaching the halfway point in our series, and you may be surprised to see that so many states have a female golfer at the top of the list. It’s a welcome surprise/addition, as Kean joins the likes of Michelle Wie, Shirley Englehorn, and Jennifer Kupcho.

You could make an argument for the long  Amatuer dominance from Mark Plummer. Or you could make an argument for the winningest PGA player from Maine in David Peoples, with a whopping two wins.

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I’m going with Laurel Kean in a close decision for Maine Golf.

If you’re a fan of Tin Cup, and let’s be honest here, who isn’t, you might be curious about Peter Kostis. He’s better known as an instructor and announcer, and therefore isn’t able to dethrone Kean.

After earning All-American honors in her final season in college at the University of South Florida, Kean would head to the Futures Tour, which is now known as the Symmetra Tour. She dominated early and often, winning an incredible nine times, setting the record at the time as well as winning player of the year.

Her lone win on the LPGA Tour would come over a decade later. She rolled through the competition in 2000 at the State Farm Rail Classic, shooting -18 to win by six strokes. What’s incredibly impressive about this is that she did it as a Monday Qualifier. This was the first time that a Monday qualifier had won a professional event.

On the LPGA Tour for almost 20 years, Kean made some slight noise at a handful of majors, even getting into serious contention at the 1991 U.S. Women’s Open. Kean would finish in a T-4th at +3, losing out by four strokes. If not for a +5 76 on the second day, Kean likely would’ve had a real shot to win the whole thing.

This would be the closest she ever got at a major. Her finishes in the others would top out at T-23rd, T-18th, and another T-23rd.

Next. Best Golfers from Each State: Louisiana Golf and Hal Sutton. dark

Although Maine Golf isn’t something you would think of as providing a lot, or any, professionals, there are still a few. Laurel Kean leads the way after her mildly successful career.

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