Kansas State University Athletics
Chen ‘Made a Good Decision’ in Transfer to K-State
Sep 19, 2025 | Women's Golf, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Kelsey Chen caught the eyes of Kansas State head coach Stew Burke and assistant coach Rinko Mitsunaga the first week of May at Keene Trace Golf Club at the 2025 NCAA Lexington Regional. While K-State, behind All-American Carla Bernat and All-Big 12 selection Sophie Bert, tied for second place in the regional to advance to the national championship, Burke, in his second year as head coach, took a moment to look to the possible future of his up-and-coming program, which was replacing a couple aces following the greatest season in K-State women's golf history.
What Burke spotted in the 2025 NCAA Lexington Regional was a true freshman from Georgia Southern whose game was beyond her years, as was her maturity with the club. Chen, a native of Dalian, China, possessed a stellar long game, a delightful mid-range game, and all she would need was a few days on the putting green at Colbert Hills Golf Club to be the complete package.
Yes, Burke mumbled to himself, she is the one. But Chen was still enrolled at Georgia Southern — a team that immediately saw almost all of Chen's teammates hit the transfer portal. Would Chen follow their lead and decide to find another home to better hone her skills on the golf course? That was the question.
Chen fired a 68 during the final round of the 2025 NCAA Lexington Regional. It was her best day ever as a collegiate golfer.
"Funny thing is, I said to Rinko after the tournament, 'They've got some players that could help us, but I think the one who hasn't reached her potential that could help us the most might be the only one who's not available,'" Burke recounts. "Kind of ironic. Three or four days later, we checked the portal because we had a spot open, and Kelsey popped in. I called her instantly.
"Rinko and I explained what we're about here at K-State, what I see in her game, and the areas we could help her improve upon. We told her how we had success with transfers with Carla and Sophie, and we saw her as the next big win for us in terms of bringing her here."
And now, she's here, wearing a purple Powercat polo, a wide smile, and a little more than a week removed from her first tournament as a K-State Wildcat — an eighth-place finish at 7-under par 209 at the Sam Golden Invitational at the par-72, 6,343-yard Oakmont Country Club in Corinth, Texas. Chen played well. Her final-round total of 3-under par 69 was one shot off her career low at the 2025 NCAA Lexington Regional. She eagled the par-5 15th hole and recorded three birdies.
"My first tournament since I transferred to K-State is proof to everyone that, 'Hey, I can play good at a Power 4 school," Chen says. "And I can do better stuff."
Chen arrived at K-State on August 15. She hadn't yet been on campus a month before she made her opening statement as a Wildcat.
"I made a good decision," she says. "On my old team, everybody transferred. I made the right choice and found the place that feels like home, and I found a coach that I like. Playing a good tournament is the best proof to show people I made the right decision, but we can't base it all on one tournament. I have to keep up the hard work.
"If it happens once, that doesn't mean it's going to happen all year."
As a freshman, Chen put together a 74.93 scoring average with six top-20 finishes over 12 events to help Georgia Southern to an appearance in the 2025 NCAA Championship. Prior to that, she won both the 2023 Buick National Junior and the 2022 Super Lychee National, and she was the low amateur at the China LPGA (CLPGA) Q-School, while she earned runner-up finishes in both the HSBC National Junior Championship and China Amateur Golf Classic.
"What's most impressive are the technical things I saw at the highest level at the regional," Burke says. "Kelsey came back this summer with a lot of technical upgrades. We were able to hit the ground almost running. It's about putting a little bit of our philosophy in play and making sure she has the right belief, and a little upgrade with her putting, and making sure she's confident.
"She has the ability to be a star. We want to make sure she's aware of that as well."
Sitting next to Burke in an interview, Chen turns and offers a bashful grin.
"I mean, she knows her game," Burke continues. "It's kind of nice to tell her what to do when we're at the tournament — I'd say, 'Hey, this is the distance, what club do you think it is?' She said, 'It's this.' And she was right. She knew exactly how far the ball went and the shot she was going to hit. To have her execute that, that was impressive."
Chen feels right at home with Burke and Mitsunaga and with K-State and Manhattan and her new teammates. Among the squad, there's senior Noa van Beek, sophomore Nanami Nakashima, freshmen Keen Visavapattamawan, Stalee Fields and Casey Kang – the latter also from China – junior Alenka Navarro and sophomore Julia Ballester Barrio.
"I like this team because we have international players and we have different personalities," Chen says. "Everyone is so friendly. No one is from here, but everyone is together. I see purple — lots of purple around here. Purple is my favorite color. There are good vibes here. First day of class, I couldn't find my classroom, but a girl walked me to my classroom. Everyone has been so friendly."
Shortly after arriving at K-State, Chen tackled Colbert Hills Golf Club for the first time. Eventually, she will know the course like the back of her hand through hours of practice prior to the squad's home tournament – the Powercat Invitational – in late October. Nestled in the Flint Hills, surrounded by some of the last native grassland in the United States, the course is unrelenting, it can be a bear, and it can test the limits of even the most ardent golfers in the Midwest.
In one round, Chen nearly conquered the Midwest monster, turning it into her personal playground.
"It's an amazing course," Chen says. "I started with birdie, birdie, par, and birdie the first time I played Colbert. I shot 2-under my first time with seven birdies. I like it. It's tough. I got challenged when it was windy, but I'm pretty good with the wind. That's a good thing for me."
And there seems to be plenty good about having Chen in purple.
"We got really lucky with Kelsey," Burke says. "She and I agree that things do happen for a reason. The history that we've had with transfers and her coming onto the team, and people feeling that this place is home, we know there's a lot more to come from her. We're one tournament in. We're delighted with what she brings, not just as a golfer, but with her personality. We really needed a shot in the arm with some energy, and we got that. I know I certainly did."
Burke chuckles.
"I was excited our first day of practice. Kelsey came out and was like, 'Let's go!' That's a great thing."
K-State's second tournament of the 2025 season begins on Saturday at the Schooner Fall Classic in Norman, Oklahoma, which makes it Chen's second tournament as a member of a Power 4 women's golf team. The competition is fierce, she realizes, but so are the opportunities.
"I have the feeling to be top 10 in the world," she says. "I have strong feelings with some things. Once I feel something is right, it's always been right. So, I feel like if I work hard and really focus, I can be a really good player. I'm focused on practice and on what I've been doing. I believe it's going to happen – the good result – but I don't really think about it. I'm just focused on shot by shot and not the score. Sometimes, I'll think about it, but every time I think about it, I'll mess up. I take it shot by shot and finally it's going to be a great result.
"I'm just being super confident."
The making of a star, indeed.
Kelsey Chen caught the eyes of Kansas State head coach Stew Burke and assistant coach Rinko Mitsunaga the first week of May at Keene Trace Golf Club at the 2025 NCAA Lexington Regional. While K-State, behind All-American Carla Bernat and All-Big 12 selection Sophie Bert, tied for second place in the regional to advance to the national championship, Burke, in his second year as head coach, took a moment to look to the possible future of his up-and-coming program, which was replacing a couple aces following the greatest season in K-State women's golf history.
What Burke spotted in the 2025 NCAA Lexington Regional was a true freshman from Georgia Southern whose game was beyond her years, as was her maturity with the club. Chen, a native of Dalian, China, possessed a stellar long game, a delightful mid-range game, and all she would need was a few days on the putting green at Colbert Hills Golf Club to be the complete package.
Yes, Burke mumbled to himself, she is the one. But Chen was still enrolled at Georgia Southern — a team that immediately saw almost all of Chen's teammates hit the transfer portal. Would Chen follow their lead and decide to find another home to better hone her skills on the golf course? That was the question.
Chen fired a 68 during the final round of the 2025 NCAA Lexington Regional. It was her best day ever as a collegiate golfer.
"Funny thing is, I said to Rinko after the tournament, 'They've got some players that could help us, but I think the one who hasn't reached her potential that could help us the most might be the only one who's not available,'" Burke recounts. "Kind of ironic. Three or four days later, we checked the portal because we had a spot open, and Kelsey popped in. I called her instantly.
"Rinko and I explained what we're about here at K-State, what I see in her game, and the areas we could help her improve upon. We told her how we had success with transfers with Carla and Sophie, and we saw her as the next big win for us in terms of bringing her here."
And now, she's here, wearing a purple Powercat polo, a wide smile, and a little more than a week removed from her first tournament as a K-State Wildcat — an eighth-place finish at 7-under par 209 at the Sam Golden Invitational at the par-72, 6,343-yard Oakmont Country Club in Corinth, Texas. Chen played well. Her final-round total of 3-under par 69 was one shot off her career low at the 2025 NCAA Lexington Regional. She eagled the par-5 15th hole and recorded three birdies.
"My first tournament since I transferred to K-State is proof to everyone that, 'Hey, I can play good at a Power 4 school," Chen says. "And I can do better stuff."
Chen arrived at K-State on August 15. She hadn't yet been on campus a month before she made her opening statement as a Wildcat.
"I made a good decision," she says. "On my old team, everybody transferred. I made the right choice and found the place that feels like home, and I found a coach that I like. Playing a good tournament is the best proof to show people I made the right decision, but we can't base it all on one tournament. I have to keep up the hard work.
"If it happens once, that doesn't mean it's going to happen all year."
As a freshman, Chen put together a 74.93 scoring average with six top-20 finishes over 12 events to help Georgia Southern to an appearance in the 2025 NCAA Championship. Prior to that, she won both the 2023 Buick National Junior and the 2022 Super Lychee National, and she was the low amateur at the China LPGA (CLPGA) Q-School, while she earned runner-up finishes in both the HSBC National Junior Championship and China Amateur Golf Classic.
"What's most impressive are the technical things I saw at the highest level at the regional," Burke says. "Kelsey came back this summer with a lot of technical upgrades. We were able to hit the ground almost running. It's about putting a little bit of our philosophy in play and making sure she has the right belief, and a little upgrade with her putting, and making sure she's confident.
"She has the ability to be a star. We want to make sure she's aware of that as well."
Sitting next to Burke in an interview, Chen turns and offers a bashful grin.
"I mean, she knows her game," Burke continues. "It's kind of nice to tell her what to do when we're at the tournament — I'd say, 'Hey, this is the distance, what club do you think it is?' She said, 'It's this.' And she was right. She knew exactly how far the ball went and the shot she was going to hit. To have her execute that, that was impressive."
Chen feels right at home with Burke and Mitsunaga and with K-State and Manhattan and her new teammates. Among the squad, there's senior Noa van Beek, sophomore Nanami Nakashima, freshmen Keen Visavapattamawan, Stalee Fields and Casey Kang – the latter also from China – junior Alenka Navarro and sophomore Julia Ballester Barrio.
"I like this team because we have international players and we have different personalities," Chen says. "Everyone is so friendly. No one is from here, but everyone is together. I see purple — lots of purple around here. Purple is my favorite color. There are good vibes here. First day of class, I couldn't find my classroom, but a girl walked me to my classroom. Everyone has been so friendly."
Shortly after arriving at K-State, Chen tackled Colbert Hills Golf Club for the first time. Eventually, she will know the course like the back of her hand through hours of practice prior to the squad's home tournament – the Powercat Invitational – in late October. Nestled in the Flint Hills, surrounded by some of the last native grassland in the United States, the course is unrelenting, it can be a bear, and it can test the limits of even the most ardent golfers in the Midwest.
In one round, Chen nearly conquered the Midwest monster, turning it into her personal playground.
"It's an amazing course," Chen says. "I started with birdie, birdie, par, and birdie the first time I played Colbert. I shot 2-under my first time with seven birdies. I like it. It's tough. I got challenged when it was windy, but I'm pretty good with the wind. That's a good thing for me."
And there seems to be plenty good about having Chen in purple.
"We got really lucky with Kelsey," Burke says. "She and I agree that things do happen for a reason. The history that we've had with transfers and her coming onto the team, and people feeling that this place is home, we know there's a lot more to come from her. We're one tournament in. We're delighted with what she brings, not just as a golfer, but with her personality. We really needed a shot in the arm with some energy, and we got that. I know I certainly did."
Burke chuckles.
"I was excited our first day of practice. Kelsey came out and was like, 'Let's go!' That's a great thing."
K-State's second tournament of the 2025 season begins on Saturday at the Schooner Fall Classic in Norman, Oklahoma, which makes it Chen's second tournament as a member of a Power 4 women's golf team. The competition is fierce, she realizes, but so are the opportunities.
"I have the feeling to be top 10 in the world," she says. "I have strong feelings with some things. Once I feel something is right, it's always been right. So, I feel like if I work hard and really focus, I can be a really good player. I'm focused on practice and on what I've been doing. I believe it's going to happen – the good result – but I don't really think about it. I'm just focused on shot by shot and not the score. Sometimes, I'll think about it, but every time I think about it, I'll mess up. I take it shot by shot and finally it's going to be a great result.
"I'm just being super confident."
The making of a star, indeed.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Golf
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/ Women's Golf
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