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New Coach Joining the FCG Junior Golf Academy at Stadium Golf Center

MacKinzie Jean Peregoy (“Mac Kline”) joins the FCG Academy Coaching Staff!

My name is MacKinzie Jean Peregoy and I am married to Michael Thomas Peregoy, a United States Marine with Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC).

In my junior golf years, I was known as “Mac Kline”. I was born with a rare congenital heart defect, Heterotaxy Syndrome with Asplenia, and a transverse liver. This did not allow me to participate in many physical activities. I had my first open heart surgery when I was 2 months old, and my second open heart surgery when I was 2 years old. The doctors told my parents I would never be capable of enjoying activities that require the heart to beat faster allowing it to push more oxygen throughout the body. This is because I was born without the pumping chamber in my heart, this meaning my heart does not beat faster during physically taxing activities. As I grew up and watched all my friends enjoy gymnastics, running, and many other sports I thought I would never understand the joy of being an athlete. Until that wonderful, summer day when my Father, John Kline, took me golfing and I fell in love with the sport forever.

In my junior years, I played competitively in  American Junior Golf Association (AJGA), which was just before Future Champions Golf Tour became so popular. I was playing the best golf of my life, but again my heart condition would fight me. I fought through many junior tournaments with my health declining. I persevered and to my surprise, at the age of 15, I was invited by Annika Sorenstam to play in the 2007 Ginn Tribute. Prior to the tournament the doctors discovered I had a hole around my heart that allowed oxygen to leak out and this put a very high strain on my heart and body. I was required to be placed on oxygen. Due to my health, I was the first person ever to be allowed to utilize a cart and an oxygen tank on a Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Event. I tried my best, but after the Ginn Tribute LPGA tournament my health continued to decline which led to me walking away from golf for many years in an effort to get well.

I was the National Spokeswoman for The Children’s Heart Foundation from 2000-2007. During this time, I assisted in the planning, coordination, and execution of multiple golf fundraisers. By the end of 2007 The Children’s Heart Foundation and I raised 1 million dollars that was utilized to help the families of young children with rare heart defects. I started playing golf again in 2013 when I was 21 years old. My heart condition struck again and due to blood clots behind my heart breaking apart and traveling into my brain, I had a minor stroke. I had to have immediate open-heart surgery to remove them or it could have led to my death. At the age of 22 my heart surgeon rinsed his hands from my third open heart surgery, and told me I was an amazing young woman. I could not be more thankful to him for saving my life on 3 separate occasions.  After my third open heart surgery, my recovery was slow. I was not sure if I wanted to be around golf anymore, but the sport I loved so much would not stay away.

One wonderful morning in March of 2015 my close friend Alex Woytkiw invited me to play a round of golf with him, his twin brother Adam, and their friend Michael Peregoy; that day I met my future husband. We got married on October 22, 2016. Since we have been together Michael has helped me find my way back to the love I had of golf while growing up. I had related golf to so much pain in my life, but he helped me see that my love for golf helped me cope with my heart condition and realize that I can do anything I put my mind to. I am currently an LPGA certified Assistant Golf Professional and enjoy teaching.

 

Facebook: /mackinzieperegoy                                Instagram: @macperegoy

YouTube Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCd2ii2qAmQ

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