HOUSTON — Do you hate slow play on the golf course?
Well, Houston golfer Kyle Cokinos doesn't just golf. He golfs fast. To give you an idea of how quickly he plays, he completed the popular East River 9 in a course record of 12 minutes and 55 seconds. And not only did he do it quickly. He shot even par. Not too shabby.
But on Friday, he was doing something very meaningful with his speed and skill. On one of the longest days of the year, he was playing as many holes as possible from sun up to sun down, raising money for mental health and Memorial Hermann.
"I've prayed about it. I've thought about it. And it goes greater than me," Cokinos said.
Kyle said the idea was spurred by a traumatic event of his own. As a high school baseball player, Cokinos took a line drive to the head. Memorial Hermann he says, may very well have saved his life. He was taken by Life Flight to the hospital and recovered.
People pledge money per hole, and the more holes he plays, the more money he raises. It's a particularly important moment for raising awareness of mental health issues, he said.
June is Men's Mental Health Month.
"I don't know if you saw in the news, Grayson Murray passing away, a great PGA Tour golfer. He kind of had the job that we all imagine as this perfect scenario but deep down within, men struggle every day. People in general struggle every day. And that's kind of my motivation to be out here," Cokinos said.
As of Friday night, Kyle had raised over $10,000 thanks to playing 279 holes between around 6 a.m. until after 8 p.m.
Donations can be made until Tuesday. To donate, click here.