Nike Golf Camp at The Ridge Golf Club

Camp Coaches

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  Caylyn McKinlay

  Lead Coach

  Caylyn McKinlay is the head women’s golf coach at Southern Utah University and serves as a lead coach for Next Athletes’ Nike Golf Camps.

  View Caylyn's Bio
  

  Caylyn McKinlay

  Lead Coach

  Caylyn Ponich, a 2024 graduate of Utah Valley University with a bachelor’s degree in Family Science, is excited to begin her journey as the Head Women’s Golf Coach at Southern Utah University. A Utah native, Caylyn grew up playing golf at Oakridge Country Club in Farmington, where she developed a passion for the game and honed her skills in competitive golf from the age of six. Over the years, she competed in numerous tournaments with the Utah Junior Golf Association, Utah PGA events, and national tournaments across the U.S. During her high school years at Davis High School, Caylyn was recruited by Coach Sue Nyhus to play for Utah Valley University, where she spent four years playing on the Women’s Golf Team. Over her collegiate career, she participated in 36 events and was part of a winning team that took home the 2024 Utah Tech Trailblazer Invitational trophy in St. George, Utah, during her senior year.

  After graduating, Caylyn began her coaching career as an assistant coach at Utah Tech University in the fall of 2024, working under Coach Lindsey Orth. Caylyn thoroughly enjoyed her time at Utah Tech and is now thrilled to take the next step in her coaching career as the Head Women’s Golf Coach at Southern Utah University. Caylyn’s coaching philosophy is built around creating a team culture of commitment, work ethic, and continuous improvement. She aims to foster a supportive and disciplined environment where athletes are empowered to grow both as golfers and as individuals. Caylyn is dedicated to helping her players appreciate every step of their college golf journey, focusing on small improvements along the way as much as the larger successes. Her goal is to guide each player to become a confident, well-rounded individual who plays with purpose and an understanding of their goals, on and off the course.

  As Head Coach, Caylyn is excited to build a program at Southern Utah University where players can reach their full potential in a positive and motivating environment, making the most of their time in college golf.

  Outside of coaching, Caylyn and her fiancé, Brady McKinlay, who also played collegiate golf at Utah Valley University, plan to get married this summer. Brady, a native of Lacombe, Alberta, is currently pursuing his dream of becoming a professional golfer. Caylyn’s family has a rich background in athletics—her father was a quarterback at Utah State, her mother was a cheerleader at West Virginia, and her brother, Cole Ponich, is currently on the Men’s Golf Team at Brigham Young University and was crowned the Utah State Amateur Champion in the summer of 2024 at Ogden Country Club.

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  Denise Larson

  Director of Golf, Westminster University

  Denise Larson is the head women’s golf coach at Westminster University and serves as golf director for Next Athletes and Nike Junior Golf Camps.

  View Denise's Bio
  

  Denise Larson

  Director of Golf, Westminster University

  Denise Larson was appointed as the Director of Golf in 2023 and is the Head Coach of the Women's Golf team at Westminster University.

  "I love the game of golf, and love helping student-athletes experience the thrill of collegiate competition," Larson said. "My philosophy is to work hard in the classroom, work hard at practice, and enjoy the experience."
  
  Before Westminster, Larson was named the first-ever women's golf coach at Utah Valley University in 2005 where she led the startup program, at the NCAA Division I level, making it competitive in two seasons. She served as UVU head coach for three seasons.

  Before UVU, Larson was the head women's golf coach at St. Francis High School in northern California. During her tenure, she led St. Francis to the 2002 Northern California State Championship, and two (2002 & 2003) high school section championships. She was named the Greater Sacramento area high school girls golf coach of the year in 2003.

  Before taking the helm at St. Francis, Larson was an assistant coach at her alma mater, Sacramento State, for one season. As a player at Sac State (1998-2002), Larson was a two-time Big Sky All-Conference golfer and was named Academic All-Conference all four years. She was a team captain, was on the CSUS Student Athletic Advisory Council, as well as being the school SAAC representative for the Big Sky Conference. Larson earned a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology-Exercise Science from Sacramento State in 2002.

  A native of Bend, Oregon, Larson graduated from Mountain View High School (Oregon). She and her husband Tim now reside in South Jordan, UT with their three sons and one daughter.