FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (October 11, 2021) – First starting in the sport around eight or nine years old,
Klara Kucharova once thought she would become a professional golfer. Turns out, she just may find a career in the sport, just not with a club in her hands.
In today's world dominated by social media, Kucharova has found a passion behind the camera while still finding a way to stay within the sport she loves.
"I like that it's different every week," Kucharova said. "You have different winners every week, you have different leaders ever round. One week you work from home, the next week you go to an event and you don't stop from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. You get to travel which I love, and when you're on site, you're with your colleagues. It's versatile with where you are each week and what you do each week."
Kucharova, now in her first season as the Northern Arizona golf graduate assistant, spent the summer working full-time with the Ladies European Tour (LET), primarily with the LET Access series which is similar to the Symetra Tour – the LPGA's development tour.
However, working in social media wasn't always in the cards. If Kucharova had her way, she would've been one of the golfers being interviewed, rather than the interviewer.
"My dad always gave me the idea of doing a professional sport because it's nice to have an office outside," Kucharova said. "When I knew professional golf wasn't the path for me, I knew I wanted to stay connected in golf, so that led me to my first internship and first job at the Czech Golf Federation and then the LET."
Kucharova's first interest was actually tennis, and only took an interest in golf when her sister started in the sport. Admittedly, at eight or nine years she had no idea what golf was and her earliest memories was just swinging the club. Three years later, her interest intensified after transferring to a different golf club that had a full 18-hole course and she eventually started traveling to tournaments.
Originally from Prague, Czech Republic, Kucharova knew she wanted to play golf in college, but opted to go to school at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom. While there, her time on the course was unlike what she would have experienced had she chosen to pursue studies in the United States.
Ultimately graduating with a degree in media and film from Surrey, Kucharova was required to do a professional placement or an exchange to complete her program. Kucharova decided to do both, and that's where her future started to take shape.
In the fall of 2018, Kucharova secured an internship with Golf Digest C&S, one of the largest golf magazines in the world, where she had a four-page article published based on her coverage of a European Tour event. The following semester, Kucharova made her way to Flagstaff as part of her exchange, studying at NAU in the spring of 2019.
While in Flagstaff, the media manager for the Czech Golf Federation, having seen her work, contacted Kucharova with an offer to be a part-time worker. Earning her first job in the golf media industry, Kucharova still holds that position as she currently focuses on collegiate golf, covering Czech players playing in the U.S.
As fate would have it, Kucharova wound up being one of those Czech players playing in the U.S. because having enjoyed her semester in Flagstaff, she linked up with NAU head coach
Brad Bedortha with an opportunity. The original plan had Kucharova taking over the graduate assistant role prior to the 2020-21 year, but Kucharova actually utilized her final year of eligibility to fulfill her dreams of playing golf in the states.
"I loved it. It was really good," Kucharova said. "I was supposed to be a GA from the first day, but there was a change in plans and I took it. I wanted to do it when I was younger and it's nice to see how it works as a player and now as an assistant coach. Now it's easier to understand what the players are doing when I go to professional events when you're a player yourself."
Kucharova's lone competitive year as a Lumberjack ended with a bang as he landed a spot on the Big Sky All-Tournament Team following a tie for fifth finish at the 2021 conference championship. But that weekend meant a little more to her given what happened off the course.
Through a mutual contact, Kucharova scored an interview with the head of communications for the Ladies European Tour, which just happened to be while she was in Oregon prepping for her final tournament as a Lumberjack. Asked to write a trial article, Kucharova submitted a piece on the Big Sky Championship, and was eventually hired.
As a result, her role with the LET took her across Europe during the summer including a stop at the Amundi Evian Championship in France where she was the LET's only media representative along with a photographer.
None of her experiences over the summer though topped her opportunity to work the 2021 Solheim Cup held in Toledo, Ohio last month. The Solheim Cup is a biennial golf tournament pitting the best golfers in Europe versus the best golfers in the United States, similar to the Ryder Cup on the men's side.
"I'm really grateful that Coach (Bedortha) allowed me to go to the Solheim Cup," Kucharova said. "It was at the beginning of the academic year and he could have said that (being a graduate assistant) was my job and I had to be here, and I kind of expected that. But we didn't have a tournament and he said I had to go because it's a great opportunity. I'm really grateful because I would have missed out on that and that was a big experience."
Kucharova's trip to Ohio in September started with helping with media coverage and social channels for the PING Junior Solheim Cup featuring the best juniors in Europe and the U.S. Among the highlights was meeting two of the sport's legends, Annika Sörenstam, who was Team Europe's captain at the event, and Juli Inkster, and of course watching Europe win the Solheim Cup itself.
"Everyone from the LET traveled to the states for the Solheim Cup, so I finally got to meet all of my colleagues after three months," Kucharova said. "I don't know how to describe it. It was unreal. It was hectic and it was a new experience. We divided the work between us and the LPGA and it was exciting to meet the best players from Europe and the states. Plus Europe won, so it was more exciting for me."
With the Solheim Cup behind her, Kucharova is now focused on helping NAU capture its first Big Sky title since 2015 after a runner-up finish last year. The Lumberjacks are off to a hot start this fall with one tournament remaining in the semester as the team has posted two of their three lowest rounds ever in the first month of the season.
Once the season is done, Kucharova, who is completing post-bacc work in hotel and restaurant management, plans to go back to Europe and resume work with the LET.
"Overall I had a really great summer," Kucharova said. "It was a lot of work at times, but it was a great experience with a great group of people. They really welcomed me into the team. I think I created good connections and relationships and I can build on that in the future. I graduate in eight months so a lot can change, but my plan for now is to work with the LET. I love it here, but I miss Europe."
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