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Washington Evening Journal
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Guo signs with Central Missouri
WASHINGTON - One doesn't think of the rolling hills, manicured greens and lush vegetation on golf course as a dangerous place. But it was for kiki Guo Bruner when she sustained a broken bone in her hand this spring.
While Bruner has spent the time recovering practicing her short game, the University of Central Missouri beckoned with a golf scholarship and she signed a letter of intent Tuesday at Washington High School to become a Jenny. The mascot for the school is the Mules, but the women's teams are the Jennies.
”I like the campus, the atmosphere, and I really like the coach,” Bruner said of Chris Port. 'It's just a good fit for me.”
She is considering a major in biology to get in the medical field.
The University of Central Missouri is a public university in Warrensburg, Missouri. In 2019, enrollment was 11,229 students. It is situated 20 minutes south of I-70 about 60 miles east of Kansas City and about 270 miles from Washington.
Bruner received a lot of attention from college golf teams, but wasn't able to play in tournaments this summer because of the broken bone.
'In Wisconsin, I was about to tee off and a guy hit a really bad slice and the ball just nailed the back of my hand,” Bruner said.
A broken bone in the right hand f a right-handed golfer is not a good thing. The original diagnosis was no golf for three to six weeks which turned into four months. A hard cast for six weeks then a splint for four weeks and there was still pain. She couldn't play except practicing putting in the basement.
'The doctor said the bone was healing slow, so don't golf,” Bruner said. 'Coaches have told me it's a good time to work on the short game while healing.”
Several coaches that heavily recruited her wanted to see tournament results, but when there is an injury, there are no results with no tournaments.
Bruner finally entered a tournament Oct. 17-18 in Beach Park, Ill., and finished fourth, carding a nine-over-par 81 in what was to be a two-day event, but was just one because of weather. She had two birdies in her round and only one other girl of the 24 that played matched her. Bruner had nine pars, four bogeys, and three doubles.
A good round for a talented golfer who had not played in four months.
That's the talent UCM has headed its way in Bruner.
Kiki Guo hits an approach shot at the state-qualifying meet her freshman year at Washington. (File)
Washington's Kiki Guo watches her shot on the ninth fairway at Washington Golf Club at a meet her freshman year. (File)
Kiki Guo lifts the ball into the air with an iron shot on the fourth fairway at Emeis Golf Course in Davenport during her freshman year. Guo finished fifth in the individual standings as Washington won the regional title. (File)
Kiki Guo smashes her drive on the 18th tee at ther state tournament her freshman year. (File)
Washington's Kiki Guo hits an approach shot at the state tournament, where she finished fourth in 2019. This picture was selected as one of the Union's top photos of 201 because of the action (the mud flying, the ball in the air, Guo's hair flipping, her concentration) it shows in a sport, golf, that is considered to have no action. (File)
As mother Amy and dad Phillip watched at Washington High School, Demon senior Kiki Guo Bruner signed a letter of intent Wednesday to attend the University of Central Missouri on a golf scholarship. (Doug Brenneman/Union)
Washington's Kiki Guo watches her putt at the Southeast Conference golf championship in Keokuk in 2019. (File)
