Lutheran West senior Sam Webb had quite the summer.
First, she committed to continue her education and golf career at Ashland University and kicked off August by draining the first hole-in-one of her career.
“Typically, I am not the one to show my excitement on the course but when I watched the ball drop I was screaming and jumping all around,” Webb said of the hole-in-one. “I just was amazed that it finally happened and the fact that I got to see it drop in the hole just made it even better and more exciting.”
Webb’s ace occurred Aug. 1 on the 175-yard fourth-hole at Ridgewood Golf Course in Parma.
“When I was setting up to the ball, I was confident that I would get it on the green because I’m naturally pretty confident with my irons,” she said. “I set up to the left edge of the green playing a slight fade with my 6-iron from about 175 yards out. With my 6-iron in hand, I’m thinking, ‘I should be pin high, worst case I have a nice uphill putt.’”
Instead, Webb finished off the hole with one perfect swing.
“When the shot came off the club, I could tell it was going to be good,” she said. “It was one of those shots you don’t even feel come off the clubface. As I was watching the ball fly, I was thinking that I should have a nice chance at birdie as long as the ball didn’t get a weird kick. I saw the ball hop once and then roll about 10 feet, then it just disappeared. It took me a second to realize what just happened but when I did I was ecstatic.”
For Webb, the hole-in-one was the second-best thing to happen to her during the summer.
Previously, she had verbally committed to Ashland University.
“Committing to Ashland University is by far the highlight of my summer,” she said. “I have researched college after college since I was in middle school looking for my perfect school with a great golf team and nursing program. I have been dreaming about this ever since I was little and started playing in tournaments. Competing in college is most definitely the thing I am most excited about when I get to college.”
Webb first learned of Ashland from a friend on the Junior Tour.
She looked into what Ashland had to offer, both athletically and academically, and then reached out to the coaching staff.
“I emailed the coach and asked if he would come out to watch my sectionals because it was a decently close drive,” Webb said. “You could imagine my excitement when he got back to me and said he would come. So sectionals came and he watched the front nine before he had to leave. When we got to the turn, we talked about how he would like it if I came to play for him.”
Webb will study nursing while competing for the Eagles.
“I have always had a fascination with the human body and how it works,” Webb said. “I’ve always known I wanted to be in the medical field one day. I have goals to be on tour one day, too. My ideal plan for my life is to graduate from college with my nursing degree, go on tour for about 10-15 years, and then spend the rest of my life being a nurse. Obviously, my life may not happen like that exactly but I think it’s a nice guideline to think about.”
Before Webb chases down that dream she’s got some unfinished business at Lutheran West.
As a sophomore, Webb placed 18th at the Division II state tournament and she hopes to close out her high school career with a second trip to Columbus. She also has her sights set on a couple of school records.
“This year, if everything goes well with the season and COVID, I have two goals this year that I believe are pretty realistic,” she said. “One would be to make it to states and finish better than I did sophomore year. The second would be to break the rest of the school records for the girls. Those records would be season average, this is one I tied sophomore year, and most birdies in a season. These goals might be a little much but it’s something I have to work for the whole season.”
Those goals hinge not only on her ability to remain consistent throughout the season but that she even has the chance to compete.
The Coronavirus outbreak has led to a lot of uncertainty.
“With the season being what seems like a week to week or even a day to day thing, I am definitely going to make every shot count, whether I’m on the range or on the course,” she said. “Not that I didn’t before, but it’s just this feeling of this year meaning more than the others since it is my last high school season and could very well be limited. I am certain that I will be sad when the season is over but still be ready to start the next stage in my life at a bigger level.”
