OUR TEAM

HIGH PERFORMANCE GOLF ACADEMY

MEET LARRY WARD

Co-Owner – PGA Teaching Professional

Larry is the owner of High Performance Golf Academy. A four-time winner of the Kentucky Section PGA Teacher of the Year Award (2011, 2012, 2015 & 2016) and 2017 Horton Smith Award winner, Larry has been teaching golf for more than 20 years. Ward was also twice honored as a Top 25 Elite Junior Golf Coach in America by Future Champions Golf (FCG). He has conducted more than 24,000 golf lessons and 1,800 club fittings, and has coached students at every level from beginner to the PGA and LPGA Tours.

Ward believes in a fundamentally heavy approach to coaching utilizing the following TPPM Basic Formula—Technical Training, Physical Training, Proper Equipment, and Mental Training/Goal Setting. He was formerly the lead instruction writer for Pub Links Magazine and is the author of the book, “The Practice Guide.”

ACHIEVEMENTS

  • 2011, 2012, 2015, & 2016 Kentucky Section PGA Teacher of the Year
  • 2017 Horton Smith Award winner
  • Currently teaches 28 college players
  • Currently teaches 5 mini-tour players
  • Has taught over 24,000 lessons for over 20 years
  • Two-time Top 25 Elite Junior Coach in America
  • Has conducted over 1,500 club fittings
  • PGA Class A member

TYRUS YORK

Co-Owner – PGA Teaching Professional

The 2014 and 2017 Kentucky Section PGA Teacher of the Year, Tyrus was named head coach of the women’s golf team at NCAA Division III Transylvania University in March 2016. A collegiate player himself at the University of the Cumberlands (formerly Cumberland College), Tyrus entered the PGA Professional Golf Management Program and became a Class A PGA Professional Member in 2010. Since joining the High Performance Golf Academy in 2011, he has helped many juniors achieve their goal of playing NCAA golf. His many professional certifications include SeeMore Putter Certified Instructor, Sam Putt Lab (Level 3), and K-Vest (Level 2).

ACHIEVEMENTS

  • 2017 and 2018 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year
  • 2014 & 2017 Kentucky Section PGA Teacher of the Year
  • Nominated for 2011, 2012, and 2013 Junior Golf Leader of the Year in the Kentucky Section
  • K-Vest Level 2 Certified
  • Sam Putt Lab Level 3 Certified
  • SeeMore Putter Certified Instructor
  • Putting Zone Certified
  • EyeLine Golf Certified Instructor

MYRA BLACKWELDER

COACH

Over a distinguished golf career that includes Rookie of the Year honors on the LPGA Tour in 1980, Myra has developed great expertise in golf skills development and tournament play.

In 25-plus years as a teacher/coach, she has coached four KHSAA Individual Girls Champions, eight players on the Symetra and LPGA Tours, a Women’s Western Amateur Champion, a Symetra Tour Champion and two Junior Ryder Cup team members.

She has also helped her students earn college scholarships at institutions such as her alma mater, the University of Kentucky, and other in-state schools such as Louisville, Eastern Kentucky and Western Kentucky, as well as out-of-state schools such as Cincinnati, Florida, North Carolina, Purdue, Wake Forest, Army and Virginia. She also led the Kentucky Lady Wildcats team from 2007-2010, returning them to postseason play for the first time in a decade. When her daughter Mallory qualified for the LPGA Tour in 2009, they became the first-ever mother-daughter LPGA Tour members in history.

ACHIEVEMENTS

  • LPGA Tour Member since 1980 and LPGA Legends Tour Member since 2000
  • Won LPGA Tour-Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year Award sponsored by Golf Digest and Rolex in 1980
  • Served as University of Kentucky Head Women’s Golf Coach from 2007-2010, and was a Lady Wildcats player from 1974-78
  • Member of the KHSAA Hall of Fame, the Kentucky Golf Hall of Fame, and the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame

NICK WILLKINS

COACH

Nick Wilkins is from Frankfort, KY and he began playing golf at the age of 12. Nick graduated from Western Hills High School in 2015 where he played on the golf team for 5 years, won a high school tournament, and was a state championship qualifier. He has won the Frankfort City Championship on 3 occasions (2014, 2017,2019) along with the Governors Open (2014) and Daniel Boone invitational (2015) on separate occasions. He has also been a student at High Performance Golf Academy since 2013.

Nick graduated from Morehead State University and was a member of the Men’s golf team from 2015-2019. He is serving as the Assistant Golf Coach for the Eagles during the 2019-20 season. As a player, he competed in 122 rounds and 42 events, placing in the top 10 on 4 occasions and notching 2 collegiate individual victories along with a team victory. He was the 2018 Ohio Valley Conference individual champion and competed in the NCAA Columbus Regional. He was a 3-time member of the Ohio Valley Conference commissioners honor roll and was named a Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-American Scholar in 2018. 

SARAH FITE

COACH

Sarah Fite is from Maysville, KY, and found a love for the game of golf at the age of 9. She was a member of Mason County High Schools golf team for 8 years and won several invitationals, back to back regional titles, and won the KHSAA Girls State Championship in 2016. She was selected for the Kentucky’s All-State Team three consecutive years, the All-Region Team four consecutive years, named the 2016 Golf House Kentucky Junior Girls Player of the Year, and also the 2016 Kentucky player of the year. Sarah has won several junior championships including the Kentucky Junior PGA Championship Qualifier and the Kentucky Junior Masters. Outside of high school golf she had numerous top-10 finishes in competitive junior golf tournaments. She graduated from Mason County in 2017 and her desire to compete did not stop there.

Sarah graduated from the University of Kentucky majoring in Kinesiology and double minoring in Psychology and Coaching. She was a member of the Kentucky Women’s Golf Team for 5 years, and during her time as a collegiate athlete she competed in numerous events and claimed 2 top-10 finishes and 5 top-20 finishes. Outside of athletics she made the Dean’s List and SEC Academic Honor Roll, served four years on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and was inducted into the Frank G. Ham Society of Character 2021 which honors Wildcats who have shown an extraordinary commitment to academic excellence, athletic participation, personal development, career preparation and serving as a role model.

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