Kaitlyn Papp Budde

Introduced to golf by her father at the age of 6. Her dad took Kaitlyn to the driving range (were stationed in Okinawa, Japan with the U.S. Navy) and she began to putt and chip. At the age of 9, she went to an LPGA event and thought how cool it was and wanted to one day play on the LPGA. So she started taking lessons, practicing, and playing in tournaments, Was homeschooled and took online classes as the U.S. Navy stationed her father (and family) in North Carolina, Florida, Japan, back to North Carolina, and then Texas as she grew up.
She worked hard and had several accomplishments as a junior golfer. In 2014 won the AJGA Ping Invitational, was the 2015 Texas Women's Stroke play champion. Represented the United States on the 2015 Junior Solheim Cup Team, a Junior Ryder Cup Team and two Toyota World Junior Championships. Was the 2016 U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball Championship winner with Hailee Cooper. Part of the 2017 Junior Solheim Cup Team that claimed the fifth consecutive win in the event for the United States. Contributed two points to the team's 14.5 total team points.
In 2017, decided to play golf for the University of Texas, majoring in Physical Culture and Sports.
As a freshman, she became the first in program history to earn both the Big 12 Player of the Year and Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors in the same season. Her first season was highlighted by two wins and six other top-10 finishes including a tie for 4th in the Big 12 Championship. Last summer, she went 2-0-2 for the United States in the Arnold Palmer Cup. Highlights of her junior career included teaming with future Texas teammate Hailee Cooper to win the 2016 U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball, competing on two U.S. Junior Solheim Cup teams in 2015 and 2017, and competing on one U.S. Junior Ryder Cup team in 2016 in what she says is her favorite memory in golf. One of three invitees representing the University of Texas along with teammates Emilee Hoffman and Agathe Laisne.
She won the 2018 Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational and 2018 Northrop Grumman Intercollegiate. She finished T-5th at the Augusta National Women's Amateur and finished T-10th last week in the NCAA individual golf championships.