Capitol Words a project of the Sunlight Foundation

Rep. Michael C. Burgess

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a constituent of the 26th District of Texas, Kelly Kraft. Mr. Kraft graduated from Ryan High School in Denton, Texas after lettering for four seasons and serving as captain of their golf team; he is currently a senior at Southern Methodist University where he has just completed his last season as an accomplished member of the Mustangs golf team. One of Mr. Kraft's most recent achievements includes beating a top ranked opponent from UCLA as the national tournament came down to the wire. In the end, Mr. Kraft persevered and defeated his opponent to win the 111th U.S. Amateur Championship.

This victory was enough to solidify his spot on the U.S. Walker Cup team. The Walker Cup is a biennial golf tournament between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the U.S., Great Britain and Ireland. As the U.S. Amateur champion, Mr. Kraft has also qualified for next year's U.S. Open, Masters, and the British Open.

Mr. Kraft intends on finishing his Bachelors in Sociology this upcoming year at Southern Methodist University. Kelly Kraft excels in athleticism and perseverance, and I am proud to represent him in the U.S. House of Representatives.