Aug. 6, 2003
ST ANDREWS, Scotland - Samford's Christine Sparks spent her summer competiting on some of the most storied golf courses in the world. She not only played the courses, but played them well, reaching the quarterfinals of the St Andrews Ladies Junior Open, a national tournament played on three of the links courses at St Andrews.
St Andrews Links, with 600 years of history, is recognized all around the world as one of the golfing meccas. The courses are public and there are five 18 hole courses to suit golfers of all abilities: the Old Course, New Course, Jubilee Course, Eden Course and Strathtyrum Course. The sixth course, the Balgove, is a nine-hole course primarily for children and beginners.
The format for the tournament was an 18-hole strokeplay competition, played at the Stathtyrum course. There were 40 competitors, and the top 16 lowest scratch scores qualified for a place in the Golf Monthly Matchplay Trophy competition. The cut was 79.
Sparks qualified in 4th place with a total of 72 (38 front nine, 34 back nine), in windy conditions. She finished ahead of three girls on the English International Team, and was pleased with her performance on the Strathyrum Course.
"I was playing average for the first nine, and when I got to the tenth I was more comfortable with the windy conditions so I decided to attack the course," Sparks said. "I birdied the next 4 holes, but had an unfortunate triple bogey at the 15th."
She rebounded with a birdie at 16, completing a solid back nine, and qualified for the matchplay competition.
The next day Sparks competed in the first round of matchplay over the Eden course, which opened in 1914. She won her first round match, 4 up with 3 holes to play.
"I was playing solid golf and ended up at 2-over par through 15 holes," Sparks said.
The quarter finals were played over the St Andrews Old Course, the home to 26 British Open Championships during its 600-year history. The Old Course is probably best known for its 112 bunkers, some of which are especially famous, and the 17th or Road Hole (so called because a road, which is in play, runs hard against the back edge of the green).
Sparks lost in the quarterfinals on the Road Hole after hanging in for much of the afternoon.
"On the Old Course, which I had never played before, I had a very tough match," Sparks said. "I was playing a girl on the Scottish team who has played the course before. I was 2-under par after 9 but ended up losing on the 17th and was 3-over par."
Sparks placed well in her other start this summer, at the Buckinghamshire County Intermediate Open, played at Aylesbury Park Golf Club. She shot an 80 and finished in second place.
She is scheduled to play in one more National tournament before flying back to the States, the English Ladies Intermediate Open Championship at Notts. Golf Club in Nottinghamshire, England.
