Conestoga golfer Kemp Bassett is Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week
The senior captain of the Conestoga golf team led the Pioneers to six victories in one week. On Sept. 4, in a quad match win against Upper Darby, Lower Merion and Ridley, Bassett shot a one-under-par 34 at Waynesborough; the following day he shot even par 35 at Concord Country Club as Conestoga defeated Garnet Valley and Marple Newtown; then on Sept. 6 he shot 35 as the Pioneers defeated Penncrest at Waynesborough.
Q: What do you think has been the key to your recent fine play?
A: I think the key to my success this fall was learning how to make adjustments to my swing after every shot during a round. This gives me the ability to correct my mistakes immediately instead of making the same miss again and again.
Q: How do you see your leadership role as captain of the Conestoga golf team?
A: I think that my role as a captain is to help my teammates get into a mindset where they can play their best golf. Whether that means helping them with strategies before playing a course or just picking them up when they’re not playing as well as they’d like to. I try to make a big point to my teammates that we should treat every match as though it’s the most important one of the season, therefore we’ll be ready when that match comes around.
Q: You mentioned that your best round to date was the Sept. 5 match against Garnet Valley and Marple Newtown at Concord Country Club, in which you shot even par 35. What was working particularly well for you that day?
A: Because most of the course was playing very short, I was hitting a lot of wedges in to greens and I did a very good job of hitting fairways and greens.
Q: What golf mentors have been particularly influential to you? What has been the most important thing you have learned from each of them?
A: My biggest golf mentor has been my dad. I only take the occasional lesson from a professional so my dad is the one who mostly coaches me through swing problems from week to week and is always invested in how I perform.
Q: What is your favorite hole at your home course, Waynesborough Country Club, and why? What is your favorite golf course and why?
A: My favorite hole is No. 10 as it demands a good tee shot into a tight fairway and a well-hit approach over water. The hole is one of the hardest on the course as well as being beautifully scenic. My favorite course I’ve played has been Secessions Golf Club which I played this summer. I loved Secessions because of how unique it was. Virtually the entire course at Secessions is fairway, and mounds are placed along the edges of the fairways to create awkward lies that will punish missed tee shots, sometimes even more severely than long rough would.
Q: What is your favorite club and why (can you give specs)? What is your favorite golf ball and why? What size grips do you feel most comfortable with?
A: My favorite club is my Taylormade P790 6-iron, I don’t know why, I’m just super confident with it. Right now I use Titleist ProV1Xs but the ball I use changes from week to week based on what I have sitting around, I’m not a ball snob. Right now I just use medium sized stock Taylormade black grips on my clubs but in the past I’ve enjoyed using Golf Pride Tour Wraps.
Q: What part of your game do you consider strongest? What aspect of your game are you working on the most currently?
A: The strongest part of my game is my driver accuracy. Very rarely do I miss a fairway by any more than a yard or two and I nearly never miss a drive so badly that I block my approach to the green. Right now I’m most working on my putting as I’m hitting nearly every green but not seeing enough putts drop.
Q: Who is your favorite golfer and why? Is there a golfer whose game you try to pattern your game after?
A: My favorite golfer at the moment is Tiger Woods just because I think it’d be incredible to see him come back after years and win. Although I like Tiger, my game doesn’t mirror his very closely. I feel as though my game is most similar to players like Kevin Kisner and Phil Michelson as I don’t hit the ball great distances but am always accurate with my irons and driver, giving myself to a chance to par or birdie every hole.
Q: Do you participate in any other sports or extracurricular activities at Conestoga?
A: Outside of golf, I volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and KEY club through Conestoga. I’ve also played in Conestoga’s Paddle Club for the past few years and have fallen in love with the sport. I also caddy most days during the summer and on weekends during the fall. Finally, I’m involved in the Investment Club as I’m interested in business. I plan to join NHS this fall.
Q: You want to play golf for a college program. What colleges are among your current favorites? What do you think you might like to major in at college?
A: I’ve visited a lot of schools but can’t pick just one favorite. I loved Davidson College for the surrounding town and sense of community, but schools like the University of North Carolina are equally enticing for me due to their size and prestige. Right now I’m fairly interested in Northeastern University because of their strong Engineering school and their incredible co-op program in which I’ll get to spend time in the workforce before I graduate. I’m still undecided on my major but I’m heavily leaning towards Engineering.
Fun facts – Kemp Bassett
Favorite book: Slaughterhouse 5.
Favorite author: Kurt Vonnegut.
Favorite athlete: Tiger Woods.
Favorite team: Philadelphia Eagles.
Favorite place to visit: Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Favorite movie: Happy Gilmore.
Family members: parents Scott and Shannon, older brother Colin, older sister Brooke, younger brother Brett.
(To be selected as Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by his coach.)
To view a gallery of past Main Line Boys Athletes of the Week click here
